YZ125A Tank question.

[firko]

I've bopped happily along for the last 39 years thinking that a YZ125A petrol tank was made from aluminium like its big brothers.I discovered late this arvo that the tank I've had for about 20 years and thought was aluminium has rust on the inside. Are they all steel or did they make an alloy version that was available for the rich guys?
It seems to me that the 125 would be more in need of an alloy tank than its 250 and 360 brothers but there must be a reason. The same thing occurs with the first Elsinores as well...steel-125, aluminium for the 250......Odd

Another question......molasses OK for getting rid of the rust inside?

And another....Does anyone do a tank graphics kit?

[JohnnyO]

I'm sure the YZ125A i owned years ago had an alloy tank.

[TM bill]

YZ 125A tanks i have owned have all been aluminium  do you have a picture Firko . i recently bought what i thought from the pics was an RM 125 A / B tank , when it arrived it was a steel tank. Further investigation showed it was actually an RM 80C tank 

[oldfart]

Mark , yes molasses is fine  mix it @ 25% and give it a good shake every day...... I would sugeest  3 days depending on thickness of  rust.
 
I have found also cirtric acid rips the shit out of ali parts  - when pulled out of container it is black but after a hose down you are left with nice raw ali part.

[Slakewell]

I believe your tank is a YZ 80 A Tank and it is steel and I also believe I may have given it to you. 

[crankpin]

If I don't have it in stock, I can replicate the decal for you firko.

[TM bill]

They look very similar

[bazza]

My YZ125A (pre drinking days when i could ride one) was alloy tank
Did MX125 have steel tank
I think Mal did my stickers for tank,will check when hes back at work

[albrid-3]

yz125a tanks are alloy (no question)
yz80a tanks are steel. (no question)
mx 125a tanks are steel. (no Question)

[Rossvickicampbell]

Firko - Speed and Sport do a set for the YZA - have you tried them yet?

cheers

[head]

Dave#6 Definitely right. YZ125A alloy, I had to have mine welded when I had one.

[firko]

So it looks like I've got a YZ80A tank. Are they similar to the 125 tank in overall size?

I'm having trouble finding a tank for the Hindall project. While I was using a DT1 engine I'd settled on using an AT1 Yamaha tank but the project's now taken a left turn by the impending swap to a 360cc RT2MX engine. Because of the engine upgrade and jump to the pre 75 division I've decided to upgrade the bodywork to pre '75 style. I'm planning on using MX250 side panels and mudguards but the tank selection has been a worry. The DT2MX tank I planned on using is a tad too long for the Hindall frame, as is an MX250 item. The next plan was to paint an RM250 tank and fit RT2MX graphics which I've seen done before on a very trick MX250. The tanks are similar in shape and once it's painted silver and the graphics are fitted you have to look twice to notice that it's a Suzuki item. I've located a tank (thanks Michael) and will go that way but..............

Yesterday arvo I remembered that I had what I thought was the YZ125 tank (now shown to be YZ80) and dug it out and sat it on the Hindall and bugger me....it looks pretty damn good. I've fallen into this sense of contentment on this bike before when I thought the Wassell trials tank looked the goods but once out in the open it looked bloody awful.

Question update........Does anyone make a graphics kit for the YZ80A tank or would the 125 graphics fit?

I'll take and post some photos over the weekend.

[Rossvickicampbell]

still can't post piccies on here Firko but have sent a couple of emails - both Speed and Sport and YZdecals list products for the YZ80A

[motomaniac]

yz125a tanks are alloy (no question)
yz80a tanks are steel. (no question)
mx 125a tanks are steel. (no Question)

correcto mundo Dave , it would be pretty hard to mistake an MX125 tank for a YZ though but the 80 is similar but smaller of course

[firko]

Firko - Speed and Sport do a set for the YZA - have you tried them yet?

Thanks for the Speed & Sport guff Ross, I've also found the graphics on eBay so that won't be a problem. I haven't looked too far into it yet as I'm still farting about trying to figure out what looks best.

I can normally get an image in my head of what I want a particular bike to look like but this little bike has me buggered. I've had four different tank/seat combos on her and I haven't been 100% happy with any of them.
Originally this bike was going to be a pre 70 classer with 250 piston port engine and with the AT1 tank and DT1 mudguards it looked pretty close to what I envisioned. However, the new engine puts the bike into pre 75  making it a perfect team mate for the Cheney 360 so I want the bike to be distinctive and look as much pre '75 as the Cheney looks pre 70. I have a sort of works bike / factory prototype look in my head in silver with factory stripe graphics but this frame's a very different shape (and smaller) to the stocker so finding the right tank is proving to be tougher than I thought.


Question time: Can someone please give me the overall length and width of the YZ125A tank? By eye the YZ80 tank doesn't look too much smaller than the 125 unit but looks can be deceiving. Does the 80 have a hold down strap like the 125/250/360? Can the straps for the 125 be purchased? Can someone also pass on the length and width of an RM 250A please?

[frostype400]

I can measure the rm250a tank this weekend.

[Slakewell]

Firko
The YZ 80 A tank are held by 2 rubber inserts that hold it to the frame at the front that fit too spigots under the tank near the front and a normal 6mm bolt at the rear. I'm sure you could retro fit the works strap from the bigger bikes and yes they can be purchased new on the interweb. Knock up some brackets that fit onto the spigots that the straps clip into

[Davey Crocket]

I may have some tank straps left from the ones I had made up Mark, the 125 straps are smaller than what the parts book lists(125/250/360 the same)....there is a set of 453 staps on US ebay at the moment (Scooterboy), but he wants drug money......do the Torsten Hallen prototype YZ tank paint scheme....looks good....red/white combo. 125 tanks do come up for sale and if you get one with no threads left on the feul tap spigot, I have new ones ready to weld in. Cheers....hows your mum?

[Rossvickicampbell]

did the bigger As come with straps - or just the Bs?

[Davey Crocket]

The 3 big A's and B's all had straps.....just like the works ones.

[frostype400]

The rm250a tank is roughly,

450mm at it's longest.
About 200mm at widest.
Down to about 110mm wide before it drops off.
390mm long from the neck to then end of the tank.

Only rough measurements I can send it to you whenever you like, thanks Michael.

[iainyz]

Mark try Dan at motographic in Silverwater Syd ,He makes nice stickers . By the way the RT1 nifty built has a YZ80 B alloy tank and home made straps .           

[firko]

It's surprising how well the YZ80 tank fits. If someone would have told me to try one a week ago I'd have told them they were being silly. I''ve made the decision now and will soon be sending it off to the painters for its cool retro OW paint scheme.

[Taka 100]

re the molasass , i have recent done a 125S and a CZ tank moderatley rusted and found that it works the best after you wash out the tank with fresh fuel and then thinners etc then throw in a handful of crushed blue metal gravel and shakeit all about to loosen some of the rust then topup with molasses and water mix to the rim after you tape up the outlet hole let it sit for 2days empty it out leave the handfuls of crushed gravel (it has some nice little edges on it ) in and shake all about flush with clean water then do the process again after straining all the crap outa the mixture , another 2 day some more shakin and flushing and its sweet as , leave super rich fuel / oil mix in for a while then empty new filters and it ready to go baby!!!

[firko]

Thanks Taka........I'll get into it during the week. I've got some welding to do to the rear mount and one little  rust pinhole. Even though it's fixable it's not the greatest tank so if anyone's got another I'd be happy to take it off your hands.

[Slakewell]

Bejebus Firko that looks more rusted than when I gave it to you 20 years ago.

[firko]

Bejebus Firko that looks more rusted than when I gave it to you 20 years ago.

So that's where it came from . It had me buggered how I ended up with it. I had it stored in a metal locker in my garden shed that unfortunately got a bit of water into it. The tank sat upside down in about a quarter of an inch of water, luckily all the rust damage is outside, inside's pretty good considering. There was a nice Cole brothers Maico pipe whose header pipe didn't fare so well, it's rusted tight through..but everything's fixable!

[Slakewell]

Firko I think if you look closely it even has a bit CMB engineering orange paint split on it.

[mainline]

It's surprising how well the YZ80 tank fits. If someone would have told me to try one a week ago I'd have told them they were being silly. I''ve made the decision now and will soon be sending it off to the painters for its cool retro OW paint scheme.

that fits great, should be good for getting forward in the turns too

[firko]

that fits great, should be good for getting forward in the turns too

I think you're right Paul, the plan is to get the ergo's as comfy as possible, I want the seat and tank to be the same width with as seamless a join as possible without opting for a non era 'safety seat'. The seat shown on the bike is off my Cheney but the new one will be very similar in width but  slightly longer. I can't build it until the mudguards are fitted so I'll know exactly how long to make it. Here's another view............

[VMX247]

Good thread to read...great info...

Mini HL anyone   

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320841958411&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

[Freakshow]

bit pricey me thinks, id pay that for a 250 but not the little ones....

[albrid-3]

now this is a cheap price for that clean tank,   in the usa they would be wanting twice that amount.

[GMC]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320841958411&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en
[/quote]

YZ 80 tanks are about 3" shorter than the 125C tanks so it wouldn't be suitable for a HL if thats what it is.

[Freakshow]

Not when i have bought tanks USA, but maybe they see you coming....

[VMX247]

bit pricey me thinks, id pay that for a 250 but not the little ones....

Sold for 200..
not much moving at the moment.Had our eye's on four bikes and not one bid.
Jawa speedway tank went for $100  but not much else moving..
I think we may have come down off the wave of 2010 pricing 
cheers A

[albrid-3]

I am waiting on a bsa b50 slim line alloy Tank from the States, It cost me big bucks and I have sold my other Hi -point Alloy tank for big bucks , and they are worth the money, try and make one see how good it will turn out, I bought a brand neworiginal  Dot Tank from UK $750 delivered.
over the years I have paid $300 to $350 YZ 125 and 250 A tanks, getting hard to get, grab them while you can.

[hodaka]

Has anyone had the fuel tank threaded section which accepts the plastic screw in fuel cap made in either aluminium for the yz or steel for the MX Yamahas made ? Or anyone who can make them ? Need to weld one into a steel tank that doesn't presently have a threaded fuel cap and l would prefer not to trash another tank . Any info appreciated .

[albrid-3]

Yz 125 A Tanks are Alloy., I have one in my shed.

[GMC]

Has anyone had the fuel tank threaded section which accepts the plastic screw in fuel cap made in either aluminium for the yz or steel for the MX Yamahas made ? Or anyone who can make them ? Need to weld one into a steel tank that doesn't presently have a threaded fuel cap and l would prefer not to trash another tank . Any info appreciated .

That same cap was used on many models
YZ 80's used them as well as MX 80's which I think were all steel
Shouldn't be too hard to find an old beaten up tank to steal one from.
If your desperate I have an old tank you could steal it from.

[frostype400]

Mx80 were like the gt80 and weren't threaded they are just a half turn chrome cab.

But definitely yz80 ty80 were though probably easiest just to get a smashed tank.

[Nathan S]

Late MX100 is the easiest source of those threaded sections.

If you're converting a tank from a DT trap-door cap to the MX threaded cap, cut the donor MX tank apart first, and then grind the threaded section out of the tank.
It should be possible to get a die-grinder into the filler hole to remove the cap/hinge section from the DT tank without cutting it open.
Then you'd just braze the MX bit in.

I cut a big chunk out of my DT tank before I realised all of this - created a lot of extra work for an inferior job.