Due to the somewhat stupid tank strap my bike came with (not the regular rubber strap rubber, but a narrow slim foam strip under the metal strap (maybe looked cool, but didn't do its job..) my tank has been moving around (damaging the paint a little at the front) and i've now seen/realised that the mounting rubbers are probably non-standard also..
So, I'd like to replace these with the correct thing, yet I see different styles available - half moon (or u-section , the original I guess) and a full circle with a split in them to allow fitting over the tubular frame.
Is one style better than the other in practice?
Thanks
W/L Tank Rubbers
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Tank Rubbers
I have used Z900 Kawasaki tank rubbers for all my F/B frames. The Kick start rubber is also a good fit on the K/S
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Main thing is that the…
Main thing is that the rubbers are positioned so there is enough clearance to the frame everywhere. In the old days we made them of pieces of foam rubber, sometimes a couple of layers, hold in place with electrical tape. Took some time finding right positions and thickness. Nowadays I mostly use the RGM type, hold in place with tyraps. Though some places need two on top of each other. Tank to frame clearance shall be around 5 mm. In my experience, If less you have to know a good aluminium welder.
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How hard are the rubber buffers
Just finding my way round a wideline 99, tank is off whilst I check the carbs out.
When I ride it there is a little vibration coming through the tank and so I am looking at how the buffers fit.
No obvious lack of clearance but the 1/2 cylindrical solid buffers seem quite hard.
Do any of the suppliers do a soft version -- more like Commando front tank rubber hardness?
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TANK SUPPORTS FOR ALL FEATHERBEDS
Dear Members,
Over the years I have found the easiest support for my tanks has been to buy a length of approx 1” diameter foam pipe lagging and cut it with scissors to accommodate the various lengths on the horizontal frame members. There is usually a pre-cut incision length- wise so it is easy then to just fold over the top frame tubes. I hold it all in position by wrapping around some black pvc insulation tape spaced out accordingly.
Beauty of this arrangement is that you obtain continuous support over all of the tank bearing area and if you choose black insulation there’s nowt to see either. Also cheap: but not nasty.
Anthony Bolton
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TANK SUPPORTS
Dear Members,
I should have said 1”internal diameter pipe lagging.
Anthony Bolton
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Where should they fit
Does anybody have a picture showing where the 6 (listed in my Wideline's parts manual) originally sat on the frame tubes? The ones I bought (Andover) seem too long for the very front where I assumed two should go..
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stopping tank vibration
I found that tank vibration was often due to the strap being not tight enough
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Kevin, I have only ever used…
Kevin, I have only ever used 4 rubbers on the frame tubes, 2 up the front and 2 towards the back. If you shunt them them backwards or forwards you should be able to get a perfect fit.
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Correct tension on the strap
As Paul says the tension is important. I'm not sure pipe insulation is dense enough to support a full tank in compression with the strap. Kevin's solution is what I have used; 4 rubbers shunted around to get the correct line and clamped on with the strap.
Jon
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Tank rubbers from RGM
RGM stock a non solid rubber tank support, see their part number RTM1. This has more "give" than the solid rubber U section. Worth a try.
I've found in an emergency that the yellow foam tubing used to protect scaffolding works, but doesn't look good!
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FEATHERBED PETROL TANK FRAME U SECTION RUBBER
so, I ended up buying these, as I assumed closest to what was originally fitted by Norton:
https://www.rgmnorton.co.uk/buy/featherbed-petrol-tank-frame-u-section-rubber_3062.htm
which initially took a little cutting and fitting, but when tensioned with the centre strap seemed fine.
Yesterday, on my second ride out this year, noticed a strange vibration from the tank when coming home and just had a look and 3 of the 4 bloody things have just fallen off, and again the tank sitting on the frame and rubbing paint off.
So annoyed, why on earth would anybody ever think this half-arsed solution was a way to fix a tank on.. :-/
So, will have to have a look at the other methods suggested - hopefully a more permanent solution!!
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Kevin, I take it you didn't…
Kevin, I take it you didn't add a spot of contact adhesive after you had found the perfect position for them? Maybe being a bit half-arsed :P
That one that RGM sells (which is 150mm long) will cut up to make 4 rubbers, mine are each about 35mm in length.
Picture of mine below but your positioning may vary, works perfectly well and as I said above, I hardly need the strap as the fit is so good.
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I doubt whether a spot of…
I doubt whether a spot of adhesive would have helped if others are suggesting cable ties, which I didn't want to use really.Hindsight, and all that.. ;-)
Anyway, many thanks for the photo. I think I tried them in that position and somehow it didn't work (I think front inner side of tank touching the front of the frame where it narrows), but I will check again as I think I have one or two spare from RGM still.
I just wish Norton'd used some proper fixing points.
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So I ordered 4 of the rubber…
So I ordered 4 of the rubber type that go right around the frame (as per the comment above, similar to RGM's part RTM1).
I fitted them as per the picture above from Bob Matthews, taking care that the tank was far enough forward that it had enough clearance from the frame's upper side tubes as they narrow towards the headstock so as not to touch (something like a 5mm each side from the tube) and it all looked pretty stable.
I then tighted the centre strap up to what seemed to be pretty tight.
After a short 20km ride, I checked the clearance of the tank to the side tubes and it's clear that the tank has moved slightly backward (vibration..?) with the tank now practically touching the frame..
I hesitate to blame this (but what else..?) on not tightening the centre strap enough, as it was pretty tight. Can one overtighten this (I assume so..)
Any advice?
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I used 4 of these https://www.feked.com/norton-fuel-tank-mounting-rubber.html two at the front and two at the back. I found that by moving them forwards or backwards, I could achieve an almost perfect fit and hardly need the strap once the tank is pushed down. The beauty of these rubbers is that once the tank is fitted, you can't see any evidence of them on the top rails of the frame.