Replacement for cracked F8 fuel tank

As I write this, my dealer is replacing my 2009 F800GS cracked fuel tank ! It seems that the redesigned tanks are now in the system. Thumbs up to BMW NA and my local dealer.

Now let's get the bearing issue resolved and I'll be one happy dirt camper!

After I saw your post, I contacted my local dealer here in San Diego - they are rock stars at SDBMWMC. They had sent out a service bulletin last week (which I missed) and new tank has been ordered. They say 2-3 weeks from Germany and I'll have it.

Gonna have them install it at the same time they are re-shoeing my steed with Anakee 2's. ;-)

My dealer here in Nashville replaced the new tank last week. So far so good :)

Had mine replaced about 6 months ago as well. No cracking so far.

Griz you got old stock. That is why we had to wait to get the good ones,

I wondered about that...... I don't know. It hasn't cracked yet and it's been six months or so. If it does I'll just get another one I guess.

Mine replaced today in-out no fuss

Any pics of the updated new style tank? I just made an appt. to have mine replaced next Tuesday. I just noticed the cracks today. (9) months old and only 1650 miles. I want to make sure I dont get the old style.

P.S. Great forum - Been lurking for a year. Figured it was time to join.

Can anyone post pics of the cracking? Curious of the location so I can keep an eye out for it.

Bushwhacker posted some pretty good pix here.

David

Does the new tank hold more fuel?

Guys thinking of buying an 800 as well as Orange Crush knuckle draggers , must look at this thread title and think wtf :huh
To clarify:
The fuel tanks not cracked. It's the tank surround or shroud if you will, and it won't leak fuel. It's strictly cosmetic.

Had mine replaced on my 09 under warranty by my local BMW dealer.
All is well with the world now.

I just noticed I had the gas tank cracks on a 2009 F800GS I bought a couple months ago.

Brought the bike to my local dealer for 6K scheduled maintenance and he informed me that he should be able to replace the tank under warranty - even though the bike is past its 3 year original warranty. Apparently there is an additional warranty period of 5 years for fuel and EFI related stuff.

Free new tank hopefully!!

But he also said the same thing will happen since its the exact same part number.

I had not thought about extended warranty on fuel system components..............
My tank started cracking after about a year, I waited till just inside the 3-year warranty period to have it replaced,
having been told that BMW-parts warranty was 2-years from date of purchase. The new one has cracked also,
so far not very badly ... hopefully it will be cracked badly enough to not get into a fight about having it replaced next fall........ pity they can't get this right .......

The shop I go to is very honest and they seem to know their sh*t. He was telling me it is an ethanol issue where it is absorbed by the tank plastic causing expansion, swelling and eventually the cracking. It is affecting primarily US and Canadian bikes. Ducati is also badly affected he tells me - worse than BMW. He is on his third tank.

The good news is that it is purely a cosmetic issue and apparently no one has had a failure leading to leaking gasoline. Most likely if that were to start happening BMW would be recalling the tanks. How the swelling and cracking only affects the outer cosmetic wall of the tank I have no idea.

The bad news is that BMW won't likely be changing the tank and any replacement tank is the same part number, same problem. The switch will "buy you a couple years" I'm told.

Oh well! I'll take a new tank soon hopefully and live with some cracks when they recur.

This "ethanol" related cause seems rather illogical....since the outer shell does not contact the fuel.

I think it's a stress fracture along a weak point, caused by imposed forces ( weight of fuel + vibration + bouncing, shaking, etc ) and maybe some premature aging ( hardening...brittleness). But what do I know?

My cracked tank was replaced under warranty this past summer by Gateway BMW, St. Louis. No fuss....they were very accommodating and expedient.

HF

Actually i agree with you. But the stress along the weak point on the tank and the resulting cracks are ultimately coming from the tank becoming slightly deformed from the ethanol. It's a known issue to both BMW and Ducati, and it is only affecting bikes where ethanol is commonly added. Other countries are not having this problem, i.e. it's not the weight, shaking, bouncing etc.

For a while I thought it might be the canister system ... but I then found out that even the Eurozone bikes still have the 2-way check valve in the vent line that is used to control the flow of vapors in the canister system...

If the inner liner (exposed to ethanol) swells it would then put tensile stress on the outer plastic "shell",
and that "ridge line" where everyone's tank tends to crack is a natural stress-raiser....

I'm open to other possibilities, but haven't really heard any that make sense...........

Well... In that case they don't know $h!^..... as there are no contact between the liquids, and the outer shell. Granted.... the gasses will permeate through, which is why you don't put stickers on any composite tank, but..... Ethanol does nothing to the poly ...... Tanks.