One of the more sturdy parts on a dirt bike also holds the gas.
We will skip the science and instead simply say plastic fuel tanks contain some of the hardiest plastic available. Designed to withstand the rigors of off-road riding and bar-banging on the track, but sometimes a crash or well-placed (or ill-placed) branch knocks the fuel tank on your dirt bike out of commission.
You can't exactly continue your ride with leaking gas, even a small dribble, running from the fuel tank down along a hot engine so your day ends pretty quick once a crack or hole rears its leaky head. Because fuel tanks generally last a long time and, if being honest, outside of a freak accident rarely rupture, most riders don't carry around a replacement gas tank. Therefore, several options exist for repairing the fuel tank on your dirt bike.
How to Fix a Cracked Dirt Bike Gas Tank
1. Buy a New Dirt Bike Gas Tank
Replacing the leaky fuel tank with a new gas tank offers your best option. Plenty of reputable aftermarket brands make dirt bike gas tanks in a range of OEM sizes as well as oversized gas tank options (for you long distance haulers) in a variety of colors:
Obviously, this option works best at home when you can look through the available dirt bike gas tanks for your ride and order before the next time you head out. It doesn't work so well when you need something now. Therefore, try employing a temporary fix to keep riding when trouble hits on the track or trails.
Determining what quick fix works best depends on the size of the hole or crack in the gas tank.
2. DEI Quick Fix Tape
DEI Quick Fix Tape indeed gives a quick fix to a fuel tank with a crack or hole. Just peel and stick on. This quick fix, self-curing tape provides a waterproof permanent seal. Probably not a good idea for large cracks or holes so use DEI Quick Fix Tape for trailside repairs.
3. Quicksteel
Quicksteel Epoxy from Moose or Permatex Water Bond take just a few minutes to apply and a few minutes longer (or an hour) to cure into a hard impenetrable surface that seals liquid in and keeps liquid and other debris out. Both work equally well but the Permatex takes an hour to cure.
4. All-Purpose Epoxy
For a good repair that might allow you to bypass buying a new gas tank, Permatex 5 Minute Epoxy can get a little messy thanks to the two-part dispenser but works on a wide variety of surfaces so you have multiple possible uses. However, it takes four hours to cure so use when you can let sit overnight.
Metal Gas Tank Repair
1. Metal Epoxy
Metal gas tanks fall out of favor (for obvious reasons) a while ago, but for the old-school crowd riding on vintage dirt bikes repairing a metal gas tank might be easier and worth your while than finding a replacement. Permatex 4 Minute Multimetal Epoxy bonds to most metal surfaces, takes four hours to cure but once fastened allows for sanding, drilling and even threading.
2. Metal Fuel Tank Repair Kit
Permatex makes a fuel tank repair kit for a permanent fix to any sized crack or hole (within reason of course.) This takes a bit more time to apply then a wait time to cure, and best when done at home and not on the side of the trail.
Any one of these products make a great addition to your tool kit anyway, but especially when off-road riding. You have options but if you need some advice and looking for the less expensive route, go with the DEI tape for cracks and the 5 minute epoxy for holes and bigger splits.
