LARGER FUEL TANK FOR FE450/550/650

baja_racer said:

[Ken might have a motorcycle to pre-run with but he doesn't hang out with us little people in Baja.

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Wouldn't want so sully myself with the "un-washed infidels"...

So back to this Larger Tank issue... sounds like even Jimmy Lewis thinks the bikes need a larger tank! But what would he know, right?

Are you listening BMG??? I see you on this site, yet you're keeping pretty dam quite...

So far everybody digs the job you've been doing. But let's not rest on our laurels shall we... and keeping out of this thread isn't really helping any.

It would also be nice to have a tank capable of accepting and metal trail neck or dry break. Rick Bozarth and I talked about this the other day and he mentioned have a tank that is similar to the KTM MX/C tank with the shrouds covering the radiators. I've had those on my KTM and on a DRZ and didn't like either of them. They do provide a bit of radiator protection but the gas sloshes around so far forward, you can feel it. I've dumped both tanks for traditional shroud tanks like the EX/C or Husaberg.

I e-mailed BMG about the larger tank and suggested a company like Clarke could do it. I heard back from Brett Saunders after only a few days. He said this topic is constantly coming up in their weekly meetings but Clarke wants $10,000 for the mold and that is a lot of money for a distributor who sells 450 bikes a year. I can understand that. I dont know what can be done about it but I hope someday there will be one available so in the mean time everyone buy a new bike and contact BMG?

Folks,

I have folowed this debate every now an again. Two weeks ago I met a bloke with a 2006 450 FE with a 15l Al tank. Apparently made by this Italien company (whatwasthename??) that makes the 6l supermoto tanks. Guy said it was a prototype for later production.
I have personally adapted a rear fender tank from a pre 2000 to my 2004. That gives me 14l =200km enough. BIG advantage: better balance, better ergos than large front tank.

Volker

wooleyberger said:

I e-mailed BMG about the larger tank and suggested a company like Clarke could do it. I heard back from Brett Saunders after only a few days. He said this topic is constantly coming up in their weekly meetings but Clarke wants $10,000 for the mold and that is a lot of money for a distributor who sells 450 bikes a year. I can understand that. I dont know what can be done about it but I hope someday there will be one available so in the mean time everyone buy a new bike and contact BMG?

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I dont think BMG should be expected to wear the cost of tank mould development.

As I see it the main 2 markets for a larger tank are America and Australia, surely a joint cost sharing excersize between BMG and BUTMAC,
the Ausralian distributor might get something done at a distributor/aftermarket level.

KTM went to the trouble of developing a big tank for the MXCs and continued it on into the Hard Parts catalogue, as they knew it was going to translate into a lot of sales of the MXC in the USA.

And yet they seem reluctant to offer a larger tank for the 'Bergs, even though it would be opening up their customer market which they are trying to do


At the moment, Im in the market for a new 4 stroke, and the Bergs are being offered at run out prices- 25-30% cheaper than equivalent KTMs.

But the money saving on the Berg is negated by the lack of a large , reasonably priced plastic tank.

butmac ? butmac?? - they are not interested in husaberg , i have dealt with then personally .

but i won't go on about them because it would be a waste of time