ALL IMS 4.3 gal gas tank owners, look here

[BadA$$440]

Is it me or is it a b1tch to put your plastics back on after installing the new gas tank? Am i doing something wrong or do i have to go through this hassle every time i have to take my plastics off?

The part that im having problems is where the two bolts go though the front plastic whole, and thru the side plastics hole and into the gas tank.

[Teufel]

It's not you Bro, The **** doesn't line up. I take the straps off and lift up on the rear of the tank to get to align. It's not the correct way but it is my way. You pretty much have to flex the brackets also. For the money we pay you would think this **** would go together better.

[BadA$$440]

Originally posted by Teufel
For the money we pay you would think this **** would go together better.

thats what i was saying.

Ok, i'll try doing what you said with the straps. I had to take a break or else i would of ended up beating the **** out of it with a sledge hammer.

[RIDER11X]

Never knew that about IMS tanks. Is the Clarke any better? Considering buying one.

[BadA$$440]

Originally posted by RIDER11X
Never knew that about IMS tanks. Is the Clarke any better? Considering buying one.

the new 5.5 gallon one? that looks likeit might have some trouble to.

[Extremeracer167]

I just zip tied that little part where the front plastic meets the sidepanels under the seat. And didnt bolt it to the tank, becuase alot of guys break those little tabs off after a while when its bolted to the tank. SO i just ziptied it, and it held good for me. THe clark 5.5 will NOT work with Maier plastics. Thats what i was told when i talked to Clarke last. SO that kinda sucks. That will limit ALOT of there sales

[chavez]

i have the same problem sometimes those are the first two screws i put in when putting my plastic back on or i will take a smaller screwdriver slide it thru the plastic and the screw hole and pull it back to correct alighnment also using my hip to help hold it.

[Teufel]

I put a clarke on my Lonestar 250r and I had to heat it and indent it . SO I would say that it isn't any better :cool:

[BadA$$440]

Originally posted by Teufel
I put a clarke on my Lonestar 250r and I had to heat it and indent it . SO I would say that it isn't any better :cool:
how do you do that? with a hair dryer? and can you damge it that way?

cuz i might have to do it to a spot on the "hat" part of the IMS cuz one of my acreribis pro rally hand guard mounts hits it when i turn it all the way, and there is a lil hump that causes it to hit, but there isnt a lil hump on the other side. get wat im saying? i'll go take some pics to show you.

[Teufel]

Hey Bro, I used a propane torch. I was careful not to touch it with the flame and let the heat disapate over a wid area. Remember you don't want to melt this thing you just want to make it soft enough to form.

Om mine I had to indent an area to clear a cross member in the frame. I used a piece of one inch aluminumn round stock to press against it and form it.

You can also soften the tank by blocking off the pit-cock and fill it with boiling hot water.
Which ever you decide to do be sure and exercise patience.

Good Luck

Teufel

[BadA$$440]

ok, i will try the torch thing cuz i dont feel like takng all the plastic off to put water in it. heres pics to explain

[BadA$$440]

bad side ( with the hump)

[BadA$$440]

is it suppose to be showng like this? ( between the seat and the side plastic)

[Teufel]

actually my seat fits tighter than a bull's #%*& against the tank. What needs done to the right side ? Is it set too low? That is pretty wild man

[BadA$$440]

right side?

it looks the same on the right side.

maybe the tabs that hold it by the stem are bent wrong causing te tank to sit a lil high like that in the rear. i wll check it out tomorrow. i didnt think it was suppose to look like that cause i hd a pretty hard time getting the seat to clip in right.

[desertratt45]

that side shot looks just like mine. the bolts are a pain to get in. the guys at ims told me that they are working on new tanks that fit better.

[dhines]

Although I can't imagine running cross country races without it, the IMS tank generally sucks for fit and finish. When I received mine I seem to recall their materials saying that there was a certain percentage of variance in the size of the tank - several percent if I remember correctly. It sure as heck shows! I have to use zip ties to keep the black side plastics lined up and, as others have mentioned, the holes on top are a nightmare to get right.

However it is the stupid "hat" thing that sticks out in front that kills me. I could live with all of the other little quirks if they would just get rid of that and make it look more like their 250R version. All it does is get in the way of handlebars, bark busters, and (most importantly for me) the Scotts steering damper! Do they actually think that the extra few ounces of fuel capacity are worth it?

Yeah most large tanks look like crap and are ugly as sin,,and that cowboy hat brim on some of them is just plain UGLY..I'm lookin into gettin one myself but I'll wait till someone that's not blind starts designing them...:devil And this talk about the fit of them has most definitly turned me away even more...I guess I'll just keep stopping for gas..I always need the break anyway...:o LOL

[EX_RIDER]

I have had one for a little over a year and half now.

I had to spend a little extra time on getting all the bolt in. Here's a little tip. Grind about 1/8 inch off each side of the top plastic where it meets the gas tank.It will give more room and u don't need them tabs when the IMS tank is on there.Also loosen the wholefront fenders or all the bolt. Put the ones on the tank in first. Also use colored zipties on the fenders/side fenders to hold them together.Since the tank bludges out,It will eved. break them black tabs off and if U ziptie them first.It will never happen in the first place.It is also much easier to take the front fenders off cause they are zip tied on the side fenders.

Mine Has a very tight fit also.It takes a couple mins to get my seat on tho. Since i have a black tank,I can't really tell as much as urs cause urs is clear.I wanted teh clear,But there was a 4 month wait and i needed it that week.

I can't run my hand guards either.The one side of the tank has a little hump on it like urs.

Over all, I love my tank more then anything else on my quad.I can ride hours and hours with out stoping for gas.And the tank doesn't get in the way like people think it does!

I only paid 175 for mine from rocky Mountain with freeshipping

[Paul400ex2002]

I've got the clarke 5.5 on my quad, and getting all the bolt holes and all to line up at first was a pain, but after they were on there the plastic molded into shape and it is a lot easier to put on and take off now.

[BadA$$440]

do you have pics paul?

the one thing i didnt like about the clarke is that you cant use aftermarket plastics.

EXrider, what kind of handguards do you have? i have aceribis pro rallys. it took me a lomg time to adjust them right so that i can turn the bars all the way with hitting. well it rubs a little but i grinded the piece smooth so it wont do much damage.

[EX_RIDER]

I am running no hand guards at the present time. I have three sets and none of them will work:( I would like to get a set to fit very soon tho. My quad is in the shop getting head work,426 JE piston put in it as week speak.It will be there for a month. There is a long story why it is in the shop so I have to wait.

[Paul400ex2002]

if i remember right it says SOME aftermarket front plastics wouldn't fit, i'm not too sure on that though, i'll try and post some pics later tonight.

[buckeye400ex]

Paul, I'd like to see pics of your Clark Tank too. Does it look like Aftermarket graphics would go on that tank easily too??

[Big - D Racing]

Only race front plastics won't fit on the clarke because the race cut maier have the side panels built onto it. The clarke tank replaces your side panels, so if you have std. cut maier with no side panels it would work. And if you want the race cut look with the tnk just buy std. maier and cut them yourself like many people do to the stock plastics.

[RIDER11X]

Does anyone know anything about the new IMS tank? I've been seeing one that is more tall than the old cowboy hat style shown here, and figured someone got one to let us know about the fit.

I want one, but I am waiting till it won't cause anymore divits in the garage wall from flying wrenches/ tools........:D

[RIDER11X]

Originally posted by RIDER11X
Does anyone know anything about the new IMS tank? I've been seeing one that is more tall than the old cowboy hat style shown here, and figured someone got one to let us know about the fit.

I want one, but I am waiting till it won't cause anymore divits in the garage wall from flying wrenches/ tools........:D

Well, got an IMS and put it on. Not toooooooo bad, other than the side view of mine looks just like the one posed earlier. The knob that holds down the front of the seat down needs shimmed up a little higher to make it fit better I think. I'll post pics if it works. Filling that thing is like filling a tanker truck! Wow it holds alot of gas!:eek2:

[Martin Blair]

I like my clarke tank on ym bike went in with no rpoblems, and it matchs up with stock palstic great

[PhilMoore]

I trimmed the ledge off the inside of the top of the fenders where the old gastank shroud clips in. It made it a little better, but it still takes a little force to get the fenders to bolt on. The seam where the black sides attach to the red fenders bulges out wierd, and I stitched it together with zip ties. It looks like crap, so I make sure I tell everybody who asks it is an IMS tank, and NOT to buy one.

The above mentioned problem isn't as much an issue as the rediculous "hat flare" thingys on the front of the tank. These things are just stupid. My TAG X5 bars will hit if I don't tilt them forward. They are not exactly where I like them, but I will run my first race of the season on sunday and see how they go. I also have a set of Cycra hand guards. They are the ones with the "triple" mounting clamps. The clamps are huge, and will not clear the tank. So, I gotta leave them off. I have been promised a set of Power Madd handguards, hopefully, I will get them before the next race after this one. And, hopefully, they will fit and clear this stupid IMS tank with the lame, useless hat flare things.

I fell for the big glossy IMS/Roll design/Duncan racing advertisements I guess. Lesson learned! Stay clear of these flashy companies that spend more on fancy ads than Research and Development! Oops that was out of line I guess. Elka has a freaking heavy coat glossy storybook that had to cost a pretty penny, and they make a mighty fine product.

If you don't mind a trashy, misfitting, ziptied together quad (which I don't mind) get the IMS.

[muff]

i didnt have a whole lot of trouble with mine :p doesnt fit 100% as good as stock but what aftermarket stuff does :o

[RIDER11X]

Originally posted by PhilMoore
I trimmed the ledge off the inside of the top of the fenders where the old gastank shroud clips in. It made it a little better, but it still takes a little force to get the fenders to bolt on. The seam where the black sides attach to the red fenders bulges out wierd, and I stitched it together with zip ties. It looks like crap, so I make sure I tell everybody who asks it is an IMS tank, and NOT to buy one.


Try trimming out the portion of the plastic that would meet the stock tank cover with a Dremel tool the make room for the big IMS tank. This helped mine alot. Fit is not 100%, but the extra feul capacity is sweet! I ran a local XC race 3 weeks ago, and was not even close to running out of gas though the whole race! That sure helps when you don't need to pit the whole race.:cool:

[DangerousDean]

how does the bigger tank effect handling ?? :confused:

[RIDER11X]

Originally posted by DangerousDean
how does the bigger tank effect handling ?? :confused:
I don't notice any difference.:cool:

[PhilMoore]

I haven't raced with it yet, but I have been on a few rides. I really don't notice a difference. It doesn't get in the way once you tweak your handlebars around so they don't hit the tank.

I am going to try a set of bar risers or different handlebars.

BTW my steering stem is stock.

[RIDER11X]

Originally posted by PhilMoore
I haven't raced with it yet, but I have been on a few rides. I really don't notice a difference. It doesn't get in the way once you tweak your handlebars around so they don't hit the tank.

I am going to try a set of bar risers or different handlebars.

BTW my steering stem is stock.
I use the Pro Taper Pastrana FMX bars w/ the 3/4 " rise big bar adaptors and have plenty of room. This is the tallest bend the Pro Taper bars come in. They look great, and are really strong. I've flipped mine a couple times, and bent my stock steering stem, with no damage to the bars. Stems are cheaper than bars so I just keep a spare on hand all the time.........LOL! I crash alot I guess!:D Oh, I also keep a spare IMS gas cap in the truck in case I smash that off too. I prepare for the worst and hope for the best!;)

[DangerousDean]

Originally posted by RIDER11X
I use the Pro Taper Pastrana FMX bars w/ the 3/4 " rise big bar adaptors and have plenty of room. This is the tallest bend the Pro Taper bars come in. They look great, and are really strong. I've flipped mine a couple times, and bent my stock steering stem, with no damage to the bars. Stems are cheaper than bars so I just keep a spare on hand all the time.........LOL! I crash alot I guess!:D Oh, I also keep a spare IMS gas cap in the truck in case I smash that off too. I prepare for the worst and hope for the best!;)

do they fit with renthal bars ?

ps: how much are protapers for quads?
I have some on my bike, and they were $100 :confused:

[RIDER11X]

Originally posted by DangerousDean
do they fit with renthal bars ?

ps: how much are protapers for quads?
I have some on my bike, and they were $100 :confused:

The clamps are adaptors for Fat bars...........These are bike bars, so same price....:cool:

[DangerousDean]

Originally posted by RIDER11X
The clamps are adaptors for Fat bars...........These are bike bars, so same price....:cool:

(bicycle bars)

:)

what are some other bigger capacity tanks ? maybe a bit smaller then 4.3 gal?

[RIDER11X]

Originally posted by DangerousDean
(bicycle bars)

:)

what are some other bigger capacity tanks ? maybe a bit smaller then 4.3 gal?
The only other one for the 400ex is the Clarke 5.5 gallon, that is a totally different design sitting lower and replacing the stock side panels..........But I have heard of leaks developing in them from mud grinding in the front plastic tab holes.........That is why I got the IMS......:eek:

[DangerousDean]

Originally posted by RIDER11X
The only other one for the 400ex is the Clarke 5.5 gallon, that is a totally different design sitting lower and replacing the stock side panels..........But I have heard of leaks developing in them from mud grinding in the front plastic tab holes.........That is why I got the IMS......:eek:

yeah :(
I dont want one like that... my buddy has a craptor wit hthe ims one and its really wide.... so its probbly like the clarke?

I guess i will look into the IMs then :( .. i dont really like how high up it comes.... but . i guess it better then ... taping a jerry can to my back :P