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!
Arthur
The most unacceptable part of buying products from India is not just poor quality, but the fact that you never get what you think you order. Sellers display a picture (the same picture, over and over) of a tank that looks good in the advert. This tank is not what you’ll receive, however. Your tank hasn’t even been made when you place your order. In addition, there is an unacceptably long waiting time. Indian sellers simply do not understand that in order to be trusted, their goods must already have been shipped to Western countries and quality inspected by competent Western middlemen who can guarantee the product. Only at that stage does it make sense to take a picture of the actual item for sale and place an ad for it. The Indian make-to-order business model is medieval village-oriented, to say the least. Flooding the market with cheap, poor products is to the disadvantage of buyers as well as potential other manufacturers outside India, who otherwise would have been able to make products at a totally different quality level.
CC
I have an Indian made petrol tank. The shape is good, it fits well and the chrome is good. There are none of the problems described in the article. I bought it on the recommendation of a restorer.
C D Daniel
@David France, who is your good supplier for the tanks? I ordered a tank from India more than two months ago and claimed to have shipped it within a couple of weeks but it has never arrived and have got my money back off ebay. I’m somewhat apprehensive about trying another supplier without a recommendation. David
David France
I have had good luck with parts made in India. Have bought four tanks and two sets of mud guards and chain guards. After my first order and I got quality parts with excellent chrome. Much better quality than I used to get from venders in the UK in the 1980s through 1999. I gave up and tried to find only original parts. Now those original are expensive and hard to find or just impossible to get. Rather than see projects never get finished I took a chance and found a good supplier. I just bought a tank for a 1952 BSA ZB33A and fenders chainguard and tool box. All fit well the fenders detail was slightly off at the tip of fenders. But they fit well and look great. The tank fit well nee pads and badge holes are in the right place chrome was great and it was painted and lined and cost me less than half what I paid to have BSA ZB34 tank chromed several years ago.
Cliff Coles
I purchased an petrol tank from India for my 1959 Velocette Venom and it looked very good but then came the fitting. The front mounts were too long and the rear mounts too short so it fouled the lug on the top frame tube , this mean’t that I had to cut the lug off ,. Then the main tank fuel tap mount was too far back and fouled the carburettor so I had to fit a 1 inch inlet extension. Now after 6 months the tank has developed a leak from the rear mounts and this will cost me £300+ to correct and redecorate also the liner is slowly softening in the fuel so that will also need replacing .This now means that my original Velo is not now so original.
It is difficult for me to recommend similar purchases to other Velo owners I am sorry to say.