Alternative fuel tanks – Honda CX500, GL500, CX650, GL650

Looking for an alternative or aftermarket fuel or gas tank for your Honda CX500, GL500, CX650 or GL650 that doesn’t require a ton of fabrication? Here’s what I have found to date.

Here’s a nice, larger fuel tank sent in by Murray of Murray’s Carbs that gives additional fuel capacity for more range (eBay US, eBay AU, eBay UK, eBay CA):

Here is an alternative fuel or gas tank for a Honda CX500, GL500, CX650 or GL650 motorcycle that has a capacity of 22.5L - a big improvement over the tiny Custom tank in particular!

Here is an alternative fuel or gas tank for a Honda CX500, GL500, CX650 or GL650 motorcycle that has a capacity of 22.5L - a big improvement over the tiny Custom tank in particular!

Here is an alternative fuel or gas tank for a Honda CX500, GL500, CX650 or GL650 motorcycle that has a capacity of 22.5L - a big improvement over the tiny Custom tank in particular!

Murray took those pics of the 1981 Suzuki GS850G tank on a CX500 Custom frame, though he says it should fit a Standard/Shadow/Deluxe as well. The capacity is 22.5L or 5.94 gallons according to the manual – so rather a lot more than the stock Custom tank – and it also has a fuel level sender built in. Murray estimates approx. 250 miles to reserve of range with this tank.

What work is required to make it fit? The coils need to be relocated, a rear mounting plate needs to be mounted to the tank and the tank mounts need to be moved back on the frame. It’s not zero-fabrication but it’s not exactly a lot of work either – and there’s no tank bashing necessary to get bar clearance. To remove the tank mounts and move them back he estimates takes about 10 minutes with a cut-off disc and TIG welder.

The tank is longer, too, so the seat will be pushed back slightly.

Zoltan sent these in:

Here are some more alternative fuel or gas tank ideas for a Honda CX500, GL500, CX650 or GL650

That’s a Hyosung Aquila tank (eBay AU, eBay US) – from a fuel injected model, though I don’t have information as to what year or capacity bike it came from so there may be incompatibilities from other year/sizes. The back of the tank lines up reasonably well, and he says that there’s probably no need to cut the tank mount lugs either – he thinks you could make a plate which bolts into a hole in the frame at the front and sits over the naked stub, going backwards with a new lug for the tank rubbers:

Here are some more alternative fuel or gas tank ideas for a Honda CX500, GL500, CX650 or GL650

It would also require a block plate for the underside. He also tried on a black Honda Super Four tank:

Here are some more alternative fuel or gas tank ideas for a Honda CX500, GL500, CX650 or GL650

Here are some more alternative fuel or gas tank ideas for a Honda CX500, GL500, CX650 or GL650

No further info at this point. The bike Zoltan is using is a Honda CX650E with the triple backbone frame (see here which is the same rough frame shape as the GL500 Silverwing, GL650 Silverwing, GL700 Wing and CX500E Sports).

More to come as they are sent in!

If you’re wondering about a CX500 Deluxe/Standard/Shadow tank on a CX650/GL500/GL650 frame, see this article. ”

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