The gas tank cabinets

When the garage is full, there is always thesecond bedroom.

The California househad a spare roombehind the single-cargarage where I set myshop up. Here inFlorida, TranquilityBase has a two-cargarage, but I amactually trying to keepmy car in one side, sothere is less room. Soin the spare bedroom, Ihave three home-madecabinets where I put thegas tanks and someother light stuff..

To start right out with the money shot, an XLCR tank Ibought to replace the fiberglass one on my 1980 show bike.Behind it is a factory seat for a 1979, an old buddy seat andsome chopper seat on top. On the left is a black piece I ampretty sure goes under the XLCR fender I talked about in thetop shelf post.

file:///C:/Archive/Stage/Open-Sport_stage/Gara... Open-Sport.org The gas tank cabinets - Sportster garage

1 of 5 7/15/2015 9:09 AM 1 of 5

Some of those funky washers that supportthe rubber grommets on late-model fueltanks, and some isolation mounts in a bagabove that.

Here is the the headlamp shroud for theXLCR setup, a sissybar you can barelysee, and the XLCR seat. When KennyPuccio built the 1980 show bike, he cut offthe fender mount tabs on the rear of theframe, so I am not sure I can make thisstuff work.

A stock 1979-1981 oil tank, I guess itshould be in the oil tank tub if it would fit.Also the roadster tank from I think was itlate 70s or early 1980s. A lot of my tankquest is for something that holds morethan 2.2 gallons. When a Sportster is yourdaily driver, it gets old having to gas it upevery few days.

More big-money stuff. A 1959 Sportstertank and two K-model tanks. I have thecherry-red junker I was thinking of sawingopen to see if I could then weld closed, butI just don't think my welding skills are up toit, even with a TIG welder.

file:///C:/Archive/Stage/Open-Sport_stage/Gara... Open-Sport.org The gas tank cabinets - Sportster garage

2 of 5 7/15/2015 9:09 AM 2 of 5

A late-model peanut tank, you can tellfrom the big loops on the front mount. Ithink I had this on the 1979 bobber at onetime.

The loops are on the read mount too, andyou can see those rubber grommets andstandoff hardware that was in the baggieabove.

This is a big-bike flatside tank I want tomount on my 1977, which I converted touse flatside tanks. This is a much nicerpaint job, but the ones on the 1977 noware 5-gallon and these are only 3.5, so Ireserve the right to take these off after I trythem. The tank came with the Pingelpetcock. My concern is that the petcockwill interfere with the rear head on theSportster.

Here is the right-side flat-side big biketank. I have learned you can have thebest-running, easiest starting, trustiestSportster but if it does not have prettychrome air filter and pipes, and nice paintjob, nobody cares. Take some crappy-running beater and put this tank on it, andit is complements for days. I guess its justlike people, appearance is more importantthan integrity, welcome to Marketing 101.

file:///C:/Archive/Stage/Open-Sport_stage/Gara... Open-Sport.org The gas tank cabinets - Sportster garage

3 of 5 7/15/2015 9:09 AM 3 of 5

This is a peanut tank I had on my 1962 fora while. I did the rattle-can paint job andeven did half-decent on the panel. Thetank probably got some big scrap from thehandlebar lever of another bike, so I putthat American flag decal on it.

Here is the underside of the tank, you cansee it has the earlier tabs to mount it.

Here is an AMF-era peanut tank.

This peanut tank has the later-style Keihinpetcock bung.

Here is a big-bike FX tank, I don't thinkthese ever came on a Sportster.

Here is the underside of the FX tank, therear mount used a spring and rubberbushing setup.

file:///C:/Archive/Stage/Open-Sport_stage/Gara... Open-Sport.org The gas tank cabinets - Sportster garage

4 of 5 7/15/2015 9:09 AM 4 of 5

An FX tank hacked to mount to a Sportsterframe.

I made a bracket so it would mount to theIron Sportster frame.

This side panel was made by KennyPuccio for my 1980 show bike. I am notbig on covers that hide problems, so I tookit off. I put this on the top shelf with thealuminum frame cover that was also onthe bike.

I despise fumbling with spacer washers tomount a gas tank, so I dialed in thespacers and brazed them on the front tabsof the gas tank.

Here are some Sportster gas tanks allsafe-and sound on top of thosehome-made cabinets I spoke of. Noearthquakes in Florida so I am not tooworried, but note I am keeping the rarestuff inside the cabinets.

file:///C:/Archive/Stage/Open-Sport_stage/Gara... Open-Sport.org The gas tank cabinets - Sportster garage

5 of 5 7/15/2015 9:09 AM 5 of 5