Fuel tank re-finishing ?

[offworlder]

The tank for my KTM 690 has some significant wear on it, and I'm concerned that this may become an issue. The finish is worn in multiple areas from the bike going down, as well as wear from bags, gear, etc...
Does anyone have any experience with refinishing tanks, or what can be done re protection ?

Thanks.

 

[Bora20]

You can put graphics on it,which will peel off eventually.

You can put clear 3M on it, which will peel off eventually.

You can spray I with that plastic renew stuff, until you wash it again.

You can stop looking at it and ride it

 

[offworlder]

….until you wash it again.

And what is this strange activity… ?

The 690's tank is somewhat unique - in that it also serves as the sub-frame, so is structurally important. Its made of some über material (fiberglass ?), not the regular tank plastics, but I'm worried that the wear may be an issue….

 

[kirbybikes]

Used this stuff on a metal tank. After reading looks like it would work on plastic/composite tank too. Since you are doing plastic I don't think you would need to descale with the drywall screws. ( For others don't do this either, impossible to remove. Use some nuts run on a string, at least you can pull them out.) Sorry no KTM orange colour closest would be Husky RED or maybe Husaberg Blue, they are under one umbrella now.

http://www.caswellcanada.ca/shop/gas-tank-repair/

 

[LordEndo]

Send a message to Lance at Caswell and he'll let you know how to prep it. I used it on an aluminum tank and it worked like a charm - very quick if you oven cure as well, but that's for sealing / coating the inside, you're talking about wear on the outside.... I use armorall on mine - makes the wear marks go away.....

 

[Dorky]

Did you get down to the yellow layers?

 

[offworlder]

Did you get down to the yellow layers?

The tank is black, and the exposed areas are white - likely the exposed fiberglass.
Mostly deep scuffs n scratches from falls, and luggage, etc...

I think the tank's shell is pretty thick, so maybe I'm over-reacting ? Any other 690 owners with serious war wounds in their tanks ?

 

[Dorky]

I had worn mine down to the under layers in a few spots but wasn't too worried about it. It seemed that the black layer was quite thin and the rest was quite thick. I put a Loose Screw sticker over the spot where my boot rubbed on the tank and that stopped any further abrasion.

 

[04klr]

using a loose screw sticker as a sacrificial band aid isn't going to help sales.

 

[Dorky]

No excuse - profuse boot abuse was reduced through use of Loose Screw above the Rekluse !

 

[Knight-Rider]

I had a scratch from a 0km/h wipeout. Not deep, but enough that it was a white scratch on a black tank. It bothered me every time I looked at it.

When all the crap came from Rally Raid, the sticker that came looked pretty thick. I put it over the scratch and never saw or thought about it again.