DUCATI Complaints

PLASTIC FUEL TANK EXPANDED AND ALSO HAS SLIGHT LEAKAGE ONTO REAR WHEEL DUE TO DEFORMATION PREVENTING SEAL. TANK NOW TOO LONG TO FIT BACK ONTO MOTORCYCLE (EXPANDED ABOUT 3/4"). MOUNTING SYSTEM NO LONGER OPERABLE WITH THIS OVERSIZED TANK. *JS

I JUST BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2011 DUCATI 1098S STREETFIGHTER. AFTER RECEIVING THE BIKE, I NOTICED A SMALL IMPERFECTION ON THE GAS TANK, A DIMPLE, AND ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT. I LATER LEARNED OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE GAS TANKS AS DESCRIBED BELOW. THE PLASTIC USED IN 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. THE TANKS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM ARE REPORTEDLY MADE OF PA6 POLYAMIDE PLASTIC AND WERE MANUFACTURED FROM 2005 TO 2010. AT LEAST SOME OF THE TANKS WERE OUTSOURCED BY THE MANUFACTURERS AND WERE MADE BY ACERBIS. *TR

THE GAS TANK HAS SPREAD / SWELLED. YOU CAN PICK THE GAS TANK UP OFF OF THE FRAME BECAUSE THE CLIPS NO LONGER HOLD IT IN PLACE. ALSO, WHEN YOU TURN THE HANDLEBARS FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT THE RUB INTO THE GAS TANK. THE TANK ALSO HAS BUBBLES FORMING IN PAINT FROM THE SPREAD / SWELL. AS OF 4/1/2012 DEALER STATED DUCATI NORTH AMERICA IS REFUSING TO REPLACE TANK UNDER CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. *TR

GAS TANK DEFORMED AND WAS LOOSE. HAD IT REPLACED ONCE BY THE DEALER. NOW TWO YEARS LATER THE REPLACED TANK IS DEFORMED AND WILL BE LOOSE. *TR

PLASTIC FUEL TANK IS EXPANDING LATERALLY. TANK DOES NOT FIT ONTO FRAME AS ORIGINALLY INTENDED AND AS SOLD. STEERING STOPS HAVE BEEN ALTERED TO THE POINT THAT THE BIKE CANNOT BE LOCKED IN PARK POSITION. THIS IS TO ACCOMMODATE THE STEERING CONTROLS NOT DAMAGING THE TANK. *TR *JS

MY 2011 DIAVEL CONTINUES TO STALL INTERMITTENTLY, ALWAYS WHILE DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH LEVER AS I INTENT TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP (CLOSED THROTTLE). PRESENTLY MY MOTORCYCLE HAS 9562 MILES, IS 9 MONTHS OLD. OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME THIS PROBLEMS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 20 TO 30 TIMES (2 TO 3 TIMES PER MONTH). I HAVE WRITTEN TO DUCATI CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY REPLY. INTERESTINGLY, THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE, AND WHAT IS MORE ODD IS THAT FOR ME, MOST, IF NOT ALL STALLS HAVE OCCURRED AT NIGHT, WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE RUNNING, SO NOT ONLY DOES THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER IS OF CONCERN, BUT THE FACT THAT IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE LOSS OF VISIBILITY (LIGHTS) TO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND ME, AS MY TAIL LIGHTS AND HEAD LIGHTS GO OFF UNTIL I RESTART THE ENGINE. ANOTHER INTERESTING FACT IS THAT I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED A HALF DOZEN NEAR STALLS, WHERE WHILE THE ENGINE DOES NOT STALL, MY HEADLIGHTS MOMENTARILY FLICKER (GO OFF AND THEN BACK ON) WHEN I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH IN ORDER TO DOWN SHIFT. HENCE MY SUSPICION THAT THE PROBLEM MAY ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. *TR

THE GAS TANK HAS EXPANDED TO THE POINT THAT IT DOES NOT STAY IN THE HOLDING BRACKETS. THE TANK IS LOOSE AND IS A DANGEROUS DRIVING HAZARD. DUCATI IS REPLACING THE TANK WITH THE EXACT SAME MATERIAL WHICH DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. A TANK MADE OUT OF THE SAME MATERIAL WILL RESULT IN THE SAME PROBLEM ALL OVER AGAIN. A PERMANENT SOLUTION SHOULD REQUIRE A CHANGE IN THE GAS TANK MATERIAL USED. *TR

THE GAS TANK HAS DEFORMED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO DETACH ITSELF FROM THE FACTORY MOUNTINGS AND NOW INTERFERE WITH THE FRONT FORKS AS TO IMPAIR FULL RANGE OF STEERING. THE TANK IS NOW RESTING ON THE WIRING HARNESS AND FRAME OF THE MOTORCYCLE AS TO CAUSE POSSIBLE WEAR THROUGH OF HARNESS OR TANK, . IF THE TANK LEAKS FROM ITS WEAR POINTS IT WILL LEAK FUEL DIRECTLY ONTO THE ENGINE. AND ELECTRICAL SHORT BETWEEN FRAME AND GAS TANK NEEDS NO FURTHER DESCRIPTION.. *TR

BRAKES: REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED IN 2011, REAR BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED ONCE AGAIN JAN 2011...REAR BRAKE LINES WERE BLED TO RULE OUT AIR TRAPPED IN THE BRAKE LINE, ONLY TO DISCOVER BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE RUBBER TUBE WHICH FEEDS INTO THE TOP OF THE BRAKE MASTER...IN ADDITION, THE RUBBER GROMMET THAT SEATS INTO THE REAR MASTER FREE-ROTATES IN PLACE. DUCATI DEALERSHIP WILL BE REPLACING THE REAR MASTER A SECOND TIME UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I FEAR THE CAUSE IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED! LIGHTING: FRONT HEADLIGHTS HAVE WATER CONDENSATION BUILT UP INSIDE THE HEADLIGHTS, CAUSING LIMITED VISIBILITY DURING NIGHT TIME. DUCATIUSA DECLINED REPLACING IT UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE DEALERSHIP WAS GLAD TO OFFER TO REPLACE HEADLIGHTS AT MSRP+LABOR COSTS. THE BIKE HAS OTHERWISE BEEN PLEASURE TO OWN AND RIDE. *TT

FUEL TANK DISTORTED BY POSSIBLE SWELLING CAUSING STEERING HEAD TO CONTACT FUEL TANK LIMITING STEERING. FUEL LEAK FROM HINGE AREA OF FUEL FILLER CAP DUE TO POSSIBLE DISTORTION. FUEL LEAK SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO SPLASH ONTO RIDER AND ENGINE POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. FUEL TANK IS OF PLASTIC MATERIAL. UPDATED 02/15/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, PLASTIC DEGRADES FROM ETHANOL BASED FUEL. UPDATED IVOQ 02/17/12 *TR