Aqualine PAINTABLE tank, who wants one?

[demito]

Let's face it: for longer trips the standard 950/990 adv tank is just a tad on the small side. I have been looking for alternative solutions, ranging from a jerrycan strapped to your panniers to a small rear tank/single exhaust combination or even small additional carbon fibre tanks next to the dashboard.
The best solution for me is still the big polyethylene aqualine tanks. About 40-45 L. Fill them up completely if you need a really big range, or just take 30L for acceptable ranges, comparable to my former BMW 1150 GSA.

If only they weren't such a pain to make them a little more attractive for the eye. No paint sticks to them (bubbles up) and decals peel off in no time due to the permeable characteristics of polyethylene. Such a shame for such a nice bike. Tanks that look like detergent containers...

I am an engineer and have good contacts in the chemical industry. Making those tanks paintable IS PERFECTLY POSSIBLE. My tank is on its way and should arrive in the coming weeks. It will then be a test case for chemical treatment in Germany and then I'll get it sprayed in Belgium. Now this is all pretty expensive and pretty much unfeasible for a single tank (apart from a test case...), so I though about doing this for larger numbers of tanks in order to make it economically interesting for all of us. And I mean the chemical treatment.

Unless no one is interested of course. Hence this threat. I just want to make sure if there's enough interest to proceed with this on a larger scale. I would justt make them paintable,not paint them myself, and offer them at a competitive price compared to the unpaintable version...

WHO WOULD CONSIDER BUYING ONE? (if the test turns out to be successful...)
WHO REALLY WANTS ONE, IF ONLY THEY WERE PAINTABLE?
WHO THINKS THIS IS UTTER STUPIDITY?

Lemmenow

Awaiting your replies

T

NOTE: this chemical treatment doesn't alter the physical charcteristics of the tank. It just gets rid of the permeability. Furthermore, the treatment lasts forever!

 

[demito]

This is what a nicely painted bike could look like (without paint flaking off after 2 weeks):

 

[Deleted acc oony]

I wouldn't mind but it would be cost sensitive as the tanks are £1200 to start with

 

[demito]

I wouldn't mind but it would be cost sensitive as the tanks are £1200 to start with

not necessarily. It all depends on the volume. For a single tank this will be expensive. A batch of 10 could be pretty cost effective...

T

 

[Deleted acc oony]

You'll be lucky to find ten in the country I'm the only one I know of.

try the KTM FORUM

Sticking them in a post box may be another thing

 

[oldishnovice]

It is good looking right enough, better than the other options I've seen fitted to 950/990s, especially some of the hideously funny american inventions i've seen.

The cost, as mentioned even in a bulk purchase will not drop enough for me and if I'm honest; I'm not an around the world kind of guy, and the current tank range suits my ciggarette habbit (can't go more than a hundred miles without a fag), and even if I gave them up I would still find it hard on my arse without stopping after half a tank (04 950 Hard arse seat!).

Not wanting to pi** on anyones bonfire just from my point of view.

 

[Magwa]

PLASTICOTE paint

I've painted polyethylene plastic ( not tanks) with B&Q 'plasikote' paint
it sticks like 'S to a blanket'
Its designed to adhere to anything especially plastics
Its a peculiar paint that will go over anything and stick....

Dunno if it comes in the right colours or would be different on petrol tanks?
just a thought
but at £4.99 per can worth a try?

see here

http://www.plastikote.com/plastikote/index.jsp

 

[demito]

It won't work on PE fuel tanks, believe me. Problem is the permeability of PE which causes petrol fumes to get between the tank surface and the paint, resulting in bubbles after a couple of weeks. Just a few in the beginning but it only gets worse.

T

 

[Cole]

you should ask on various X-Challenge forums too ... everyone who has the Aqualine / Touratech tanks for that also has cheap looking unpaintable plastic tanks.

While you are at it ... ask on the 690 forums. Anyone with the Aqualine Safari tank for that also has unpaintable tanks!

I have often wondered why aqualine dont use a different paintable plastic. Probably all about saving a few bucks I guess.

 

[Snoopy]

They use it because it doesn't degrade (is UV resistant so wont form cracks) and is extremely tough. I had one on my DRZ and wouldn't have painted it as you could tell how much petrol was really left.

You could quite easily hit the tank full-on with a hammer and not crack it.

I learned the other week on advrider plastic tanks are illegal to sell on bikes in California as they loose that much petrol through vapor.