DUCATI Complaints

ON 9/14/2006 I PURCHASED A NEW 2006 DUCATI 999R MOTORCYCLE FROM MUNROE MOTORS AND WAS RIDING HOME FROM THEIR STORE. I HAD ONLY RIDDEN 1/4 MILE FROM THEIR STORE WHEN THE ENGINE DIED AT A STOP SIGN. I TOOK THE BIKE BACK TO THEM 9/17/2006 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. SINCE THEN, I HAVE RETURNED THE MOTORCYCLE BACK TO THEM NUMEROUS TIMES TO CORRECT THE STALLING ISSUE BUT IT HAS NEVER BEEN ALLEVIATED. THEIR TYPICAL REASON FOR STALLING IS "IT'S A RACE MOTORCYCLE AND IT WILL HAVE A TENDENCY TO OCCASIONALLY STALL." I HAVE ENCOUNTERED STALLING WHILE EXITING FREEWAYS WHILE APPROACHING A STOP AND ALSO WHILE SITTING A STOP. I'VE HAD A FEW CLOSE MOMENTS WHERE THE BIKE STALLED WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN AND THE DRIVER IN BACK EXPECTS ME TO GO, AND OTHER TIMES WHILE SLOWING DOWN OFF FREEWAY OFF RAMPS AND CARS ARE STILL MOVING BEHIND ME. I FEEL I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE STALLING. THIS SUMMER I WENT FOR A RIDE AND IT STALLED 12 TIMES. AS A RESULT, I HAD MUNROE MOTORS ALONG WITH DUCATI NORTH AMERICA WORK ON MY BIKE FOR 5 WEEKS AND THEY WERE STILL UNSUCCESSFUL IN ALLEVIATING THE PROBLEM. I HAVE NOTICED OTHER DUCATI OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS AND ARE UNABLE TO RESOLVE IT. GOOGLE "DUCATI STALLING" AND YOU'LL FIND PAGES OF OWNERS EXPRESSING THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH STALLING. THESE INCLUDE BIKES OLDER AND NEWER THAN MINE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE AS IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. THANK YOU, MARK KATAOKA

THE FUEL TANK IS WARPING BECOMING DISFIGURED AND BUBBLES APPEAR TO BE FORMING ALL AROUND IT. THE TANK SEEMS TO BE COMING APART FROM THE FRAME. THIS IS A HAZARD IN OPERATION CAUSING A WRECK AT SPEED AS WELL AS A FUEL LEAK COULD CAUSE A FIRE. *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

MY DUCATI HAS A PLASTIC GAS TANK WHICH HAS BEGUN TO EXPAND AND DEFORM. THE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS OF THE TANK HAVE INCREASED AND IT NOW DOES NOT SIT CORRECTLY IN THE FRAME ESPECIALLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THE HANDLEBARS HIT IT ON TURNING, AND IT PRESSES AGAINST THE IGNITION SWITCH. PREVIOUSLY IT OPENED AND CLOSED WITHOUT PROBLEMS, NOW I HAVE TO WEDGE IT AGAINST THE IGNITION SWITCH TO CLOSE IT. THE RIGHT RUBBER MOUNT NO LONGER SIT ON THE FRAME AND THE LEFT MOUNT IS BEGINNING TO SPREAD TOO. I HAVE NOT MODIFIED MY MOTORCYCLE EXCEPT SOME COSMETIC CHANGES. I HAVE MADE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE FUEL TANK OR FUEL PUMP. I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE DEALER WHO SUBMITTED A CLAIM TO DUCATI NORTH AMERICA (THE IMPORTER/FACTORY) AND THEY REPLACED THE ORIGINAL TANK. I AM VERY CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFETY OF THIS MOTORCYCLE NOW. THE NEW TANK IS SWELLING HAS MADE IT SO THE HANDLEBARS DO NOT TURN CORRECTLY. IF THE TANK SWELLS ENOUGH, IT WILL SPLIT OPEN OR BECOME UNSTABLE ON THE MOTORCYCLE AND I AM CONCERNED THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE I AM RIDING. *TR

THE REAR ENGINE MOUNTING, WHICH IS A CASTING OF THE ENGINE CRANKCASES HAS FRACTURED. THE ENGINE OF THIS MOTORCYCLE IS A STRESSED / STRUCTURAL COMPONENT OF THE MOTORCYCLE'S FRAME TRIANGULATION. THE ENGINE CASES HAVE FRACTURED TO THE POINT THAT THE REAR SWINGARM IS NOW OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH THE FRAME AND IN TURN THE FRONT WHEEL. THIS FRACTURE HAS OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR INDICATION OR WARNING. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN SERVICED AND MAINTAINED BY AUTHORIZED DUCATI DEALERS, ACCORDING TO THE PUBLISHED SERVICE SCHEDULE. THERE IS ONLY APPROX 10% OF THE REMAINING . *TR

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

FUEL TANK DEFORMATION/SPREADING TO THE POINT WHERE TANK NO LONGER HELD BY BRACKETS. *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

AFTER APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, THE GAS TANK ON MY 2008 DUCATI GT1000 MOTORCYCLE EXPANDED TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS NO LONGER SECURED BY THE MOUNTING BOSSES AND COULD EASILY BE LIFTED OFF THE FRAME. MY LOCAL DUCATI DEALER REPLACED THE TANK UNDER WARRANTY WITH ANOTHER TANK MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL. NOW, THE SECOND TANK HAS BEGAN TO SPREAD AND IS LOOSE FROM THE MOUNTING BOSSES. *TR