Oil Tanks Can be Tricky

I built a new oil tank for LaCucaracha some time ago. Last week was the first time that the bike has actually been run, so it was the first test of the tank.
The idea was cool: integral oil filter with all internal plumbing. The return line runs up the center of the tank and flows through the filter and is returned to the tank. The problem is that it became overly restrictive on the pump. If the pump can't freely return oil to the tank, it will build up in the crank case. The crank case is dry-sump...which means it should not have more than a few ounces of oil in it.

I really like the way this tank turned out. Unfortunately it's coming off.

When excessive oil builds up in the engine it will cause issues. One problem is that it will leak a lot of that oil. It will also affect how the engine runs. This excess oil will also labor the oil pump. Since I've been a good boy with my money, I decided just to order a new oil tank (I thought about making one, but this time I'm taking the easy way out). I will have to make some mounting brackets to fit it onto the bike. I hope that I can have the new tank mounted up by the weekend...I would actually like to ride my chopper instead of just looking at it!