Road Racing

[bluestoesonnose]

Some of them there RR bits on eBay.

Not my cuppa but some on here seem to like them

[bluestoesonnose]

These are the links if you can't find them:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ducati-Monster-Bellypan-/111148639219?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item19e0f9a3f3

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ducati-Monster-Headlamp-Fairing-/111148636201?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item19e0f99829

[Wildfire]

I like the tanks and the front fender. Not too sure about that fairing.

[Nottsbiker]

Some of their fairings are terrible but the tank is the holy grail for many folk. Best part is how the rear cyclinder is exposed (for me).

[Nottsbiker]

Any chance you can post up item numbers so I can look on my phone? Ebay is blocked at work :(

[Wildfire]

111148639219

111148636201

[Nottsbiker]

Cheers mate :)

Chucked a bid on the belly pan - still no brake scoops though :(

[slob]

I'm with Ben... he's not selling the tank :-(

[Dirty]

Why are the ally tanks so popular?

[slob]

because they're beautiful, light and rare
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5084/5234439259_15a32f0bc7_o.jpg

[Dirty]

Ooh that is pwetty :) Which engine is that? I'd kill for the exhaust!

[utopia]

.....and durable.
I agree with Ben that the way they accentuate the looks of the vee motor by exposing more of the rear cylinder is much nicer than the std tank.
If I wasn't so skint just now, I'd be suggesting that the club commissions a batch of ally tanks, possibly from India at a reasonable price. I'll certainly be looking at the possibility once my ship comes in.

That screen looks nice to me.

[Wildfire]

I'd be suggesting that the club commissions a batch of ally tanks, possibly from India at a reasonable price.


That sounds like an idea.... I wonder how much it would cost per tank?

[Dirty]

I'd be interested.

[utopia]

That sounds like an idea.... I wonder how much it would cost per tank?

I've no idea, but I have spotted some reasonably priced Indian ally tanks for other bikes lately.
The problem might be that there are a few different styles, ie early and late carby types (which don't fit with the "wrong" seat), injection models which have the internal electric fuel pump and "tea bag" filter, and the plastic tanks with the bigger fuel pump assembly fitted in the base.
Reading between the lines, I think others have tried in the past and fallen foul of these issues.
But where there's a will, there may be a way.
Its been on my back burner for a while now, but I can't say that I've chased it very hard up to now.
Like I said, its funds which prevent me taking it further at the moment.

Of course, I'd have to factor in a trip to India to make the necessary arrangements in person. ;)

[Dirty]

There was a thread on a US monster site posted by an Indian fella who intended to do similar but after many pages and apparent difficulties the thread was closed earlier this year.

There is a guy who makes custom ally tanks here in the UK. Not cheap and currently has a 40 week lead time. He'll teach you how to make them and set up the business etc for between £50-£100k! So if everyone chipped £6........ :)http://www.thetankshop.com

[He11cat]

I take it this is the stuff of that bike that just sold ?

[utopia]

Yes, The Tank Shop was the company I was referring to who seemed to have stumbled. Shame because they were quoting very favourable prices when I phoned them a couple of years ago.

Do you have a link to the thread on the US site ? Maybe I could pick up where they left off.

[slob]

the other problem with custom tanks is that there are at least 4 different Monster tank patterns* up to 2009, so getting a bulk order may be more complex than you first think.

* carbed early
carbed late
injection metal
injection plastic

plus I believe some of the kettles have a bigger space for the airbox, so that's another 1 or 2 injected tanks

[bluestoesonnose]

I'd talk to Terry Weedy, he makes alloy tanks for classic MX bikes the one on my Beeza is an awesome bit of kit.

If the tops are all the same and say 90% of the bottom then I can't imagine it would be that hard to make a batch for not a lot of out lay.

[utopia]

Yes, I hadn't considered the airbox situation, but that would definitely add further complications.

But the suggestion of a local manufacturer who could possibly make a few different models using a std top section is a cracking idea, Blues. There may be some mileage in that one.
Plus, I quite like the guy's name too.

[slob]

two top sections...
early carbed & all the rest

[utopia]

two top sections...
early carbed & all the rest


Yes, ... though thinking aloud .... perhaps it might be possible to make a single pattern/former which could have an extension piece so it would work for both types (if indeed there are only the two).
Or maybe, if its only the fit to the seat that's different, simply accept that an exchange seat would be needed.
I'm sure there are lots of other little angles which need covering too. Maybe the difficult part is to wade through all of these, without missing any out, and arrive at a conclusion which covers all the options with the minimum of fuss.

Maybe a good start would be to open a new thread specifically for the purpose of collecting all the info together and testing various solutions.
It'd be a nice club activity if we could make it happen that way.
......but for now I need to finish cutting the lawns before it gets dark.

[He11cat]

If I can be of help with my tank no probs .

[slob]

Actually the cutout in the roadracing one solves the early late problem by removing the curve that fits the front of the seat. Your carbness makes you blissfully unaware of the fuel pump/filter issues caused by the various injected types.

[bluestoesonnose]

If you get the alloy thin enough you can you use hard wood for the presses on small production runs. So a quick 3D scan and some CNC 3D machining with a little hand finishing and you'd have a pair of presses to start a small proddy run with

[slob]

Crust and I discussed filling a plastic tank with concrete and using that.

[bluestoesonnose]

You could do, though you may find a steel tank and expanding foam would work as well. You'd still require male and female parts to the press though.

That said a large fly press should be up to the job

[utopia]

Oh, this is getting interesting now.
I had always assumed that the early/late tank/seat mismatch on carbed monsters was more than just the side cutouts and involved gaps along the upper section too. If not, then the project takes a leap forward for those with blissful carbness.
And would that also mean that there was no seat mismatch problems with the injected models either ?
If so, then surely the other issues must be solvable without too much grief.

And the idea of making some sort of former or mould/s by filling a spare tank with something sounds brilliant ...and I guess is one of those things that makes all the difference but seems kind of obvious when you think about it.

Is there any way that we can shift this stuff to a new thread, or maybe re-title the existing one, so as to widen the discussion ?

[Dirty]

Do you have a link to the thread on the US site ? Maybe I could pick up where they left off.

Here's the link to the US Ducati forum thread (http://www.ducati.ms/forums/77-sport-classic/127425-aluminium-tanks-india.html) all 55 pages of it! I didn't read everything. I think a lot of it is an argument as to why you should only buy American. Canadian if American not possible. European as a last resort but you shouldn't buy stuff from the 3rd world! Go figure! Looked like someone had sent some tank to India and they were in the process of making the prototype.

[Dukedesmo]

Crust and I discussed filling a plastic tank with concrete and using that.

Probably be a bit heavy though... ;)

[Nottsbiker]

Last week there was a non-running 900 on ebay for £550 (last time I looked) with RR tank and a few other small parts. I tried to see if he'd break it by not showing too much interest in the RR kit but he said he was keeping it whole. Think it was in Scotland, or certainly up north.

Will follow this thread with interest.

[slob]

It was Somerset, that's what sparked this thread.