2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC Complaints

SPREADING TANK ON MY 2006 DUCATI PAUL SMART SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. THE TANKS SPREADS TO THE POINT WHERE IT DOES NOT FIT IN THE MOUNTING BRACKETS ON THE FRAME. THIS CAUSES THE TANKS TO BECOME DANGEROUSLY LOOSE MAKING THE MOTORCYCLE UNSAFE TO RIDE. THIS SWELLING AND SPREADING OF THE TANK CAN ALSO CAUSE A FAILURE IF THE O RING SEALING THE FUEL PETCOCK. THIS COULD LEAD TO FUEL LEAKING DIRECTLY ONTO A HOT ENGINE OR EXHAUST CAUSING A FIRE OR EXPLOSION LIKELY TO CAUSE SEVERE BODILY INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

1. UNKNOWN 2. TANK EXPANSION (HAPPENED OVER 3 YRS) STARTING TO HAPPEN AGAIN SINCE REPLACEMENT. BEGAN TO GET LOOSE ON THE FRAME WHERE IT WOULD SEPARATE PARTLY FROM THE BIKE. 3. REPLACED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC; RE: DEFECTIVE GAS TANK, SWELLS AND DEFORMS UNTIL IT EFFECTS STEERING (ACTUALLY GETS IN WAY OF HANDLE BAR AND COMES OFF FRONT MOUNTS LEAVING ONLY ONE BOLT HOLDING DOWN THE REAR). SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AS MANY OWNERS OF THIS MODEL ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THING ON ONLINE FORUMS. DUCATI WILL REPLACE A TANK ONCE IT SWELLS OR DEFORMS TO A CERTAIN LEVEL BUT THE REPLACEMENT WILL SOON START TO DO THE SAME. *TR

THE PLASTIC USED FUEL TANKS IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE MOTORCYCLES' FUEL, WHICH CAUSES THE TANKS TO RAPIDLY DEGRADE AND DEFORM AND LEADS TO A NUMBER OF UNSAFE CONDITIONS. AMONG OTHER THINGS, AS THE PLASTIC DEGRADES AND DEFORMS, THE FUEL TANKS INTERFERE WITH THE FULL RANGE OF STEERING, LEAK FUEL ONTO THE ENGINE, AND DESTABILIZE THE MOTORCYCLE'S WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION-OFTEN TO THE POINT THAT THE MOTORCYCLE CANNOT BE SAFELY OPERATED AFTER ONLY A FEW THOUSAND MILES OF USE. *TR

FUEL TANK EXPANSION ON DUCATI. THIS CONDITION MAKES THE RIDER INSUFFICIENTLY "CONNECTED" TO THE BIKE. *TR

THE GAS TANK ON MY 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE HAS BECOME DEFORMED AND THE MOUNTS CAN NO LONGER SECURELY HOLD THE TANK IN PLACE. THE MANUFACTURER MAY REPLACE THE TANK BUT IT WILL BE REPLACED WITH THE A GAS TANK MADE OF THE SAME DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. *TR

MY 2006 DUCATI SPORTCLASSIC HAS NOW HAD A THIRD PLASTIC TANK FITTED UNDER WARRANTY TO ADDRESS SPREADING AND DEFORMATION CAUSED BY ETHANOL; HOWEVER THE SAME COMPONENT IS BEING USED, GUARANTEEING THAT THE PROBLEM WILL REOCCUR. *TR

THE FUEL TANK ON MY 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC BECAME BADLY DISTORTED. IT WAS REPLACED 24 MARCH 2009. THE REPLACEMENT TANK IS NOW DISTORTED AS WELL. IT CONCERNS ME THAT IT MAY BE A HAZARD AS THE FIT IS POOR ENOUGH TO ALLOW SEPARATION OF THE TANK FROM THE FRAME. *TR

FUEL TANK IS MADE FROM A PLASTIC MATERIAL NOT COMPATIBLE WITH FUEL THAT CAN LEAD TO DEFORMATION, LEAKING, AND/OR TANK COMING LOOSE AND SHIFTING. *TR

LIKE JUST ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE WHO OWNS A LATE MODEL DUCATI WITH A PLASTIC FUEL TANK, MY TANK IS DISTORTING AND SPREADING OVER TIME. IT'S NO LONGER IN CONTACT WITH THE MOUNTING PUCKS AT THE FRONT OF THE FRAME, AND THEREFORE WIGGLES AROUND A SHIFTS POSITION. MY WIFE OWNS A SIMILAR MODEL, AND HER TANK DOES THE EXACT SAME THING. BOTH OF OUR BIKES ARE STORED INDOORS IN A CLIMATE-CONTROLLED GARAGE, AND HAVE NEVER BEEN CRASHED OR OTHERWISE DAMAGED. DUCATI KNOWS GOOD AND WELL THAT THEIR FUEL TANK DESIGNS HAVE A PROBLEM, AND THEY NEED TO STEP UP AND FIND A PERMANENT SOLUTION! THIS HAPPENS TO MOST OF THEIR OTHER MODELS AS WELL, BUT DUE TO THE SHAPE OF THE TANK ON THE SPORT CLASSIC LINE, THE EFFECT IS MUCH MORE NOTICEABLE AND SERIOUS. *TR