Rotten tank - solution found

Baines Racing has a bod who welds in new bottom sections. They've done
three so far, and one is available off the shelf, on an exchange
basis, for £250, plus paint.

I was even talking to pro sheet metal fabricators about having a batch
of 50 replica tanks made up, and have got one Ducati specialist
saying: "I'll sell 'em!"

I was envisaging them costing me £500 each. Problem is that the air-
cooled SS models are very cheap, and who's going to want to spend
maybe £800 on a new tank when the bike itself may only be worth £1500?
My impression (and I've spent a lot of time on email and phone
recently) is "quite a few people" because the alternative is to scrap
a perfectly good bike...

We shall see. Paging Bonwick and other metal-bashers for their
thoughts.

 

The possibility is that there's only about 30 people buying up all the
Ducati related tat on ebay. So his 50 tanks would flood the market
unless he releases them in a very slow trickle...

 

The 600, 750 and 900 all used the same tank (as did the 851 but its FI
system means the internal plumbing is totally different). I do
remember it took me a while to get shot of five Yamaha XS400 tanks.
Cost is the key issue here....

 

Sounds about right bearing in mind all of the work involved and a
bit of profit.
You have 2 choices - £250 or break the bike for spares which would
be a pity if its otherwise good.

 

And your selling price will be?
I think 500 cost to you is a bit much.

 

Not really on 50 Tanks by the time you have taken patterns , made
jigs , set up presses had the tanks tested and certified and shipped .


If you want them produced cheap its China or India .

 

Oh, normally I'd be hard-nosed, do the maths, and break the bike, but
I've had this from new (bought in 1997) and I just can't face breaking
it. It's the best bike I've ever owned (though the Street Trip is
certainly an upcoming challenger) and it's also the most reliable bike
I've ever owned, which is silly because it's, well, a Ducati.

It's been to the Continent more times than I can count. It's been to
the 'old' Bol at Paul Ricard. It's just wonderful.

Painted and supplied, the refurbed tank will prolly set me back £500.
I'd rather pay that than have to scrap the bike.

 

In message

That's your piles sorted then.

 

I'd want to see the repair before it was painted and I'd probably even
tell them I wanted to see it with the weld untouched by a grinder. You
can disguise a lot of shit with a disc grinder and a bit of filler so
you could end up buying a new problem.

Would it be a more attractive proposition if you supplied them with a
stainless base? The difference in cost would be minimal but it might
be a good selling point.

I'm not a metal basher you cheeky fucking hack.

 

Can't be any worse than what's there now. Really.

Hm. Agreed.

That was definitely a bite

 

No? How about paying someone to do the work and then finding that
they'd gobbed filler and paint all over a porous weld...

Nah, a bite would see me keeping quiet until later.

 

Personally i would ask them if the tanks been pressure tested .

 

A valid point but highly unlikely if Baines are doing it. They're very
highly regarded in MV circles.

 

I haven't read your other post, but I know exactly what
you're talking about. We had one fixed, small metal plate
welded around the hinge. Cost about £30. I'm sure he did
some of the seams as well, just to be on the safe side.

You'd be able to get the bottom chopped out and replaced
for a damn sight less than 800 sheets, and including
paint as well. I would say more like 400 all in, at most.

 

Or the obvious 3rd choice; but have you given up trying to find an
engine-challenged donor bike?

Quote from the Ducatisti forum: "Just got a little 750 SS (1992) for
£375, a little tatty, but fully running!" (didn't say anything about the
tank, mind)

 

Istr the Dodger of Salads has a tale about that.

 

They fucked me about big style when I bought a Ducati 748 from them.
Not so much bad workmanship but really poor after sales service and a
total lack of interest in any problems.

When I ordered my bike I asked if it was worth booking the first
service way in advance and I was told not to worry because bikes
purchased from them got priority. Two days after collecting the bike I
phoned to book it in for the service only to be told I'd have to wait
6 weeks. I booked it in with a view to booking elsewhere asap then
within another 100 miles it developed an oil leak so I phoned Baines
and they said they'd look at it when it came in for the service and
that I should take it over in a van if I could because I might cause a
lot of damage if the leak was serious! No offer of collection...

I rode it over the same day and got shouty so they fixed it, serviced
it and returned it within 3 days. No offer of a loan bike and no offer
of even a lift to a bus stop after I dropped it off.

They never saw me or the bike again.

 

Yes. Because the odds of getting one with a decent tank are slim.

Did ask a question of one eBay seller. "Is the tank solid inside"

"I'm sure it is, mate..."

The only way to check for certain is to remove the filler cap assembly
and peer inside.

 

Looked at them. They're in Jockland.

 

The bottom of mine is seriously rotten, both sides.

A bit more than that, including transport, but do-able. I've given
Baines the green light.