'I have a brand-new tank; should I get it lined?

Brand new tanks supplied by the manufacturer are usually coated with a tinted inhibitor product to prevent corrosion while the tanks are in storage, either in the warehouse prior to shipping or when installed on the bike. 
This inhibitor is not necessarily designed to resist long-term exposure to E10, and it is suggested that lining with a robust coating of a 2-pack chemical resistant liner will greatly enhance the service life of the tank.
 

'I've crashed my bike, can you do the repairs?'

Sorry, no - there are companies who specialise in undertaking insurance work, and we do not get involved in this side of the business at all.

 

'I have a Kawasaki ZX9R tank - it has access panels underneath and is considerably larger than my other classic bike, can you line it for me?'

Yes we can. In the past year, we have seen a steady increase in tanks of this size and type requiring restoration and lining.
Superbike tanks require special handling due to their size, shape, capacity and the existence of access holes for sensors and pumps etc.
PLEASE NOTE: This can effectively double the handling time and effort required to ensure a successful coating to the interior of the tank and will incur a surcharge of £75.00 on top of our minimum charge for lining (currently £340.00). We will, of course, confirm this when you contact us to discuss the work required on your tank. Please ensure that you remember to remove any filters, pumps and sensors, along with the usual badges, filler cap and knee pads etc as we really do not want these - just the plain tank, please.

IN ADDITION: We are also now finding that the larger Superbike tanks are being manufactured with a contoured underside, instead of the old-fashioned flat profile. This presents us with a number of issues when cleaning out corrosion, sour fuel, and foreign matter. The only way to ensure that the tank is successfully cleaned and ready for the application of the lining material is to cut a trapdoor in the base of the tank and shot-blast the interior. 
It is not possible to undertake this work without damage to the existing paint finish.
The cost for this work will be discussed with you when you contact us, but you should allow around £400 in addition to the lining charge, increasing the overall cost to approximately £800. You will then have to budget for the tank to be repainted by your favourite paint specialist.
 

'I cannot find a replacement for my old bike tank - can you help?'

Drew Roberts at Heritage Motors can make a new tank for you along with mudguards, tool boxes and general body panels - his work is excellent, we use him for all of our metal-working requirements. 
If you click on Heritage Motors (above), you will be taken to their excellent website. Of course, we would highly recommend that if you take this route, you should seriously consider allowing us the privilege of lining your new tank.
If you do decide to have the tank lined, PLEASE have it done before it receives its final beautiful paintwork.
 

'I think my tank has been lined before - is this a problem? Can you get the lining out?'

Yes - we certainly can but please be aware that the chemicals used to remove the liner are highly aggressive and although we take the greatest care, the existing paint job is likely to be damaged. We will take reference photos before we start so that you can send them to your selected paint finisher. 
In some cases, we may need to cut the bottom out of the tank - but if it has been lined in the past, this usually indicates that it has been leaking, so welding work would most likely have to be carried out anyway.
 

My tank has been newly painted/has an original paint finish - will this be damaged during the process?

Our process does involve manual handling and strong chemicals - it is one of the reasons why it is better to get your tank lined before the application of final paintwork. We do exercise the greatest care and we try very hard to ensure that the finish on your tank is not damaged.
However, we will not accept any responsibility for damage that may occur, either during processing or on return via a courier, and you therefore send your tank for processing in the full knowledge of these facts.
Unfortunately, if we find that your tank is perforated and leaking, it will need metalwork repairs; these will damage the paintwork. In these circumstances we will contact you for your further instructions before proceeding.
 

'How long has ethanol been used as a petrol additive, as my old tank has been lined in the past and it is flaking off!'

Ethanol was first introduced into fuel in 1975 at 2% (E2). Since then, the percentage of ethanol has increased to E5 (5%) and very recently to 10% (E10). The British Motorcyclists Federation has a comprehensive article on the effects of ethanol on their website - worth a read! The implication is that post-2000 motorbikes should have tanks that can cope with ethanol, but as they say in the article, the future of ethanol-blended fuel is too complex to predict.
The lining product that we use (Fertan Tapox TX10) is E10-resistant.
 

'I have a fibreglass tank - can this be lined?'

We are frequently contacted by owners of bikes with either plastic or fibreglass fuel tanks that are in need of restoration. The manufacturer of our lining product does not recommend its application to plastic and fibreglass tanks, as they cannot ensure adhesion to the base material.
Please contact us to discuss possible alternatives/methods of application.
 

'I want to send my tank to you - what do I need to know?'

Please ensure that your tank is empty and aired - courier companies will not accept anything that smells of petrol. They are also reluctant to transport and insure car body parts (and they class bike tanks as such).

PLEASE NOTE: Although we recommend describing your tank as a metal fabrication, please be aware that this is rather stretching the point and in the unlikely event that the couriers damage your tank, neither you nor we can claim on any insurance. For this reason, we recommend that you pack your tank extremely well to protect it.  Make sure that you use a good strong box and plenty of packing material (be aware that bubble wrap in contact with paintwork can leave a lasting mark).
We will ensure that we repack it, using the same materials and with the greatest care to reduce any possible damage when we return it to you.
 

'Do you guarantee the work?'
This is the reply that we gave to a recent customer query:

'The coating will not resist petrol filler nozzles being jammed into the filler neck, or big screwdrivers being used to retrieve lost nuts or bolts (in other words, any kind of abrasion). It will withstand chemical attack from petrol/ethanol mix as long as the liner coating is not damaged due to any undercutting between the liner and the base metal caused by such abrasion!
As a result, we clearly cannot offer a blanket guarantee'.