HolyRoller said:
Well looks like I am resurrecting an old thread... but wanted to comment by saying that while you may lament the use of the Benelli Mojave tanks, I find it difficult to see what alternatives there are when a person is looking for super clean lines from tank thru seat to rear light.
so please recommend away!
Please don't misunderstand my thoughts on the use of the Mojave tanks. In our game I have always understood the raison d'etre behind what we do - is to be INDIVIDUAL ...DIFFERENT ......PUT OUR OWN STAMP ON A BIKE.
That's precisely what Doc did with his first 750 Virago - and it looked the bollox. However, you can only be unique once - everything that follows is pure let's all be different together, and we end up with dozens of Doc bike Clones [ sincerest form of flattery and all that ].
The Benelli tank does look right - no question, and it suits a variety of frame layouts. I get what you are saying about the unbroken horizontal line ........... how about taking the stock TR1 tank, losing the curve underneath [ also ALL the swage lines ], raising the rear [ common practice now ] .. that will give the same lines. Maybe accent the knee indents a la Goldie, 7R, etc, maybe a Monza flip cap ......................
However, when I see a bike with the Mojave tank - that is the first thing I "see".
Now then, we in the day were just as guilty in retrospect - Manx, Goldie Triumph and Metisse tanks were the options - but we WERE trying to copy the race track bikes of the day [ see that deft get out of jail card there ? ]
Without the skills [ or funds ] to make our own tank styles, it comes down to modifying what is already available.
On the TR1 / Virago [ specific ] you are faced with that really deep front frame section and wide / high rear.
Yes, you could modify the tunnel on a different tank - Pat over at Pacomotors has modified a Duke tank, I knitted up an AJS 7R influenced shape moulded direct onto an OEM TR1 tank, and now I'm onto an alloy Rickman Metisse tank from the era. A good look over a Metisse frame showed that although tubular, the actual shape of the frame was similar to the TR1 ........
When I found an extremely cheap [ relative ! ] Metisse alloy tank on E-Bay, that was my cue to try it out.
Fortunately by simply removing the forward brackets on the tank - it dropped straight on [ 'ish ].
ALL that said - I am going for a traditional 60's Cafe Racer look . The Mojave tank updates the Cafe Racer genre from the 60's, along with USD forks, etc.,etc. and suits the more modern era.
As to suggesting an alternate ? My knowledge of Japanese bikes is very sketchy - but there is bound to be something out there ?
What about some of the less popular European stuff? Moto Guzzi, Ducati ....... I always thought a Vincent Shadow tank [ the "banana" one ] would look good, especially with the Vee motor.
Then there's always your domestic GRP tank manufacturers - some I see are claiming the fit to be "universal" ?
) on its last leg.
