No idea, but I am very interested in finding out the answer!

There are guys on Cafe Husky that have managed to use a heater gun to soften the IMS tank plastic and "mould" it so that they can fit a steering damper - so I am figuring if the IMS tank won't accommodate an FCR35 I will be able to do a similar trick to the KLX tank *shrug*

 

That's the thing. People don't really understand what it's all about. It IS a plastic tank. It's a plastic tank that's been reinforced with CF. I'll take CF over glass any day. It's not brittle at all. It's the resin it's used with that makes it that way. That's why I was asking what the resin was - the matrix.

I was in the composites industry for 15 years, developing some leading edge composite technology used in aircraft, and aerospace. I have a little bit of experience with it.

 

If you check out his dudes build.. he got all the good info on building a tank..

US STANDARD TANK SEALER-POR-15 Inc.

 

I've heard bad stuff about that POR15. I've heard from a few people that it flakes off and plugs stuff up. There's some other tank liner that's supposed to be much better.

 

I fail..

 

My schedule is extremely busy and the KLX is my daily driver over the summer. Once I get some free time to pull the carb and get a basic form i'll start posting pictures. Not 100% sure it will be carbon first time around

 

Seems like a lot of nay-sayers here. I read the original build thread, the tank the guy made was spot on beautiful, reinforced with KEVLAR to keep it from tearing or shredding on impact for a bike that is used to race and was clearly built by (and I say this will all respect) a type AAA **** retentive guy who's super concerned about safety and doing things right to the scale of some 747 pilots I know. He dotted his eyes, crossed his T's and made a spittin' image tank (with improvements) that took a 13.9lb steel tank and made it under 4.4 with an inner Kevlar layer and it sealed up good.

You guys can knock the choice of inner sealant all you like, but looks like a legit build to me. I'm not exactly doing X games or MC on my KLX... If this was for an 07' and priced reasonably, I'd give it a shot! I give this idea a 2 thumbs up... especially since it's someone else volunteering their own time and money... c'mon, encourage him, how can the rest of us go wrong?!

I think concerns like part add on's like fairings etc are things that someone willing to engage this process will obv. get to when they get to that point. Admiring the ambition and hoping for the best for ya!

 

jackson, I don't think anyone is "hating" on Bazzy's comments or effort here. Some skepticism is natural, as we have seen some outlandish claims on forums from so-called authorities on how they're going to build, make, or mod this or that bike or component to make an earth-shaking improvement. I'm sure a couple of names come to mind on this forum alone. The internet is full of them.

The questions that have been asked of Bazzy on a couple of issues specific to CF are quite logical. And while zomby's approach may sometimes be considered "rough", I didn't see a harsh word contained in his question at all. And if you considered my comments harsh, well, I guess we'd better not dispense any more opinions or debates, so as not to upset anyone. I would still say that I don't want a CF tank over a plastic for a dirt bike, and that has nothing to do with demeaning Bazzy's or anyone else's desire for a carbon tank. And I could see me lusting after a cool carbon tank like that Ducati Mike guy made for his SV race bike if I still had a street bike.

I would like to hear Bazzy's take on his background or experience that might give him a leg up on this endeavor. The type of carbon and how it's laid up will make a world of difference. I work in the bicycle arena and am exposed to all manner of CF bikes in both the road and mountain categories. There are many pros and cons in using CF for bikes, but granted, some of this is more structural than might be required for a fuel tank application. That said, I'm sure some of those rules will still apply as impact and mounting stresses will be present with a fuel tank.

If Bazzy pursues this, it might be an enlightening and fascinating endeavor. I notice that Ducati Mike took 9 months to make his tank, and you have to admit that it doesn't have nearly as many curves and indentations that would be required of a KLX tank. With many waiting for IMS tanks for many months and getting quite upset about it, I can't help but think that this tank would take the same amount of time or probably longer. Discussing this possibly very interesting effort is just reality, not hating.

Bazzy, on your comment about maybe not using CF in the initial effort, I'm guessing fiberglass?...perhaps?

 

Also.. keep in mind that IMS is producing a 3 gallon tank that will be out anytime between now and the end of time.

 

I am behind you dude, you can do it! Build it and they will come.