| Author | Message | ||
     Tailgun |
Has anyone relocate the oil tank on their buell? I really want to get rid of the plastic oil tank, and I was wondering why I haven't seen chopper style oil tanks used on buells. I was thinking a chopper oil tank would work well where the battery currently sits, and a smaller lithium battery could be relocated along with the rest of the electronics under the seat. Any thought opinions ore experiences would be appreciated. (see photoshop below)  | ||
| Kc_zombie |
http://americansportbike.com/newdir/Item/5550 | ||
| Tailgun |
@Kc_zombie: I've seen those but I'm looking to continue the mass centralization theme. Shift the oil tank further forward and ditch the heavy battery in favor of a super light lithium unit under the seat. Has anyone done something like this? | ||
| Lakes |
Hi Tailgun, when those style oil tanks where used back in 70's, the battery was ditched completely, they used a battery eliminator & a magneto ignition, but you needed to kick start. I can understand what you want to do, but for me i want reliability as i ride mine anywhere the stock AGM battery has proved to be long lasting & reliable. a friend of mine uses those light weight Lithium but told me not good for the street he just drag races his & trailers bike. i was thinking the XB swing arm has built in oil tank, that moves weight lower & back near rear wheel for traction. a much better area to save weight & see a performance gain is very light weight wheels. as that makes a big difference. carbon wheels would be nice. also those chopper oil tanks the ones i saw on old Knucleheads Panheads & Shovelheads had rubber mounting normally two mounts at top so shake a bit. | ||
| Jayvee |
For packing into a small space, the plastic oil tank is hard to beat, being so form-fitted. The aluminum tank from Al, et al, looks really good, not sure about any other benefit (and especially considering the cost.) The Lithium battery seems an easy choice, for cheap weight removal, but (for me) only worth it when the battery has to be replaced anyway (every 5-7 years?) | ||
| Johnod |
Seems to me those were made with a pocket in the back for a battery as well. | ||
| Xldevil |
To me,that round,chopper style oil tank looks misplaced on a Buell. | ||
| S1owner |
A couple issues that could come up. Cooling the oil in a metal tank with little airflow when it is right behind the rear cylinder. Smallest lithium for these bikes is not that small as I have it provided you are getting correct cranking amps etc (see puc below) . Routing all the electrical etc will be an issue there is a few more things there then positive and negative. See these on chopers because IMO they match the chopper look. Choppers are also ussually stretched providing more room  | ||
| Buellistic |
OLD SCHOOL: The engine oil is also used to cool your engine, get a oil cooler !!! | ||
| Jayvee |
Two bikes ago, had an SR500, they keep the oil in the frame backbone. Some old British bikes too, I think. How about circulate the oil through the main frame tubes? Pump it to the top, pull it out from the bottom. | ||
| Valguard |
I've had these same thoughts but nothing I've found is functional enough, as people have pointed out. I think oil in the frame wouldn't work: quantity, heat, weight distribution being big hurdles even if you could pull it off. I think a better idea would be a custom made subframe that incorporates the oil tank (much like the stock design but better). I'd also eliminate the second seat and put an aerodynamic rear cowl. Under this rear cowl is where I'd put the battery and the electronics under the seat. If someone had the time and money to fab it up, I think it'd be a hit. | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
Something like the xb oil in the swing arm ,but still with under slung shock! Maybe it's doable to convert the alloy tuber swing arm to a oil tank by cutting out the upper side and expand the capacity!? Or make a complete new swing arm with more volume for the oil and also keep the shock arm. | ||
| S1owner |
Oil in the frame has its complications, Could make a rear cowl txt is an oil tank. You could modify a stock swing arm and mount an oil tank on it I have seen it done when the stretch them but never to a stock length maybe if you started with the steel swind arm and gave it the shape of the XB to hold the oil? As most know I just put the XB arm on but it's a lot of work. | ||
| Valguard |
Gianni312 just posted a bike up on the Inspirational Bike thread today that looks almost exactly like what I was talking about. Looks very cool and clean. | ||
| S1owner |
Yes very nice and his oil tank is in the same location |
