crash / tank came off / 100ft flame trail

Ok not really, BUT

i checked with a buddy both of our kz650's have 3 fuel tank mounting points.. the 2 rubber pucks up front and the rear mounting hole near the seat that the post from the tank goes through.

what is really holding this tank on? i know its worked since the 70's but am i crazy to have the want to drill a hole through the post on the bottom of the tank.. then slip it thorugh the rear frame mounting hole and then put a clevis pin through the newly drilled hole?

Mine snaps in tight. My 900 has what equates to a big rubberband on it. Is the reciever rubber tight and not dryrotted?

yes theres that rubber grommet that it snaps into.. but i see a big difference between something being just "snapped" into place or being physically restrained in place.

You must be accustomed to the Harley way of mounting tanks, nuts and bolts.

This is interesting to me. I was just working on a CB750 that has what you described. Pucks on either side up front, and then the back-end slips into a rubber grommet kind of thing to hold it down.

My KZ750 H2 has the two pucks up front and at the back a grommet that a bolt actually goes through and screws to the frame.

I like my bike's solution better.

Just hold it tighter with your knees.

I thought the fuel line holds the tank on the bike :laugh:

Actually, the stock seat is locked down and rests against the rear of the tank. Try to pull the tank off with the seat locked down and see if you can pull it free. Maybe if the wreck was bad ebough the tank would come off, but if the wreck is that bad the tank might rupture anyway - in which case I would want it to fly as far from the bike and me as possible. Ed

Kawickrice wrote:

Mine snaps in tight. My 900 has what equates to a big rubberband on it...

Beard wrote:

yes theres that rubber grommet that it snaps into.. but i see a big difference between something being just "snapped" into place or being physically restrained in place.

What Kawickrice means is that his bike has a large rubberband or strap that holds the rear of the tank in place. He probably has the big grommet too. The diagrams at Kawasaki.com for you bike may show that your bike should have a strap.

The rear of the tank on some (most?) 80s models are bolted to the frame.

The early 550's all have the two pucks up front and the back is only held in by a grommet. There is a tab that extends from the tank that the seat presses on to stop the tank from coming up as long as the seat is latched down.

I've been in two major crashes and the tanks stayed in place, but were banged up pretty good.

This is an ebay photo. You can see the tab extending off the back of the tank. Under the tank, near the back is a blade-shaped tab that points down and gets pressed into a slot-shaped grommet in the frame.

650ed wrote:

I thought the fuel line holds the tank on the bike :laugh:

If you want to get a tighter/less movement fit, try putting some pipe wrap sponge around the center tube, then scrunch the tank down on that. It holds it right in place nicely.

PS. On the later models, they switched to a bolt at the back that clamps the tank down in place.

GL.

One of the stories that bumps around various motorcycle chat sites is that fuel tanks are designed to be 'loosely' attached to the frames. This is to enhance separating the fuel from the motorcycle proper in case of an accident. Since I am neither an engineer nor an explosives expect, I can not attest to the validity of this story...although I have tested it on several occasions...the tank stays on the bike even after a t-bone at 75mph

JMKZHI wrote:

Kawickrice wrote:

Mine snaps in tight. My 900 has what equates to a big rubberband on it...

Beard wrote:

yes theres that rubber grommet that it snaps into.. but i see a big difference between something being just "snapped" into place or being physically restrained in place.

What Kawickrice means is that his bike has a large rubberband or strap that holds the rear of the tank in place. He probably has the big grommet too. The diagrams at Kawasaki.com for you bike may show that your bike should have a strap.

The rear of the tank on some (most?) 80s models are bolted to the frame.

My 650 has a spade that stabs the grommet. My 900 has a rubber band type. Totally different between the two bikes