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After undoing the two bolts and lifting my tank to clean the air filter. I now find the bolt holes don't line up ????
Anybody had this ?
Ta.

Why not I wonder, warped tank?
Tank on back to front?
Have you got the back of the tank down properly?

The famous Aprilia ethanol allergy expanding the tank too much?

katie1 wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 02, 2020 9:57 pm

The famous Aprilia ethanol allergy expanding the tank too much?

I think Katie has nailed it there. Ethanol in modern petrol causes the tank to swell and mounting holes no longer line up...

Thanks Katie.
Boil wash then.

Yep, and not silly at all, its a right pain.
I took the amateur way (being tech free), removed the fat top-hat washers from the holes, re-inserted the bolts washer-less. It was the only way I could get the Raptor back on the road.

If you weren't aware of the swelling tank syndrome you might well think the chaos pixies had been to visit.
Get some slightly longer bolts, pull the washers and grommets out of the bracket engage the threads by hand so you don't cross thread, once the bolts are started push the grommets/washers back in.
The tread tapping in the frame is plenty deep enough to take longer bolts

Definitely not a silly question my Raptor suffered too , but not as bad as Snappy’s. The Buell has bubbled tank and so has the navigator ... one of the first questions on buying my new bike was is it a metal tank?!

And its only going to get worse... i saw an article today that our beloved leaders are planning to make 10% ethanol the standard fuel instead of the 5% current.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51731757

Yes, I saw that as well. The government regards older vehicles simultaneously as cash tax cows and collateral damage on the way to an all-electric future.