The Advantage of Aftermarket Motorcycle Fuel Tanks
There are many reasons to replace your OEM motorcycle fuel tank. Obviously if its leaking or dented or cracked it would be a great idea to replace it before a "crash and burn" - but many riders choose to buy new motorcycle fuel tanks because of the increased riding range that can be achieved by adding one.
Desert riding has become popular over the past few years and desert riders are particularly aware of the limited capacity of OEM motorcycle fuel tanks. The challenge to manufacturers of motorcycle fuel tanks is to come up with designs that can increase the riding range, while not significantly impacting the ergonomics, weight and aesthetics of the bike. Some of the top manufacturers of aftermarket motorcycle fuel tanks, like IMS and Rip-Ty Racing have heard the needs of the rider and taken up this challenge.
Ty Davis champion motocross racer and founder of Zip-Ty Racing, worked with the folks at IMS to develop sleeker more practical fuel tanks for motorcycles like the KX series. According to reviewers who installed and tested one of these motorcycle tanks on a Kawasaki KX-500, the Zip-Ty tank feels like the stock KX500 tank yet it holds way more gas.
Its advantages become immediately apparent as soon as you ride. "The bike is comfortable to sit on." One of the problems with earlier bulky aftermarket motorcycle gas tanks was that they made turns and cornering more difficult, not so with these new tanks. "You can actually get forward to weight the front end and make the KX carve in the corners."
