ACERBIS YZF GAS TANK

While the YZ400F continues to rewrite the competition four-stroke history books, not every YZF owner is a dyed-in-the-wool motocrosser. Some five-valves will never see a water truck, much less a groomed motocross track. While the stock 2.1-gallon tank is great for short rides, it simply doesn’t cut it for extended loops or off-road racing. Building a large-capacity tank for such a compact bike is a major undertaking, so Acerbis Plastica put a little more though into its new 3.2-gallon tank than with past efforts.
Knowing that the typical YZ400F might see action in a multitude of off-road applications, Acerbis designed the 3.2-gallon cell to accept a normal, screw-top gascap or a full-race dry-break system for NASCAR-quick pit stops. Most tanks come with a plastic spigot for the screw-on cap, but the Acerbis YZF tank is configured to accept an aluminum receiver that’s threaded for a regular Acerbis plastic gascap. The advantage here is that dry-break systems are recessed into the tank, which creates a perfect place for roost to settle. Then it finds its way into the tank the next time the dry-break is used. The receiver eliminates the hassles of dealing with a dry-break when you aren’t racing without forcing you to use two fuel tanks.
Each side of the tank is much lower than stock, so Acerbis supplies two petcocks, petcock fasteners and a fuel-line ‘Y’ fitting. It uses Yamaha tank mounts (not included) and bolts on with no hassles whatsoever. All bolt-holes lined up perfectly, and we fitted the YZF with N-Style graphics, which also fit like a glove. The only negative we saw in installation was that the Acerbis petcocks (with reserve) and supplied fuel line have a smaller inside diameter than the YZF petcock and FCR carb inlet. We were worried that this may lead to fuel starvation during long periods of full throttle riding.
So, we headed for some gnarly, long, technical hillclimbs. The YZF did not starve, burble or hiccup once with the thinner fuel line. We did notice the extended top of the ‘volcano’ tank on hillclimbs, but it wasn’t too obtrusive. We also noticed that the tank was slightly wider at the back than the stock tank, but we adapted immediately. The Acerbis tank let us get as far forward for corners as the stocker, too.
Although the gascap is vented, dry-breaks are not, so you have to drill a hole in the finely-finished tank for the included vent. There isn’t room on top of the tank, so the vent has to be angled towards the front. Be sure to prefit the tank if you have a steering damper on your YZF, so the vent won’t intefere with the damper’s mount.
We are pleased with the fit, finish and performance of the new YZF tank, especially with increasing the fuel range by 50 percent. The Acerbis 3.2-gallon YZ/WRF tank comes in Yamaha blue, white or natural (opaque). Cost for the tank only is $195, with the aluminum cap costing $64 and the dry-break going for $230. The tank with the cap is $219, and the tank and dry-break are $399. This is sort of pricey, but not compared to buying two tanks (one ‘normal’, one dry-break). Then there’s the cost of the dump can. If you regularly alternate between long races and long rides, then the Acerbis YZF tank is worth every penny. Contact Acerbis at (619)679-5220 or see your local dealer.