"So what if V-Twin makes new 3.5 gallon tanks
.... !@x#~!¡!...I already tol' you,
if they do, it's still going to be like going on a date with a girl you just met, and everything goes OK until she takes her clothes off and you find out "she's" transvestite.
These-new-tanks-still-are-not-going-to look-right
They ain't gonna look.....
real, period.
I've said it, time and time again,
they're going to take an OEM set of tanks to Taiwan, to this
"better" manufacturer, and then the
V-Twin crew are going to look at
difficult places on the tanks, and say, "Well
Harley-Davidson spent all this time and money to make this sharp bend... or they had to do this...to roll this contour into the bottom edge of each tank.... That's too much money for us to spend....let's make the tanks this cheaper way and none of the enthusiasts will know the difference." - industry sources
That being said,
by a group of individuals that have been surrounded up to their ears, with these aftermarket parts for the last 35 yrs., and know every thing about them -
function and fit, I won't disagree with them.
But we as the
end-of-line-users, should not let this opportunity pass, without providing a list of all the things that are wrong with the
current 3.5 gallon tanks, for V-Twin to be aware of. So in this way, we tried to outline what we want and don't want in the new tank(s), and we can contribute to keeping a
standard of excellence when it comes to replication. Expect to pay more and get
true replica for the
new gas tanks. If we have gas tanks, oil tanks, and cam covers that look real, then the
curb appeal is satisfied. We have everything but the gas tanks. Simple as that. The rest of it is all there, good as we need. We can
all appreciate (or not)
OEM antique OHV separate from
replica OHV.
•
I ordered a set of the "new" 3.5 tanks and a valve alignment tool, if necessary. •
Here's the Knuckle and Panhead tanks, as best as I know the existing problems to be. Please correct me if I'm wrong, or add to it. This gets read by V-Twin. I have (
aftermarket)
AM Panhead tanks, but not
AM Knuckle tanks, so help with some more of the
"fit-wrong" details if you can. tia.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Panhead 3.5 tanks: 1. Too Ballooned up front and top, which makes everything
cubically wrong about them.
2. Tank
backs are
4 " wide and they should be
3" wide.
3. Will the Pan dash cover match the contour of the top of the Panhead tanks
4. Gas
filler necks need to be
dropped to lower position, and not sit straight up.
5. The mount tabs could be a lighter gauge metal than the ones on the current AM Panhead tanks.
6.
No Shovelhead design elements should be included.
7.
We don't need emblems. Asking for metal OEM style welded mount strips is asking for too much.
8.
We don't need tanks shift gate mounts. Asking for shift gate mounts that don't turn out as deep and wide tank-stamp depressions, is asking for too much.
9.
10.
Knuckle 3.5 tanks:1. The tanks are
too ballooned and overall appear cubically larger.
2. The cateye
dash depression in the tanks is
too wide. The dash cover won't cover the
east/west sides of the opening.
3. The cateye
cover does not fit the contour of the
top of the tank.
4. The right tank s
upply nipple is misplaced.
6. Tank
backs are
3-1/2 " wide and they should be
3" wide.
7. The
top and bottom holes for the fuel
shut off valve and rod are
mis-aligned beyond redemption.
8.
9.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thu Nov 15, 2007 9:26 pm 
