[stan23]

Long story short...

The gas cap gasket self-destructed, and the tank started to leak gas from the cap area.

Doing my research, it seems this has been a known problem for some time. See http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=475453

Don't feel safe riding the bike, so I decided to access my options. I heard that the XR650R gas cap works as a good replacement, so I ordered one.

In the meantime, I decided to call up Clarke to see if they will send me another gasket or if I can buy one.

The person on the phone seem somewhat miffed and annoyed at my problem. She definitely will not send me a new gasket for free (since, there is alcohol in my local gas that was causing the problem -- her reasons!) :eek:

And I can order a new gasket for a paltry $6... However, one caveat -- shipping will be $7. :bonk:

They did not seem to be understanding in any way, and when asked if the new gasket will cause similiar problems, her quick witted answer was; "YES, it WILL." :thumbsdn:

I'm not mean or a tough customer, but I have to say, this type of response to a well-documented problem was not what I would expect from a big company such as Clarke. While she did assure me that they are 'looking' into the problem.. she is basically saying that, whomever is stuck with failing caps, are pretty much screwed, and you can temporarily 'pay' to have immediate remedy.

:thumbsdn: to Clarke. I will never buy one of their products and I would not recommend it to anyone.

[bofe954]

I have a clark gas tank in the mail. I already have the XR650 gas cap assembly sitting on the shelf. The clark cap will go in the trash before it goes on the tank.

It is kind of lame on the part of clark I guess, but I could start a list of parts I have replaced on the DRZ to make it better for me and this is just one more.

What other option do you suggest?

IMS? No thanks, do a search. Acerbis, I'd like to but I don't want to deal with the whole "mounting an E tank on an S" issue.

Buy the XR cap instead of giving clark more money and solve your problems.

[drzrobbcanuck]

I love my clarke tank and will recommend to anyone who asks to buy one.
Go buy a new gasket that is alcohol-friendly,if you can find one; if not, sue the fuel supplier-But tone down the b$tchin.

[Skinny111]

So you are saying that the customer should just go find an "alcohol-friendly" gasket? If is so easy why would Clark not just make sure that the tank comes with this gasket? The majority of gas in the US contains alcohol, don’t you think Clark would realize this and start putting the correct gasket on the tanks? Sounds like poor service to me.

-Skinny

[stan23]

I love my clarke tank and will recommend to anyone who asks to buy one.
Go buy a new gasket that is alcohol-friendly,if you can find one; if not, sue the fuel supplier-But tone down the b$tchin.

I have already ordered an XR650R gas cap for my tank.

As for my; "b$tchin" -- it's more or less for the way they are handling this situation. Acknowledging the known problem, and not really working with the customer for a satisfactory solution is my primary gripe.

I'm not losing sleep, and it took me all of 3-minutes to compile the previous post. I'm merely informing my DRZ brethren of the potential problem and non-solution should they purchase a Clarke tank.

[Staxrider]

My Clarke tank has never leaked but I don't live in an area that uses alcohol in the fuel. Corn is for cows and whiskey, not motorcycles.

[scag52]

I have the clarke and bought the anodized cap from the tt store . Very nice and no leaks yet . Looks good too. I agree with you . I would be upset with that kind of customer service . Hope that xr cap works for you .

[camster]

Thanks for info Stan23, now I'll know what's up if my buddies clark tank starts leaking...a silcone rubber based gasket should be easy enough to source for a company like Clarke, no excuse for poor customer service unless repeat business doesn't concern them...I work hard for my money & try to spend it where it's appreciated...

[Motor-N]

My Clarke tank gasket is fine after nearly a year in service. I up graded to their aluminum cap(aprox $16) when I bought the tank.

[johnnyonthegas]

I had a VERY SIMILAR experience....the lady that answers the phone (cannot possibly call her a Cust Service Rep) told me that since I was not the original purchaser of the tank, that they could not send me a replacement warranty cap.......

Mine was actually separating at the top seam, and making me sick when I took my bike home in my van, when I bought it.

I explained that the cap is clearly defective, the bike is less than 3 years old, which means that that, the oldest the tank could be is the same.

Also, this has to violate US EPA and California Air Resources Board standards and she didn't care at all...the only thing she would do is sell me another cap for $16....

If you think I'm bitching too much, compare that with IMS......I bought an 8 year old XR680L, the 4 gal IMS tank was not mounted on the bike, but the seller included it....

I mounted it and it leaked from the petcock......I called IMS and they sent me a new petcock adaptor, seal, and the hardware without any question or hassle, for free, including shipping!!!!.....THAT'S CUSTOMER SERVICE....and I guarantee you that stuff cost more than a plastic cap

I know I'll never buy a Clarke tank.....

The woman was so rude, I almost hung up on her.....

[shleppy]

Cap issues aside would you guys recommend the IMS or the Clarke tanks? I have the stock tank and need a bigger tank but don't know much about which is a better way to go.
5366
So Boys and Girls... Clarke or IMS :excuseme:

[aaronjohnston]

No problems with my IMS tank :applause: carrys weight better and looks alot better, and you wont ram your jublies on the top of an IMS tank. My $0.02 of course.

[camster]

do a search shleppy, lots of comparos there, did one myself last year

[fredsnow]

The Clarke 3.9. I love it! My gas cap broke at the vent nipple six months after purchasing. Bought a IMS replacement cap and have not had a problem since. No big deal.

[shleppy]

wont ram your jublies on the top of an IMS tank. My $0.02 of course.

Ahh yes.. Always a good idea to factor in the jublie impact factor :lol:

[slowbike]

chargin' 7 bucks to ship a gasket is highway robbery. they could toss it in a padded envelope, sent it first class mail, since it surely would be under the 11 OZ weight limit for 1st class) and probly only cost a buck to mail to you.

My IMS tank was missing a few bits (longer screws, and the space for the petcock)

I called them and they ended up sending my the entire piece parts bag that had ALL the hardware in it, including a new cap, screws, gasket, mounting hardware, the whole 9 yards!! and all i needed was the spacer and the screws....

that's what I call customer service.

I won't even get started on a bad experience I had with the TT store though, so they won't get more of my money anytime soon.

I used to work in customer service, and as such, I have pretty high expectations on how to properly treat people from a customer service perspective since I worked very hard at keeping my customers happy. Anyone of my friends who has bought a DRZ, I recommend the IMS 3.2 tank.

After 10+ years riding with the Exxon Valdez sized Clarke tank on my previous bikes (dr350s) I finally concluded "I really DON'T need that much gas when and where I ride....." Most of my rides involve a gas/lunch stop, and I top off the tank if conditions warrant, and if my route doesn't include a gas stop, it's an ALL trail ride and gas consumption isn't an area of concern. Planning ahead plays a big part in "do I have enough fuel, or do I need more"...
That doesn't mean that everyone will be satisfied with the smaller capactiy of the IMS tank, but for my rides, it's fine.

[hylander]

Thanks for the heads up Stan23:
That is VERY BAD CS.
I will not be buying any Clarke Products :thumbsdn:

[chooken]

sounds like clarke should ...

a .. fix the problem , they would be aware of this by now .

b .. get rid of the person who is taking these calls , this person has '' chimpanzee'' like people skills .


it's all about customer service , i won't buy a clarke tank .the complaint is valid ,it is in no way bitchin .

[sharrock]

have a clarke 16 liter tank with origanal cap and gasket no problems yet .....13,000 ks and counting.......

[drz400gncc]

My Clarke tank has never leaked but I don't live in an area that uses alcohol in the fuel. Corn is for cows and whiskey, not motorcycles.

any vehicle runs better on corn than it does oil. henery ford intended his cars to run on it.

[Regalman]

Obviously, they must have meant Ethanol, not alcohol. I've heard rumors that they are contemplating increasing the amount of blended ethanol to 20%. If they do this, there are going to be all sorts of rubber related catastrophies in older vehicles... and maybe newer ones.

[drzrobbcanuck]

I have already ordered an XR650R gas cap for my tank.

As for my; "b$tchin" -- it's more or less for the way they are handling this situation. Acknowledging the known problem, and not really working with the customer for a satisfactory solution is my primary gripe.

I'm not losing sleep, and it took me all of 3-minutes to compile the previous post. I'm merely informing my DRZ brethren of the potential problem and non-solution should they purchase a Clarke tank.

my issue is with the title of this forum. There are many very satisfied customers of clarke tanks, and and many others, very new to this forum, who will take a post such as the thread starter as gospel-and they shouldn't.
The point is that clarke has a bad c/s rep. Not that they are a bad company. Be sure to give credit when it's due, and, the corrollary: be sure to not bash a whole company when it is only an employee who is not doing their job well.
I agree that clarke should be held accountable for the problem but I don't agree with the way this thread attempts to force the issue-it is very unprofessional.
Apply pressure where it will do the most good (C.A.R.B.) not by publicly defaming the company.

[BobbyC]

The unsatisfied customers will always speak louder than the satisfied ones.

I went with an Acerbis tank for my S. I know I have to mod it to fit but I think it's worth it for the quality and looks. I also read up on the Clarke and IMS tanks and didn't like what I heard.

Clarke should change the seal as they know it's a defect but they're just happy shipping out another defective seal and nothing more. That's not a solution and crappy service to its customers.

[Motor-N]

I won't even get started on a bad experience I had with the TT store though, so they won't get more of my money anytime soon.

.

But you will be OK using thier forums.....

[vanram]

my issue is with the title of this forum. There are many very satisfied customers of clarke tanks, and and many others, very new to this forum, who will take a post such as the thread starter as gospel-and they shouldn't.
The point is that clarke has a bad c/s rep. Not that they are a bad company. Be sure to give credit when it's due, and, the corrollary: be sure to not bash a whole company when it is only an employee who is not doing their job well.
I agree that clarke should be held accountable for the problem but I don't agree with the way this thread attempts to force the issue-it is very unprofessional.
Apply pressure where it will do the most good (C.A.R.B.) not by publicly defaming the company.Mr. Cannuck, what the poster did was TOTALLY acceptable in my book, you get bad service, this is where you tell people. Clarke has a problem and they should be dealing with it in a professional matter, I find it funny you want to keep it professional when clearly Clarke has not been professional. Far too often companies think they can get away with this shit with no repercussions. Where is the credit Clarke is due? For not fixing a known problem? If you do not force the issue, where can you make the issue known? This is also why TT has a thriving business, they are able to talk to their customers and make things right, they have done it for me and I would recommend the TT store to anyone. This forum is also a good tool to make things right with your customers for all to see. There are many examples on this board who have seen a business increase because of the word of mouth on this site. This site being a service to the public, is also a vehicle with which to make an online business more attractive because they have a real time customer service forum with all their customers in contact with each other saying good things about the TT store. It would be like having all your customers at the exit saying they love your business as you leave. This is where I have learned a good many things about alot of different manufacturers and I really appreciate the wisdom I have gotten from TT'ers. I would think twice about a Clarke tank now that I have heard some bad things about them.:thumbsdn: What would it have cost them to make a freind instead of an enemy? An O-ring and an envelope? :ride: vanram

[fashizzle]

I have heard several times now about the defective gasket on the clarke caps. Mine (now my father in laws) has held up well but I warned him to watch out for it. I can live with a product having an issue which can be resolved but at the point I start recieving bad customer service I pretty much write the company off unless there is no alternative. Although I prefer the IMS tank due to it's size I think Clarke really does make a nice product (other then the cap) and hopefully will figure out this phone monkey is costing them business.

Did you ask for a supervisor?

[ipschoser1]

What the heck ever happened to customer service? Screw Clark. :thumbsdn:

[rallyDRZ]

Obviously, they must have meant Ethanol, not alcohol. I've heard rumors that they are contemplating increasing the amount of blended ethanol to 20%. If they do this, there are going to be all sorts of rubber related catastrophies in older vehicles... and maybe newer ones.

I know at least in Oreegun we have alcohol in our gas through the winter months, I know because my VW's plastic gas tank is being eaten from the inside out from the alcohol, I went to change the fuel pump and had to drop the tank to get all the plastic goo residue out of the bottom of the tank.
This has been confirmed by 2 trustworthy shops around here that I have talked to.

[Bryan Bosch]

Call Clarke and ask for Chris. We buy/sell a lot of their tanks and while we've had good luck with the DRZ 3.9 product, they are a little rigid when it comes to exchanges/warranty stuff. We've always been able to get it done in the end, but even we get a little resistance.

[tom slick]

The professional way to deal with this is to call clarke back and ask to speak with the customer service manager or sales manager. make sure you are speaking to the person in charge of the sales/customer service then explain your situation and your opinion on the matter. then see where that gets you. If they still want $15 for a defective seal, THEN you post here and explain your experience.
dealing with one phone monkey doesn't give you the right to slander their entire company. if that were the case we'd all have to slander every parts dept at every dealer in the country.


FWIW I have a clarke tank, use pump fuel with alcohol in it, and I have no cap seal issues, but I do know that others have posted a sealing problem before.