Just how bad is it to live with the tank “bubbles”?

Long time GRiSO admirer/lust-er...have decided to definitely pull the trigger on a late model example. Just one question though (okay, more than one)...just about all I have seen have the tank bubble/ethanol gas expansion issue. Does it continue to get worse over time? Does one just kind of ignore the bubbled or separated areas and enjoy the riding anyway? What kind of options are there to deal with moving forward (I did research threads, and I see where you can seal the tank from inside, but that doesn’t fix the cosmetic issues on the outside, right?)?

Mine had one or two slight bubles since it was just a few minths old. It's never gotten worse. The bubbles are perhaps and inch long and 3/4 inch wide, and only perhaps 1/32" high. Just enough to be annoying when the light hits it.

It may have been my imagination, but they seemed to get less prominent when I was able to use ethanol free gass for a couple weeks. Depending on where you live, that may or may not be practical.

I've never used alcoholic gas (in almost 15 years) and have never had a bit of trouble with my gas tank.

Thanks. I’ll probably have to take my chances that any that may be on the GRiSO I buy, wont get any worse (and I won’t use ethanol gas or any gas with no ethanol treatment). I look forward to being an official member of the GRiSO Ghetto in the very near future!

I think, but don't know, that the problem subsides when alcohol is discontinued.
Welcome to GRiSO ownership!

I’ve been through it all with my 2014. I ended up buying a tank from a wrecked bike and lining it with caswell tank epoxy. This all took place about a year after buying it new. The original tank was hard to get off because of the swelling from the ethanol gas.
It took that tank about 6 months to go back to original shape sitting open and empty. I replaced the tank stripes a couple of times. Some people have used gas stabilizers successfully as I understand. I now live where I can get non ethanol gas and use that mostly, even with my epoxy lined tank.

Put 22,000 miles on my 13 and 12,000 on my 17 and neither has or had any tank bubbling issues. All we have in these parts is 10% ethanol fuel. It monkeys with the sleds a little so I add octane boost to the tank and that helps with the pre-detonation.

Look, sorry, but there is no such thing as 'Pre-detonation'. There are two different events, Detonation and Pre ignition but the conflation of the two into one catch-all word is ridiculous. The first time I saw the word used was on 'The board we aren't allowed to mention' and it sent up a huge red flag for me there and then but please don't pollute this place with such nonsense.

Pre ignition is just that, something lights the charge before it should be lit. Usually a hot spot of some sort either from carbon deposits, (Very rare nowadays as fuel quality and metering is very good.) or some thin piece of the piston or combustion chamber that can't shed heat efficiently enough.

Detonation is when the entire charge goes off at once rather than burning in a controlled manner. This can be contributed to by a number of factors including fuel quality, heat and volumetric efficiency. Whilst pre ignition can cause detonation, detonation cannot cause pre ignition. Both though are very bad news for your engine.

My '16 had several small bubbles, the size of a small ant bite, but I have not seen/noticed them in a while.
What kills me are the bubbles under the stickers. One sticker actually tore in the tight curve of the body line. Picked at it with my fingernail and the paint is intact but seems to have a high shine to it instead of the flat finish the rest of the tank has.
Thinking I might peel them off and leave it that way. But I do have new stickers on my desk and my paint shop buddy willing to put them on. I just need motivation to do it.