on a 2007, anybody else have this issue?

Big angled gap between the seat and shrouds, and that is after I fought getting the seat back on for half an hour.

Is this a bad tank or are they all like this?

 

No help from me, but I wouldn't be too happy with that F&F. I'd call the manufacturer and ask what's up.

Good luck

 

Best of luck dealing with Clarke. When 2 of their 3.6 tanks I order from Rockymountainmc didn't fit my WR450 properly (front mount at the incorrect angle so that there was no way to bolt to the frame) they were useless as far as customer service. There was no urgency to make things correct even though I was a repeat customer and this was my 4th Clarke tank purchase in the last 3 years. Clarke was so worthless I had to rely on Rockymountain to take care of everything (RMMC customer service is always awesome).

I will never purchase another Clarke product again. Also all 3 of the previous Clarke (07 YZ450 & two 07 YZ125/250) tanks leaked at the petcock until I purchased a belt sander to make the mounting surface completely flat. Evidently Clarke is unable to do this on their $200 tanks at their manufacturing facility. You might have to factor the cost of a belt sander into your purchase price if you don't already have one or can't borrow one.

 

It's unfortunately, really. Out at our off road club we have about 150 members with some having 2 or 3 bikes each. I see a lot of aftermarket tanks for extra capacity on many of these bikes. The Clarke's I see often seem to bleed a lot more than other brands and the OEM versions. The cap area and the petcock areas are often nasty from what I can only surmise is fuel bleeding. Maybe not enough to be a hazard, but it sure attracts dirt. IMS and Acerbis seem to have less issues overall. One or more of the Clarke tanks for the big XR Honda's seem to hold up quite well. Maybe they had more practice with that model or something.

 

Nope, that is exactly what mine looks like. I don't really even notice it though. It doesn't hurt anything, and look at any other bike with an aftermarket tank and they look the same.

And the seat thing, unscrew the screw about 3 turns that the seat slides onto. My seat now goes on easier than it did on the stock tank.

All aftermarket tanks aren't going to fit perfect. It is a small price to pay to extend your range another 50 miles.

 

I think the tank is actually for a klx300. It just happens to fit the klx250s with a few minor imperfections. That said , they do sell it as a KLX250s tank, and I would agree it should fit better. They should put a disclaimer on there if it is a klx300 tank that just happens to fit the 250s. There are a few threads on here documenting the poor fit. You got it about as good as you are going to get it in your picture. I put a longer screw in mine to catch the front of the seat. When I called Clarke about one of their factory second tanks, they were very helpful in describing the defects. When I got my factory secnond tank I was very impressed, it looked perfect and I think it could have been sold as an unblemished tank...
Just my experience.
Dan

 

Yes for some reason they just can't get the petcock mounting area flat. It is unacceptable for a tank to leak period ESPECIALLY when producing fuel tanks is your business. And yes almost all of their gas caps tend to leak.

The issue with Clarke's customer service is that you are guilty until proven innocent. Basically you are an idiot until you prove that the issue is real and it is their fault. Even then they are less than worried about making things right in a timely manner.

 

Mine fits sweetly with the 'mod' to the screw that locates the seat. 600km+ of hard desert riding and not a single issue with it. Good product IMHO. As for the cap on the tank, no issues whatsoever, nice tight fit and good quality for a plastic cap, vents well too. The issue with 'petcocks' isn't valid here as the tank uses the stock brass fittings from the OE tank.

As mentioned, the tank was moulded for the KLX300R (has a slightly higher seat) but fits the 250R very well IMHO. I can't complain, I got it for the price of a case of beer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44949758@N05/5714163973/

 

I think it is bullcrap to buy something that is misrepresented. It flat doesn't fit.

Yeah, it is no issue to put a longer stud in the tank for the seat.
Yeah, grinding the seat bracket out is no big deal.
Yeah, it doesn't quite fit right BY A FRICKIN 3/4"
Yeah, it takes 2 guys and a dog to get the seat back on.
Yeah, it is a dirt bike....but

I don't build half assed bikes and I don't like spending my hard earned cash on shoddy products. It holds gas and that is about it. I will definitely shop more wisely next time.l

 

Then again I didn't pay $200+ for it.