hi can someone help me here i have a yamaha midnight star xvs 1300 2009 model 2yrs ago my tank imploded  after removing tank & checking vent hose couldnt find a problem got it blown out,but  the problem happened again only this time i kept checking the fuel cap which was hard to open as it was being sucked in again check and cleaned out vent hose and fuel cap after riding some miles it happens again on advice from a friend i then  removed the orange rubber tube ( which was warped & cracked ) from inside the cap and hooray end of problem the thing is yamaha dealers say i cant buy this item on its own i have to buy a complete fuel cap and at over a £150 i find this crap seeing as you can buy just about every other screw , bolt , washer for this bike advice or help where i can get this orange vent grommet/tube would be great thanks

Fraid you have come up against the "we don't sell those separately" syndrome, I bet they are supplied by an outside manufacturer and they have no control over the item other than to order a complete one, if you know who makes it (for Yamaha) you might get lucky and they will supply it direct to you but my bet is you can't and they won't.

Use something else, fuel hose for example?

If you know the length and diameter of it I'd be heading to a rubber supplier. Just make sure you tell them it must be petrol resistant

That's a bugger! As above try to find someone who can supply petrol resistant hoses. 

 

You can view available parts at www.fowlersparts.co.uk

 

I had a quick look on ebay. There are some knackered tanks listed on there - it could be worth contacting the sellers and see if they can provide the bits you need (ebay.com may have more? Search 'vstar 1300 tank')