The Bruiser

My black tank started leaking. It is a fibreglass tank, and they don't hold up well to the ethanol fuel we have now. I had the tank professionally lined two years ago and all was well at first. But this year the paint started bubbling. I found pinhole leaks at the center of each bubble. I don't know if the liner broke down or if the guy who applied it missed a few spots. In any event, I had to take it out of service.

So I fitted this tank. It has the original factory finish, in Fireflake Royal Blue metalflake. It's a very pretty color and looks beautiful in the sunshine. More importantly, it had never been lined, had never been exposed to the evil ethanol fuel, and was leak-free. To protect it, I lined it myself using Caswell Plating's epoxy tank lining kit. I think I did a good job, so hopefully this one will last a long time.

We had a club ride this weekend. The weather was perfect and it was our last ride of the season, so we had a good turnout. The blue tank attracted a lot of attention. Then someone noticed the sidepanels, which are still black. He said the bike is "black and blue, just like a bruise" and therefore the bike needs a new name - The Bruiser!

Sigh...