The Truth Behind Indian Made Gas Tanks
So the word on the street has It that the new Indian gas tanks are great replacement parts for those who are either missing a tank or for those replacing a damaged tank.
I'm sure most of you have probably noticed Indian gas tanks all over eBay or Google images at some point during your parts search.
There is a lot of controversy around these tanks and today I would like to uncover truth behind the new Indian made gas tanks.
Lets get to it...
eBay listing from an Indian gas tank seller located in India
Most Indian gas tank sellers on eBay always seem to put their spammy company or username over the images making them stand out like a sore thumb.
Indian based sellers have just about flooded eBay with there gas tanks and other various replacement parts.
Million dollar question... are the tanks any good?
A couple years back I started to notice a big influx of gas tanks from sellers coming out of India on eBay.
Most photos of the new Indian gas tanks appear to be of quality, just like an original but for half the price of a dented or damaged original tank.
I once contemplated about purchasing a new gas tank for my BSA Lightning, but after reading reviews on forums like www.britbike.com or www.triumphrat.net I quickly came to the conclusion that the Indian made tanks were not of the quality they portrayed to be.
Feedback
Based on feedback and what I read online (and been told by my customers personally) that the new Indian made gas tanks are simply a "lump of coal".
I have heard stories that some Indian tanks that where purchased where an exact reproduction.
The quality was spot on but none of the mounting holes lined up anywhere therefore making the tank useless without serious modification - who wants to put up with that?
I have also been told that not all Indian gas tank manufacturers are the same.
The word has it that not all Indian gas tank manufactures are the same on eBay. However, most of them (despite them being different sellers) get them from one manufacturer based out of the Middle East.
Although no one really knows where these gas tanks are manufactured, many have thrown out the possibility that they could be manufactured in Afghanistan, Pakistan or even Kazakhstan.
Be on the look out
When searching for a used gas tank be on the lookout for these Indian made gas tanks as one can trick you into thinking you were buying an original.
Indian gas tanks are typically sold as new replacement parts but many of them slip under the radar and are sold as original gas tanks when they should not be!
How to spot Indian tanks
You can usually identify an Indian gas tank compared to an original tank by some of the following key details.
Over the years Indian gas tank manufacturers have gotten smart on the way they produce their gas tanks simply because all the negative feedback they have received.
The 3 points as shown below are typical of Indian gas tanks but it's very possible they could have changed there manufacturing process.
#1 Red Gas Tank Liner
Most Indian gas tanks will have a red tank liner sealer that is typically applied on the inside and sometimes the underside of the gas tank.
The sealer is to prevent rust and also line the inside of the tank to stop corrosion from occurring from today's ethanol fuel.
I firmly believe the reason why the sealer is used because there might be small pinholes within the seams of the tank.
#2 Rust - Corrosion
Any new gas tank that would be manufactured today would have some type of coating to preserve and prevent corrosion.
Indian gas tanks have unusually hi levels of rust deposits despite it being a new gas tank. I believe that has to do with the quality control and the way that they preserve the gas tank during storage and shipping.
#3 The Shape
As most people always say there's nothing better than OEM.
Indian made gas tanks when compared to an original tank of the same type you will find that the finish, and the shape will not be consistent as an original gas tank.
Now I understand that it is very difficult to reproduce a gas tank not using the same stampings or molding from the factory. So I do have to give the Indian manufactures some type of credit by creating a gas tank basically from scratch or from an original tank.
"To sum it up..."
To sum it up I wouldn't recommend purchasing an Indian made gas tank to anyone.
As previously stated, I do give the Indian manufacturers some credit for at least trying to make a quality product.
However, most of these gas tanks are not usable therefore its very disappointing because I personally feel like sellers are selling junk and they deliberately know that.
If you purchased or own a new Indian made gas tank, please feel free to leave use a comment below as we would love to hear your personal feedback on it.
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Thanks for reading today!
Rob
I got an “Indian made” polished aluminium copy of the OEM chromed steel BSA Goldstar 4 gall tank for about £200. It fits OK. One of the fuel tap bosses isn’t straight (not a problem) but other than that it looks pretty good & doesn’t leak. I think it has been ally soldered rather than welded but has held together. I can see why all these sellers have jumped on the classic parts bandwagon – it pays the bills. Except ignorance of the quality required means that a lot of tanks & parts will remain unsold when word gets round & their investment wasted. It’s been the case for very many years with “pattern” parts; copies of copies = poor parts. Let alone tanks possibly made by scaling up photos rather than copying exactly from an original, so that all the various distortions of dimensions means a tank will not fit correctly or even at all. Interesting that they may not be made in India at all. Crazy for the manufacturers to not obtain originals & make good copies. Surely it costs the same to make an accurate copy as an inaccurate one!
Peter Smith
Ages I obtained two BSA M20 tanks for customers and they were spot on, no internal liner, no internal rust and fitted perfectly. However a club member purchased a chromed tank for his Gold Star on ebay. Grind marks through the chrome were very visible, waves on the top were ideal for a surfboard rider. He gave them a negative. They requested it be removed and he could have another tank or his money refunded. He fell for it, removed the negative and never heard from them again. The tank is a worthless piece of junk. Frankly I think that there might be several different manufacturers over there. If they can put it over you, they will. There chrome is pathetic and I have refused buy any of their chromed parts. Seen new chromed parts in poor condition when they first arrived in Australia.
Allan Walker
So far, I have had two experiences of Indian made petrol tanks.
The first was about four years ago and was a tank for a Norton Commando Interstate which I bought on Ebay. It arrived quite quickly and was packed well. The overall look was good and it was heavy (= thick steel?) Inside, it had a brown coating with a very ‘scabby’ appearance. Externally, the tank had been polished! What a waste of time, I thought, because it will need to be roughened for painting!
I then tried to fit it on the bike – no chance! The recess on the top front of the tank (where it fits around the steering head) had not been made deep enough, so that the tank sat about an inch behind the front mounting brackets.
I messaged the seller, sending pictures of the problem, including pictures of an original Interstate tank off a friend’s bike. I got nowhere fast so took the tank to a local welder who said he could rectify it for £30.
I contacted the seller again and told him I wanted a £50 refund to cover the cost and he agreed.
Having had the tank fixed, I set about removing the dodgy internal coating. It came off easily with thinners and revealed a nice, even coating of rust throughout the tank…. I removed this by using diluted phosphoric acid, which had the added benefit of mildly etching the clean steel surface so that the epoxy tank liner would adhere better.
Why was I going to line the tank? The thinners removed the internal coating and steadily dripped from the bottom of the tank along the bottom seams!
Anyway, I used Caswell sealer which has been fine and had the tank painted. Now all ok.
My second experience of Indian made tanks was when I bought a restored Ariel last year. The tank was an Indian copy (the seller made no bones about it; he pointed out that the only apparent problem was that the ‘tunnel’ was rather tight where it went around the headstock.)
This tank has the dreaded(?) red coating inside but I must say that there have been no leaks. (Having said that, I do use ethanol-free petrol.)
The chrome and paint on the tank and overall appearance is good.
So, based on my experience, what have I done? I’ve ordered a new Indian tank off Ebay for my Square Four. I’ll let you know how that turns out!
Peter Zielenski
I’m going to try it because I was quoted more than $600 to repair my OEM tank. I was concerned because they were not talking my language; BSA language. But then they said that they could make a tank to my specifications with the “single screw holes for the 1967 pearl badge”… I am worried because of the rumors, but if it is not acceptable I’ll turn my wife loose on eBay and undoubtedly get my money back. FWIW, two of the companies offered a significantly reduced prices when I made a lowball offer. Watch out for the shipping costs. I’ll report back when it arrives.
Geoff
I purchased a velocette thruxton tank Indian it is grouse fitting shape paint .and decals and placement but had a friend order it for me not knowing who th manufacture was i now want a 60s venom type battery box can somebody send me a link so I can purchase one cheers