Harley-Davidson XR750 Racing Tanks & Tails

XRtank
This is the rare 1980 style XR tank

Over the last ten or so years, I have secretly been making exact reproductions of all the Harley XR race tanks and fenders. There are others making XR tanks and tails but their quality is sub-standard and that is reflected in their pricing. If you are building a priceless, original XR you have no business putting a J.C. Whitney quality body on it. That route will hurt you if/when you sell it.

I have been marketing these through John Steel in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and he is my exclusive agent--I can't sell them direct on my own--they have to come from John. He is extremely fussy about product authenticity and quality--that's how I know John and I offer the best XR stuff in the country. John’s customers contact him when they open their cartons. They are that blown away with the quality.

Here are the XR products I make:

XRseat
This is the 1972 style XR fender with
the correct basketweave upholstery
  • 1970 to 1979 XR tank w/o coating
  • 1970 to 1979 XR tank with coating
  • 1970 to 1972 XR fender with correct basket weave upholstery
  • 1980-on XR tank w/o coating
  • 1980-on XR tank w/ coating
  • 1974, 1975, 1977 & 1980 XR fender with correct cowhide upholstery

If you are interested in XR stuff, please don't call me, contact:

John Steel
Hi-Speed Motorcycles
600 Hemlock Road
PO Box 44
Chagrin Falls, OH 44022
440-247-6021 p/f
hi-speedmotorcycles.com
jpsteel@sbcglobal.net

 

If you are wondering about that 'coating' reference, that is something unique with my tanks. We discovered years ago how to coat and protect fiberglass tanks and engines from oxygenated (corn based) ethanol (gasohol) fuel. Ethanol (alcohol) will leach resin from the insides of uncoated tanks. The resin is passed through the carbs and valves guides. When the engine cools, the resin hardens inside carb orifices and in the engine.

Engine and carb disassembly and intense cleaning is the only cure and that ain't cheap. Alcohol also destroys uncoated tanks. This can be seen in bubbling paint, leaks and a soft spongy tank structure. Never use any form of alcohol in an uncoated fiberglass tank.

The horrors of ethanol fuel

Don’t use it, ever. Always use premium non-ethanol. Ethanol is junk and causes all kinds of carb, engine, and fiberglass tank problems. Ethanol eats the resin from inside of fiberglass tanks. It dilutes resin into a solution which mixes with your tank’s gas. When the bike sits for any time longer than a month or two, the resin solidifies in your carb and valve components. Carbs are easy to clean but if it gets into the valve seals etc., engine disassembly is needed. Not cheap!

Until 2021 we kept changing coatings to get the best anti-ethanol sealer for our fiberglass tanks. Prior to that date, we used at least 5 different coatings. None of them worked long term despite claims from the chemical makers. The one exception was/is Caswell epoxy coatings. I dropped it because the application process was so lengthy. I now use an anti-ethanol resin with no warranty claims at all.

I get maybe three tanks a year for leaking and surface problems caused by pre-Caswell sealants. Even though they are long past the warranty period, I fix leaks for free but charge for shipping.

How to get ethanol free gas

Find a local source

If your town offers ethanol free premium fuel, use it even if you have one of my new tanks. Yes, it’s more expensive but it is better for your engine and tank.

If your local stations don’t offer ethanol-free gas by law, you have two options:

  • Go to a local airport with a couple of 5 gallon cans and buy their aviation fuel. Use straight or in a pinch mix 50/50 with the best grade of ethanol gas.
  • Make your own ethanol-free gas.

Remove ethanol from gas at home

Here’s simple fix that's cheaper, long term, than the cost of high octane premium-non-ethanol gas (where it’s available). The ratio is one gallon gas to one cup of water. See my DIY how-to.