Choosing a new gas tank for your scooter isn't always the easiest proposition. There are a ridiculous amount of options-such as style and size-available. That's an important decision before even deciding on who and where to get the tank. Stock is...well...stock, and generally cheap and easy to get new or used. At the other end of the spectrum are full-on custom tanks, made to order for your application. That's great, but a custom tank might cost more than the basket case you're trying to assemble.
In the middle are aftermarket companies that make some bitchin' styles, but are often made for more generic applications, and not bike or model specific. Things like how the tank mounts to the frame and where the petcock is located are important things to keep in mind. For those handy enough to weld, these limitations are easily solved. The rest of us have to find someone competent enough to take a torch or TIG to a tank.
I happen to love the look of the retro Paughco Mustang series of tanks. Paughco has many different sizes and mounting options to choose from. I went with the low-tunnel, backbone-mounted three-gallon version. Fore and aft tabs mount the tank directly to the backbone. The style screams old Frisco to me and allows the motor to be the centerpiece of the bike. Not only do I happen to like the style, but I was forced into an alternative mounting option due to a stroker motor that necessitated frame surgery to squeeze it into the frame. The stock gas tank mounts had to be chopped in the process.
Once I got the tank custom mounted (August '07 Hot Rod's Bike-Works), I ran into another problem. The Paughco petcock bungs (they give you one on each side) were directly over the rear rocker box. There was no way to put a petcock into the space. In addition, the Paughco tanks take small 1/4-inch petcocks that don't flow enough gas for a high-output motor.
The plan was to have Gregg Grandon of Launch Padz do the petcock relocation and then prep the tank for powdercoating. A new petcock bung and high-flow petcock were added to the mix.
Sources
Launch Padz
(714) 865-8781
www.launchpadz.com
Orange County Plating
(714) 532-4610
www.ocplating.com
Paughco Inc.
(800) 423-2621
www.paughco.com
EMS
Contact your local dealer or J&P Cycles
Pingel Enterprise, Inc.
(608) 339-7999
www.pingelonline.com