How To Dent a Tank

A dented tank is a mandatory element of a stunt bike. A dent is needed to perform acrobatic stunts, wheelies, stoppies and drift in the 50/50 position, a high-chair, a spreader wheelie and a frogger. The step, which is formed with this dent, is necessary for combos and it’s the support for the leg while getting into the position in a watchtower. There are many types of tank shapes in the world – they depend on the rider’s riding style and their body size. A dent can be made in two ways: denting and welding.

Welding a tank is a complex process that requires some skills. When welding, it is important to check the tank for leaks. It is difficult to keep the original gas cap, which leaks air so that there is no vacuum. Also, when welding, you need to overlay some paste filler to smooth out sharp corners, so you will have to repaint the tank afterwards. So, this way is expensive and takes a lot of time, though it’s relevant for pro-riders who need to get a special tank shape for specific stunts and riding style. Look at the tank of Mike Jensen or Marcin Głowacki. Their tanks have complex shapes, because in freestyle there are many stunts on the tank where you need to change your position.

But not all pro-riders need complex shapes. Look at the tanks of the famous Joona Vatanen (Finland), Rafal Kanik (Poland) or Nikita Pokusai and Denis Rybalko (Russia). They ride at the highest level, do the most complicated modern stunts with classically dented tanks. The advantages of the denting way are obvious: it’s cheap, there’s no need to paint the tank, you can keep the original filler, and there’s a very low chance to break the tank leakage.

In the video, it’s not the first time that Pakus is denting a tank, but you can easily do that yourselves if you know some nuances:

• It is important to warm the basin well. The hotter the metal, the more pliable it is, and the paint is better retained. But if you overheat it, the paint will swell, so you need to be careful and constantly check the temperature, for example, with your hand.
• You need a heavy round-shape mash hammer. We bought the right one, so we managed to save the paint.
• After the tank filler has been cut out, make sure that the cut is not sharp and will not go through the bottom of the tank when it bumps into it when dented. In the video we cut the filler out with a dremel tool. It is the best way, because it is convenient, and you can make a clean cut.

In general, the video is quite clear and understandable. If there is no way you can do it yourselves - contact us, we make stunt bikes based on popular models. Spare parts can be purchased in our motorcycle shop.