Independent Gas Tank Co. It's time to get tanked Story by Dain Gingerelli Photos by Butch Lassiter Kyle Krejci isn't bragging when he says: "I can build a gas tank in my sleep." He's merely stating a fact about his abilities, because when it comes to welding and fabricating motorcycle gas tanks, he's built more than a thousand of them during the past few years. And each gas tank he builds is different from the next. Krejci actually established his business-fittingly called Independent Gas Tank Co. which he runs with his wife Terry- with the express intent of producing custom-built motorcycle gas tanks. His background prior to venturing into this enterprise was fabricating special Porsche race car parts for a professional race team. The laundry list of components he had to fabricate and weld during a typical race season included roll cages, exhaust headers, even turbocharger intercoolers. And , given the compact complexity of a race car, the job generally meant he had to somehow stuff the equivalent of a 10-pound load into a five-pound bag. By comparison, building motorcycle gas tanks was much less complex. Enough so he could, well practically do it in his sleep. But believe it, Krejci stays wide awake when he strikes the welding rod to a piece of formed and shaped sheetmetal. And almost magically, by the time he's finished cutting, grinding, shaping, welding, and grinding again, a sleek, art-like gas tank appears before your eyes. More over, each tank is fabricated to fit a particular bike . After all, when all is said and done, building custom-fit tanks is the essence of Krejci's business. There's nothing magically special about the gas tank, though. Each is made from rugged 16-gauge cold-rolled sheetmetal, and all seams are TIG welded. Krejci has six standard designs that he builds from, but the similarities of each tank he makes end there. Once a customer determines the basic style of tank for his bike, Krejci applies the necessary subtleties so when the project is finished, it fits the bike perfectly. That includes placement of the gas cap (choice of standard screw-on or four flush-fit styles), fuel petcock (3/8-in. or 22mm fittings), clearance tunnel for the frame's backbone, and the mounting brackets. Now, you ask: How does Krejci get all the exact measurements when my bike happens to be in Faraway, Maine, and his shop is in Mesa, Arizona? Good question, and for an explanation, it's best to call Krejci so he can quiz you about your bike and what style gas tank you need. He'll get the measurements he needs at that time. He's built more than a thousand custom-built tanks, so he's rather familiar with the idiosyncrasies that typically arise in a custom bike project, and he'll be able to pinpoint exactly where everything must be placed on the tank he builds for your ride. For example, Krejci points out that coffin gas tanks are making a big comeback, especially with choppers built today. "Some guys are looking to go back to the old school (of design)," he says. "I try and make every coffin tank different from the next one. I build each one proportional to its width." After That is determined, he sets the backbone tunnel height , then locates the mounting brackets, generally concealing them unless otherwise specified. As you might guess, the gas cap hole is positioned at the top for easy fill, and the fuel petcock opening is accounted for, based on the engine's carburetor location. "Guys send in cardboard (mock-up) tanks, even blueprints for me to follow, "says Krejci. "Usually I can build whatever the customer wants." And, unless you require something really special, a typical custom-built tank costs about $800, ready to mount onto your bike. Best of all you shouldn't lose any sleep waiting; turn-around time for a tank is generally about a week or so. Now go out there and get tanked. Article is reprinted with permission from Iron Works Magazine