Well the Mole finally broke down a got a Clarke tank!

I sure this has been hashed through here before, but I thought I would share my install experince with you folks[>:] After getting the tank and reading the instructions, it all seemed to go well remove the old tank, drain fuel remove fittings, ect.... then when I went to install the tank I had a fit issiue with the fittingstouching the frame rail so I thought I would shim the back of the tank for clearance (bad idea) now I cant get the seat to fit!

Back to the drawing board so my solution was to enlarge the side mounting bolts to get the tank to move back away from the frame:




After doing that I seemed to have the clerance for the fittings (poor photo):



And damm the seat fit, no leaks, not real happy with the shroud fit but the extra fuel make the tradeoff ok. Just my 2 cents folks!

 

I stacked about a CM of washers at the end of the tank, to keep the fittings from taking all the weight of my body. The seat fits on, but the front clip will not settle in (I thought I had a solution, but it popped out) So I just took the screw out of the clarke for the seat clip. No big deal. I took it out for a good bomb in the gravel pits and she worked fine. As long as it doenst leak, I'm a happy camper.

 

Here's my fitment. I did a little tirming.

 

Stellar,
We must think alike! I tried the "stack o washers" method first, which I thought would solve the problem but I just could not get the seat to fasten!

 

I really wouldnt worry about it. I'm more concerned of making sure the fittings dont hit so hard against the frame that they leak. So far so good!

 

It's a shame Clarke seems to have dropped the ball on the tank based on the problems I am reading about, I'm glad I didn't order one now as I know I would have been disapointed with it.

 

I went with the Acerbis on mine and I don't regret my choice at all!

 

but the acerbis is fugly!!!!

 

And unless you make up some extra lines to reach the wings you don't get any more fuel out of it than the IMS or Clarke tanks. .5-.7 gallons sits in the wings that the petcock can't reach. To each their own though, the Acerbis is a drop in solution (sorta) and it does give more fuel than stock, just not quite all that is advertised.

 

Yes, I measured about .7 of a gallon left in the wings of my Acerbis tank. Thats 3.2 gallons usable without doing anything. To get the last .7 you have to swing the bike overa little bit to collect some of that .7 into the pocket it can be drawn from, then do it again. You can get it all and I say if you are down to needing that .7, you are probably already in trouble anyhow.

I look at it this way. The tank is $200, is colored to match the bike despite what some have claimed (maybe they changed it now because mine matches my 2006), is a drop in installation. There is no fan relocation or replacement, no cutting the shrouds and it is great protection around the radiator. I LOVE mine.