Kicking off this Moto Gas Tank Job
Alright, so I figured I’d share what I’ve been up to with this moto gas tank. The old one on my bike? Man, it was looking rough. Proper rusty in places, and I was half-expecting it to spring a leak any day. You know how it is. So, I thought, instead of shelling out a ton of cash at some shop that might do a dodgy job anyway, I’d just tackle it myself. Gives you something to do, right?
Getting Down and Dirty
First things first, getting that old tank off. Always a bit more fiddly than you remember, with the fuel lines and the bolts hidden away. But, got it off eventually. Then came the real fun part: stripping the old paint. I tell ya, that paint stripper stuff, it stinks to high heaven and it gets absolutely everywhere. Wear gloves, wear goggles, wear everything you can.
- Had to do a lot of scraping to get all the old gunk off.
- And of course, found some more rust hiding underneath. Always the way, isn’t it? That lovely surprise nobody wants.
There were a couple of annoying dents too. Nothing major, thankfully. Managed to tap those out with a hammer and dolly. Real old-school, but it does the trick if you’re patient. Or if you hit it just right, or wrong, a few times.
Making it Pretty (or trying to)
Then, the sanding. Oh boy, the sanding. I think my arms are still aching from it. Felt like I was sanding for days on end. My little garage space looked like a desert in a dust storm. But you gotta get it smooth, otherwise, what’s the point?
Primer time. Got a few good coats of primer on there. Let it dry proper, then, guess what? More sanding. Just a light one this time, to get it super smooth for the paint. It’s a process, this stuff.
Choosing the paint color, now that was a whole discussion. The missus had her ideas, I had mine. We went back and forth a bit. In the end, we settled on a classic gloss black. Can’t really go wrong with black, can you? Keeps things simple.
Laying down the actual color was nerve-wracking. Holding that spray can just right, trying to get even coats, avoid those dreaded runs. Think I mostly managed it. There’s maybe one tiny bit if you look real close, but hey, it’s homemade, adds character, right?
And finally, the clear coat. Slapped on a couple of good, wet coats of that to give it some shine and hopefully protect the paint for a bit. Cross your fingers it holds up to petrol spills and whatever else life throws at it.
The “Why I Do This Stuff Myself” Moment
You know, sometimes I wonder why I put myself through all this mess. Could just pay someone. But then I remember this one time, years ago, I took another bike to a so-called “professional” for a paint job on the tank. Cost me an arm and a leg. And when I got it back? Looked like a kid had done it with a spray can from the discount store. Runs everywhere, bits missed. I was fuming. Swore then and there, if I want something done right, or at least to a standard I’m happy with for the money, I’d better learn to do it myself.
That’s why I’m out in the garage, covered in dust, sniffing paint fumes, battling with rusty bits. At least this way, if it’s not perfect, I’ve only got myself to blame. And honestly, finding good quality parts or even decent workshops these days? It’s getting tougher. Everything feels like it’s made cheap or they want to rush you through. So, yeah, sometimes you just gotta roll up your sleeves and get stuck in with what you’ve got.
Putting it All Back Together
So, after all that painting and waiting for things to dry, it was finally time for bolting the tank back onto the bike. Carefully, mind you. Didn’t want to scratch that new paint job I’d just spent ages on. Hooking up the fuel lines again, making sure the petcock was seated right. All those little bits that can trip you up.
Filled it with a bit of fuel. Checked for leaks like a hawk. Held my breath. So far, so good. No drips. Phew.
Then I stood back. Took a good look. And you know what? It doesn’t look half bad. For a job done in a chilly garage with basic tools, I’m pretty chuffed with it. There’s a certain satisfaction in that, isn’t there? Seeing something you’ve worked on come together.
Final Thoughts, Kinda
So yeah, that’s the long and short of my gas tank adventure. Took a bit longer than I planned, made more mess than I’d hoped, but it’s done. And the bike looks a whole lot smarter for it, at least that part of it. No more cringing when I look at a rusty tank.
What’s next? Who knows. Maybe I’ll tackle the fenders if I’m feeling brave. Or maybe I’ll just enjoy riding the thing for a while before the next “little job” pops up. These projects, they just sort of snowball, don’t they? You fix one thing, and then you spot another…
