Fiberglass tank and racing fuel; update?

Stephen Hill said:

Blewdy Yaink, glad to hear you have first hand knowledge. Can you fill us in on the number of fiberglass motorcycle tank failures that led to the ban on the tanks? Was this a UK ban, US, or both? Any ideas why there was never a recall, if the tanks were so dangerous?

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Part 2, Summary of my answer.

I would not take the chance of a dangerous situation by using a 50-year old tank on a Commando today. Is there a good chance that an owner might get away with it (or notice the signs of fuel leakage before it gets to a dangerous level)? Yes, but this its a chance I would not take today. Modern replacement tanks are good quality - in fact, the EMGO tanks are much better quality than the steel tanks of 50 years ago. Their materials are better, the press tooling is sharper and better designed, and the quality of the welding for both structural strength and sealing up to the modern levels of technology. We can only wish that we had had such good quality "back in the day". (It is regretted that this quality is only available as a Roadster tank.)

That's the full story as I know it, how the decision was made to require metal tanks in the UK, and why I would not use a "historic" glassfibre fuel tank of a Commando today.

Great answer! Thanks very much.
I was surprised to hear that the resin used was epoxy, not polyester.

Thanks for the back story on this. My long unfinished '72 has a fiberglass tank. I seem to recall owning a steel tanked '70 or '71. I wonder if there was some 'luck of the draw' on what tank a given bike would get until the fiberglass ones were consumed. I'm certain my brother's '69 was glass.

Atlas Commando said:

My long unfinished '72 has a fiberglass tank. I seem to recall owning a steel tanked '70 or '71. I wonder if there was some 'luck of the draw' on what tank a given bike would get until the fiberglass ones were consumed.

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The only steel Commando tanks prior to early-mid 1972 when the steel Roadster tank was introduced (although glass fibre tanks continued to be fitted) were Fastback LR and Interpol.

Thanks for the response L.A.B.! That '70 or '71 had signs of collision damage when I bought it. No doubt the tank was a replacement.