Necessity of Lockable Gas Tank in Central & South America

[explorak]

I am planning on replacing the stock fuel tank on my motorcycle with a 4 gallon Clarke tank (it’s the only plastic fuel tank brand that will fit).

I’ve learned that there is no lockable cap anywhere to be found/bought for Clarke tanks. For those who've spent a lot of time South of the US border, how important is it to have a lockable tank in Central and South America?

[mark manley]

The only place I have ever had fuel taken was outside my own house so it can happen anywhere, if someone wants to steal from your tank they can always pull the fuel pipe off so a lockable cap is not essential,

[shu...]

Not very important, IMO. Never had an issue in Mexico, Ecuador or Peru or anywhere else in the world.

The important thing is to get a hotel/ guesthouse with a secure place to park: garage, shed, inside a gate, in the back yard. If they don't have off street parking Ill go somewhere else. That's just standard procedure for overnight parking and it takes care of all theft issues (aside from leaving stuff hanging off your bike when parked during the day.)

I have a locking cap on my IMS tank (DR650) but I've never locked it. I only got it because it is internally vented and I didn't want to deal with the little hose coming up out of the regular cap.

I did once give away my gas though, (he said, drifting off topic). It was in Mexico..........



These guys were members of a travelling circus, out of gas on a little side road. It took a while to drain a gallon off through the petcock. They wanted to pay me but I refused it- got a free entry into the circus though.





..........shu

[buyarbi]

I have ridden through the same countries as SHU and never had a problem with gas being taken.

[brclarke]

I owned a motorcycle in Oaxaca, Mexico for 3 years while I taught at a university there.
I never had a problem with anyone stealing fuel or otherwise messing with my bike. Well, except for the little kids in the neighborhood who would sit on it and play vroom-vroom, easily fixed by putting a cheap cover over the bike.