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California Gas Tank Compatibility

G

GuzRider

Just got it firing!
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
2
so I'm the proud owner of a new to me 1997 fuel injected California. Nice bike. The power seems a little down from the big valve motors that I'm used to, but it's a lot more civilized, and seems to pull almost as hard with a lot less drama. One of the issues with this bike, and I knew about it when I bought it, was that the prior owner had problems with the tank leaking. There are a couple of pinhole leaks high up in the channel where the tank straddles the backbone of the frame. The prior owner tried to have it brazed, and then it looks like he reinforced that with a layer of JB weld. I probably would have gone straight to the JB weld myself, and probably with the same results, that, you guessed it, it's leaking again.

After pulling the tank, and looking at the fuel injection system, and bear in mind, I've never so much as touched a fuel injection system before, it looks like in this model, the bungs on either side of the tank feed into a T configuration pipe that feeds the fuel pump. Fuel return is handled by a return line that feeds into the tank at the front of the channel on the underside of the tank. Venting of the tank is accomplished by the shamefully ugly spout just forward of the filler cap. Comparing that to the later model tanks for Jackals and Bassos that I can find on Ebay, it looks like the newer tanks may have an internal crossover pipe to get fuel from both sides of the tank, with a single bung on the right side of the tank feeding the fuel pump, and a fuel level sensor just forward of the bung. Fuel return is handled as on my tank, and there's some sort of internal venting with the filler cap. I'm thinking one of these tanks should work fine on my 97 model, as long as I modify the fuel lines to adapt to the single petcock feeding the system.

Any thoughts on this? Sound engineering? Or should I just jam a chunk of hard cheddar cheese into the leak of the original tank, slap a little duct tape over it and call it a day?
 
IIRC, a local former owner of a pre-2000 Calfornia installed the tank off a California II or III on it, I presume mostly to benefit of the larger capacity. I have no idea how much adaptation would be necessary, but there shouldn't be much difference in the frames.
 
RJVB said:
IIRC, a local former owner of a pre-2000 Calfornia installed the tank off a California II or III on it, I presume mostly to benefit of the larger capacity. I have no idea how much adaptation would be necessary, but there shouldn't be much difference in the frames.
Click to expand...

You have to use the CA III airbox to use the CA III tank. The reason for the small tank on the 1100s is the change in airbox. The bottom of the tank was lost to make room for the airbox. I don't think CA II will mount to the EV frame, different mounting points.
 
john zibell said:
RJVB said:
IIRC, a local former owner of a pre-2000 Calfornia installed the tank off a California II or III on it, I presume mostly to benefit of the larger capacity. I have no idea how much adaptation would be necessary, but there shouldn't be much difference in the frames.
Click to expand...

You have to use the CA III airbox to use the CA III tank. The reason for the small tank on the 1100s is the change in airbox. The bottom of the tank was lost to make room for the airbox. I don't think CA II will mount to the EV frame, different mounting points.
Click to expand...


I hadn't thought about clearance in that direction, but the air box takes up a huge amount of under tank space. After looking through the parts diagrams at the Teo Lamers site, it looks like the 1999 Basso V11 has the same airbox as the 97 California 1100i, so I think that tank should fit.

Is there anyone who can confirm that? I think I might be able to repair the leak, but there's a 99 tank on Ebay right now, and I've always hated the vent spout on top of the tank, so really, I'd just as soon change the thing out
 
But the V11 has a completely different frame...

John: the guy in question ran K&N filters or something of the sort. No airbox...
 
A pre-injection tank won't have the pressure valve at the front. Not impossible to fit one but maybe outside the scope of most DIY mechanics.
 
GuzRider said:
john zibell said:
RJVB said:
IIRC, a local former owner of a pre-2000 Calfornia installed the tank off a California II or III on it, I presume mostly to benefit of the larger capacity. I have no idea how much adaptation would be necessary, but there shouldn't be much difference in the frames.
Click to expand...

You have to use the CA III airbox to use the CA III tank. The reason for the small tank on the 1100s is the change in airbox. The bottom of the tank was lost to make room for the airbox. I don't think CA II will mount to the EV frame, different mounting points.
Click to expand...


I hadn't thought about clearance in that direction, but the air box takes up a huge amount of under tank space. After looking through the parts diagrams at the Teo Lamers site, it looks like the 1999 Basso V11 has the same airbox as the 97 California 1100i, so I think that tank should fit.

Is there anyone who can confirm that? I think I might be able to repair the leak, but there's a 99 tank on Ebay right now, and I've always hated the vent spout on top of the tank, so really, I'd just as soon change the thing out
Click to expand...


It should just take a little different plumbing to the fuel pump. The 99 has one petcock with a large pipe, the 97 as you know has two with small pipes.
 
Reviving an ancient thread! I'm interested in using a California 2 tank on a 2001 EV. It seems doable (maybe given conical air filters in place of the stock air box), but the lack of a pressure valve on the older tank is mentioned. Would a vented gas cap solve this or is this to accommodate the fuel return line? Are there any options?
 
Last edited:
Walter5 said:
Reviving an ancient thread! I'm interested in using a California 2 tank on a 2001 EV. It seems doable (maybe given conical air filters in place of the stock air box), but the lack of a pressure valve on the older tank is mentioned. Would a vented gas cap solve this or is this to accommodate the fuel return line? Are there any options?
Click to expand...
Your answer is above. It doesn't line up.
 
Walter5 said:
I guess I read the above differently - it looked to me like a California 2 tank would work except for the airbox, which could be removed. An extra V9 tank I have lying around looks kind of cool on it...
Click to expand...
That probably won't work either. Completely different configuration and fuel pump arrangement.
 
Walter5 said:
Reviving an ancient thread! I'm interested in using a California 2 tank on a 2001 EV. It seems doable (maybe given conical air filters in place of the stock air box), but the lack of a pressure valve on the older tank is mentioned. Would a vented gas cap solve this or is this to accommodate the fuel return line? Are there any options?
Click to expand...
Mark @ Moto Guzzi Classics has built a number of "specials" using earlier tanks on EV era Guzzis. The fuel pressure relief valve that is mounted inside the forward part of the tank "tunnel" on your EV would be attached where the right-hand petcock would be on the Cal II tank. You'll need the petcock from the EV tank on the left side of the Cal II tank.

I'm building a 1200 Norge powered Ambassador that is set up the same way.
 
Amboman said:
Mark @ Moto Guzzi Classics has built a number of "specials" using earlier tanks on EV era Guzzis. The fuel pressure relief valve that is mounted inside the forward part of the tank "tunnel" on your EV would be attached where the right-hand petcock would be on the Cal II tank. You'll need the petcock from the EV tank on the left side of the Cal II tank.

I'm building a 1200 Norge powered Ambassador that is set up the same way.
Click to expand...
That's very helpful - thank you!
 
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