Fuel Tank question

[Buffalorider_imp]

I'll ask this here as it regards an "other" bike and it's not CB related.
I have a chance to pick up an early 2000s Sportster at a ridiculous price.
While I would probably pass on an H-D I have found the Ryca Cafe kits for the Sportster a good place to start for the only H-D that really excites me - the XR750.
The only issue is the only XR750 replica tanks I have found are a hand made aluminum job from Europe that costs 1600 Euros or an American made fiberglass unit.
The European tank costs more than the entire Ryca kit.
But would anyone want to risk a glass tank on a street bike? I'm surprised that it's even legal.

[Rocky_imp]

If you decide to use a fiberglass tank don't put any ethanol gasoline in it and let it sit for any length of time. The ethanol will soften the fibreglass and turn it to mush unless the tank has been lined with a product that resists the effects of ethanol.
I have a fibreglass tank on my 1967 BSA because that's what they came with back then. The tank is not lined, but these old bikes require high octane gas and that's usually free of ethanol.
Ethanol is not wide spread here, but it's creeping in.

[Buffalorider_imp]

All of the glass tank maker have warnings about ethanol. It is a real problem here and I just had to replace a three year old, lightly used chain saw because the compression was shot due to ethanol. The small engine shops and even my John Deer dealer have warned that it is killing engines. I did find two glass tank makers who state that they line their tanks to resist ethanol damage but that high octane premium is still advised.
My concern is a glass tank being more susceptible to impact damage. A minor ding is annoying enough on a metal tank, I would not like to have to deal with a cracked glass tank and fuel leaking.

[Ack-CB11_imp]

Love the dirt, XR750 clones are great looking and fun.
With the bike so cheap get the aluminum tank or run Startron in the glass tank. All the boat people out here love the stuff, that 10% gas was really affecting them.

[Buffalorider_imp]

"He who hesitates is lost..."
I got up mid morning today, I work over night, to call the guy about the Sporty before noon. I got the guy's wife who informed me that he had a deposit on it already. He had only spoken to me that he needed to sell it the afternoon before. He called me later and sort of apologized explaining that he was getting a lot of "domestic pressure". I guess they are hitting a rough spot.
Now that I have talked myself into needing a Sportster based Cafe bike I am trolling Craig's List.
And I swore, in 1976, that I'd never buy another H-D.

[redbirds_imp]

Call the guys at Ryca about sourcing a tank. I contacted them often while building my Ryca bike. Nice folks.

[The Spaceman_imp]

There's lots of XR 1200s out there if you're hankering for a "sporty" Sporty. Buy one right and its money in the bank. They're only going to appreciate, and, IMO, they're the best riding XR ever built by anybody.

Then again you won't have the fun of building it...