2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC Complaints

I OWN A 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. THE GAS TANK IS PLASTIC AND THE TANK IS SPREADING APART FROM THE MOUNTING BRACKETS TO THE POINT WHERE THE BRACKETS DO NOT ENGAGE THE TANK ANY LONGER. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AS THE TANK COULD SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE. I READ ON OWNER FORUMS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS SO FAR FAILED TO ADDRESS. I ALSO READ THAT THIS WAS BEING INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA AND THAT I SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT. I FIRST OBSERVED THIS CONDITION IN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND IT HAS CONTINUED TO WORSEN. *TR

THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK ON MY 2006 DUCATI PAUL SMART 1000 MOTORCYCLE IS SPREADING IN WIDTH, SO THAT IT NO LONGER SITS SECURELY ON THE MOUNTS THAT ATTACH IT TO THE VEHICLE. THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK IS ALSO BECOMING DIMPLED, WAS SMOOTH WHEN NEW. I SUSPECT IT MAY THE POLYMER USED IN THE FUEL TANK REACTING BADLY WITH THE ETHANOL WE HAVE IN USA GASOLINE. *TR

I OWN A 2006 PAUL SMART 1000LE, FROM THE SPORT CLASSIC LINE BY DUCATI. THE GAS TANK, WHICH IS MADE FROM SOME SORT OF PLASTIC HAS BEGUN TO SPREAD APART AND IS NOT CONNECTED TO ITS MOORING POINTS. BASED ON WHAT I HAVE READ ON WWW.DUCATI.MS, THIS APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THESE TANKS, AND I AM WORRIED THAT IT MAY FALL OFF WHILE RIDING AND PERHAPS EVEN START A FIRE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT OTHERS HAVE GOTTEN REPLACEMENT TANKS ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME SPREADING OCCUR. *TR

PLASTIC GAS TANK HAS DEFORMED CAUSING IT TO BECOME UNATTACHED FROM THE TWO FRONT MOUNTS. ONLY THING HOLDING TANK TO MOTORCYCLE IS ONE BOLT IN REAR. OBVIOUS BULGE IN TOP OF TANK FROM THE DEFORMATION. PLASTIC MAY CRACK AND ALLOW GAS TO ESCAPE AND LEAK OVER ENGINE WHICH IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE TANK. *TR

THE FUEL TANK IS LOOSE ON THE FRONT MOUNTS ALMOST TO THE POINT THAT IT CAN BE LIFTED UP OFF THE FRAME. I SHIMMIED THE MOUNTS OUTWARD FROM THE FRAME WITH WASHERS A YEAR AGO TO HOLD THE TANK TIGHT, BUT IT IS AGAIN LOOSENING. IT APPEARS THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK IS DISTORTING AND GETTING WIDER OVER TIME. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS THE TANK COULD SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE AND CAUSE AN EXPLOSION OR FIRE EVEN IN A LOW SPEED CRASH OR DROP OF THE MACHINE. *TR

1.) I BOUGHT A 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC 2.) THE GAS TANK BULGES AND DEFORMS (APPARENTLY WITH TEMPERATURE) AND DOES NOT ALWAYS SEAT IN THE MOUNTING BRACKETS AS THE TANKS SHAPE CHANGES. I AM CONCERNED THE EXPANDING/CONTRACTING MATERIAL WILL EVENTUALLY FATIGUE TO THE POINT OF LEAKING GASOLINE. 3.) DEALER TOLD ME DUCATI NORTH AMERICA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT THEY AREN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT BUT I COULD PURCHASE ANOTHER (SIMILARLY FLAWED) GAS TANK FOR $1900 THAT WILL DO THE SAME THING. *TR

PLASTIC GAS TANK ON MOTORCYCLE IS WIDER THAN THE FACTORY MOUNTING WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. IF YOU SHIFT THE TANK IT CAN BE LIFTED OUT OF THE "CUPS" THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HOLD IT DOWN. THEN ONLY THE REAR MOUNT OF THE TANK KEEPS IT IN PLACE. POINTED OUT PROBLEM TO DEALER AND CHECKED 2 NEW EXACT SAME MODELS (BUT NEWER) IN SHOWROOM AND THE TANKS CAN BE LIFTED UPWARDS ON A BRAND NEW BIKE THAT HASN'T EVEN GOT GAS IN IT YET. I'M MONITORING MINE FOR NOW. DEALER DOESN'T FEEL IT IS A PROBLEM YET. I'M UNSURE AT THIS TIME, BUT THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THIS PROBLEM ON HOW MUCH "SPREADING" IS 'ALLOWABLE AND WHY ARE THE TANKS GROWING WIDER OVER TIME. WATCHING FOR OTHER DEFECTS REPORTED IN CLUB NETWORK. PERSONALLY I THINK GAS TANKS FROM AT LEAST THE MODEL YEAR I'M REPORTING SHOULD BE RECALLED. IF THIS GAS TANK EVER SPLITS OPEN FROM SPREADING IT WOULD CREATE A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD WHILE STATIONARY OR INJURY OR DEATH WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE. HONESTLY HAVE NOT HEARD ANY REPORTS YET OF TANKS SPLITTING YET, GETTING WIDER OVER TIME, DEVELOPING BUMPS, AND PIMPLES ALL STEMMING FROM GASOLINE INSIDE THE TANKS. *TR

PLASTIC GAS TANK ON 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE DOES NOT HOLD SHAPE. BECOMES FREE OF RUBBER MOUNTS AND CAN RUB AGAINST FRAME, ETC. ALSO CAN BE STRUCK BY CONTROLS IN TIGHT TURN. BOUGHT BIKE NEW 11/06. TANK REPLACED BY DUCATI 12/07, SECOND TANK REPLACED 11/08. NO CHANGE IN PRODUCT OR ISSUE - NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND JUST AS UNSAFE. *TR

MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2007; FUEL TANK WAS FITTED SNUGLY AGAINST THE FRAME AT THAT TIME. IN SPRING 2007, I NOTICED THE FUEL TANK HAD ABOUT 3CM OF PLAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE ON THE FRAME DUE TO THE PLASTIC SPREADING WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE CENTER FRAME WITH TWO BRACKETS THAT REST ON BUSHINGS. ON AN INTERNET MESSAGE BOARD, I FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. SOME HAD THE TANK REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, ONLY TO HAVE THE SECOND TANK SPREAD THE SAME WAY. FOR OTHERS, THE DEALER HAD SIMPLY SHIMMIED THE BRACKETS THAT HOLD THE TANK IN FRONT. I PERFORMED THIS FIX MYSELF, BUT I'M CONCERNED IT WILL NOT STOP THE DEFORMATION OF THE TANK AND COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

GAS TANK SPREADING OUT OF ITS BRACKETS. WORRIED THAT THE TANK MAY UNEXPECTEDLY FALL OFF. DEALERSHIP HAS BULLETIN TO SHIM OUT BRACKETS, NOT CURE THE PROBLEM OF THE TANK SPREADING. *TR