The Truth Behind Indian Made Gas Tanks

So the word on the street has It that the new Indian gas tanks are great replacement parts for those who are either missing a tank or for those replacing a damaged tank.

I'm sure most of you have probably noticed Indian gas tanks all over eBay or Google images at some point during your parts search.

There is a lot of controversy around these tanks and today I would like to uncover truth behind the new Indian made gas tanks.

Lets get to it...

eBay listing from an Indian gas tank seller located in India

Most Indian gas tank sellers on eBay always seem to put their spammy company or username over the images making them stand out like a sore thumb.

Indian based sellers have just about flooded eBay with there gas tanks and other various replacement parts.

Million dollar question... are the tanks any good?

A couple years back I started to notice a big influx of gas tanks from sellers coming out of India on eBay.

Most photos of the new Indian gas tanks appear to be of quality,  just like an original but for half the price of a dented or damaged original tank.

I once contemplated about purchasing a new gas tank for my BSA Lightning, but after reading reviews on forums like www.britbike.com or www.triumphrat.net I quickly came to the conclusion that the Indian made tanks were not of the quality they portrayed to be.

Feedback

Based on feedback and what I read online (and been told by my customers personally) that the new Indian made gas tanks are simply a "lump of coal".

I have heard stories that some Indian tanks that where purchased where an exact reproduction.

The quality was spot on but none of the mounting holes lined up anywhere therefore making the tank useless without serious modification - who wants to put up with that?

I have also been told that not all Indian gas tank manufacturers are the same.

The word has it that not all Indian gas tank manufactures are the same on eBay. However, most of them (despite them being different sellers) get them from one manufacturer based out of the Middle East.

Although no one really knows where these gas tanks are manufactured, many have thrown out the possibility that they could be manufactured in Afghanistan, Pakistan or even Kazakhstan.

Be on the look out

When searching for a used gas tank be on the lookout for these Indian made gas tanks as one can trick you into thinking you were buying an original.

Indian gas tanks are typically sold as new replacement parts but many of them slip under the radar and are sold as original gas tanks when they should not be!

How to spot Indian tanks

You can usually identify an Indian gas tank compared to an original tank by some of the following key details.

Over the years Indian gas tank manufacturers have gotten smart on the way they produce their gas tanks simply because all the negative feedback they have received.

The 3 points as shown below are typical of Indian gas tanks but it's very possible they could have changed there manufacturing process.

#1 Red Gas Tank Liner

Most Indian gas tanks will have a red tank liner sealer that is typically applied on the inside and sometimes the underside of the gas tank.

The sealer is to prevent rust and also line the inside of the tank to stop corrosion from occurring from today's ethanol fuel.

I firmly believe the reason why the sealer is used because there might be small pinholes within the seams of the tank.

 #2 Rust - Corrosion

Any new gas tank that would be manufactured today would have some type of coating to preserve and prevent corrosion.

Indian gas tanks have unusually hi levels of rust deposits despite it being a new gas tank. I believe that has to do with the quality control and the way that they preserve the gas tank during storage and shipping.

#3 The Shape

As most people always say there's nothing better than OEM.

Indian made gas tanks when compared to an original tank of the same type you will find that the finish, and the shape will not be consistent as an original gas tank.

Now I understand that it is very difficult to reproduce a gas tank not using the same stampings or molding from the factory. So I do have to give the Indian manufactures some type of credit by creating a gas tank basically from scratch or from an original tank.

"To sum it up..."

To sum it up I wouldn't recommend purchasing an Indian made gas tank to anyone.

As previously stated, I do give the Indian manufacturers some credit for at least trying to make a quality product.

However, most of these gas tanks are not usable therefore its very disappointing because I personally feel like sellers are selling junk and they deliberately know that.

If you purchased or own a new Indian made gas tank, please feel free to leave use a comment below as we would love to hear your personal feedback on it.

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Thanks for reading today!