Can anyone ID this gas tank?

[JJ Cerilli]

Thanks again to all you contributed and eventually ID'ed this bike as a R26 (with the wrong front-end!)

Photo was taken by my cousin in upstate NY at the June Rhinebeck MC swap meet / show. Now...a new challenge.....

How about the marque of this gas tank with the "star?" Certainly NOT from BMW, maybe Japanese (?).

Honda reportedly had a "star" on some of their "Dream" models, but I have never seen this (?) Maybe also Russian or eastern European (?)

http://h.imagehost.org/0276/Star_tank_1.jpg (http://h.imagehost.org/view/0276/Star_tank_1)

[James.A]

Marusho?

[20774]

Marusho or Lilac seem to have either the letter "M" or another symbol on their tanks...definitely not a star.

[Bob_M]

My Rider came today and the first thing I look at is the last page where they profile an old (and sometimes obscure) motorcycle. Well as fate would have it they highlight the Lilac, by Marusho. That tank looks very similar to the tank on the 250 V-Twin.

By my eye it is about 5 degrees off handsome. If it is Marusho it is (Lilac) it is quite rare and valuable to someone. (especially with the rubber knee pads)

[JJ Cerilli]

All good guesses, but I don't believe it is either a Marusho OR a Lilac ( see tank logos below)

It's also possible that someone just fabricated a star and cobbed it on there, but not likely as it looks OEM.

Still think it might be some obscure Russian / Eastern European brand (?), but I guess we will keep researching.

http://h.imagehost.org/0956/marusho.jpg (http://h.imagehost.org/view/0956/marusho)

http://h.imagehost.org/0439/Marusho_Lilac.jpg (http://h.imagehost.org/view/0439/Marusho_Lilac)

http://h.imagehost.org/0242/1959-lilac-1.jpg (http://h.imagehost.org/view/0242/1959-lilac-1)

http://h.imagehost.org/0147/250px-Marusho_Lilac_01.jpg (http://h.imagehost.org/view/0147/250px-Marusho_Lilac_01)

http://h.imagehost.org/0840/ml63-640.jpg (http://h.imagehost.org/view/0840/ml63-640)

http://h.imagehost.org/0450/ml62-270.gif (http://h.imagehost.org/view/0450/ml62-270)

[Bob_M]

1968 Honda CB160.
I just couldn't let this go

[20774]

Isn't the tank on your CB160 the same as in the original post? The kneepad is shaped the same and the chrome is the same. Instead of the Honda logo it has the star... Could it be? It was suggested that someone could have customize the tank and put a star on it.

[Bob_M]

Although I would love to own that groovey little motor bike, this is a file photo off the web. The item I couldn't let go of was the tank quiz. I guessed wrong on the Lilac, and had to redeem myself. I am confident that the tank in question by the OP is the tank Honda put on that CB 160.

[20774]

and had to redeem myself.

:thumb Bathe in your redemption! You have a good eye.

[robertklee]

It is a Honda 160 tank.

[JJ Cerilli]

Man...it sure looks like a tank from Honda CB160 from that photo, yes?

So indeed, it appears that someone replaced the Honda OEM logo and crafted a "star" to put in its place, yes? Mystery solved?

It appears so, and that Bob_M is clearly the "Detective of the Week!"

Thank you.

JJ Cerilli

[rpeckham136133]

Give that man a star......




:banghead

[PGlaves]

I think the star is simply embossed in the circle in the tank to provide a raised surface to glue the Honda tank badge onto. These tanks were built before the thick double stick round foam tape chunks BMW uses on their later bikes for this purpose existed. So having a raised area to glue the emblem onto makes sense. And so does the star because it extends the support out toward the edges of the emblem.