DUCATI Complaints

THE PLASTIC GAS TANK ON MY 2007 DUCATI MONSTER 695 IS EXPANDING, THE RUBBER MOUNTS THAT HOLD IT TO THE FRAME HAVE NOW COMPLETELY OVERLAPPED THE FRAME ON ONE SIDE, AND IT IS EXPANDING OVER THE IGNITION SWITCH AND PUTTING CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE ON IT. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE IT WILL EXPAND BEFORE IT CRACKS SOMEWHERE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN MODIFIED, IT IS COMPLETELY STOCK FROM THE FACTORY. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 DUCATI GT 1000 THAT I BOUGHT BRAND NEW (NON-CURRENT) FROM OHIO MOTORCYCLE IN OAKWOOD, OHIO IN 2009. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT MY STOCK POLYCARBONATE FUEL TANK IS "SPREADING". THAT IS TO SAY, THAT THE TANK HAS CHANGED IN SIZE. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE BECAUSE THE TANK IS HELD ON IN THREE PLACES. FIRST THERE IS A BOLT THAT SECURES THE TANK. SECOND, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THERE ARE TWO "C" SHAPED BRACKETS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME OF THE BIKE. ON THE UNDERSIDES OF THE FUEL TANK ARE TWO RUBBER KNOBS THAT FIT INSIDE THE C SHAPED BRACKETS THAT PREVENT THE FUEL TANK FROM COMING LOOSE OR MOVING AROUND TWO MUCH SHOULD THE BOLT COME LOOSE. THE "SPREADING" OF THE FUEL TANK CAUSES THE RUBBER KNOBS TO NO LOGER FIT INSIDE THE C SHAPED BRACKETS WHICH MEANS THE ONLYTHING SECURING THE FUEL TANK TO THE BIKE IS ONE SINGLE BOLT!! IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AMONG DUCATI OWNERS AND WHEN I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. THE SCARIEST PART IS THAT DUCATI IS REPLACING THE FUEL TANKS WITH THE EXACT SAME FUEL TANK WHICH PROBABLY ONLY PERPETUATES THE PROBLEM. THIS IS SERIOUSLY SCARY! WHAT IF THAT BOLT CAME LOOSE AND THE FOUL TANK FLEW OFF THE BIKE? *TR

FUEL TANK HAS INCREASED IN SIZE AND SHAPE IS DEFORMED. TANK SUPPORTS TO FRAME OF MOTORCYCLE ARE PUSHED AWAY FROM FRAME. TANK IS IN CONTACT WITH STEERING HEAD OF MOTORCYCLE. LATCH TO REMOVE TANK IS JAMMED INTO IGNITION SWITCH. THESE ISSUES ARE A SAFETY CONCERN IF LATCH OR TANK SUPPORTS FAIL. LATCH IS LOCATED IN FRONT OF TANK. TANK COULD BE LIFTED UP AND BACK WHILE RIDING IF LATCH FAILS. TANK IS MADE OF PLASTIC MATERIAL. SIZE INCREASE AND DEFORMATION APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY ABSORPTION OF WATER/ETHANOL DUE TO PHASE SEPARATION OF GASOLINE AND ETHANOL. REPLACEMENT TANKS FROM DUCATI ARE MADE OF SAME MATERIAL. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR UNLESS NEW TANKS ARE LINED OR MADE OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1000S MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS BEGINNING TO DEFORM AND EXPAND DUE TO THE PLASTIC COMPOSITE MATERIAL IT WAS MANUFACTURER FROM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DIMENSIONS OF THE TANK HAD CHANGED AND THE BODY PANELS WERE NOT LINING UP PROPERLY. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS ADJACENT TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND OVER THE REAR WHEEL WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE IF THE TANK CONTINUED TO DEFORM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,200.

MY 2007 DUCATI S4RS MOTORCYCLE FUEL TANK SWELLED TO THE POINT IT WAS NOT RESTING SECURELY ON THE FRAME, THE BARS WOULD CONTACT IT BEFORE FULL LEFT OR RIGHT TURNING MOVEMENT, IT PUSHED AGAINST THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSING THE FUEL TANK LATCH TO NOT ENGAGE, AND THE PAINT CRACKED OFF. DUCATI UNOFFICIALLY CLAIMS (LEARNED FROM MY DEALER) THAT ETHANOL IN AMERICAN GAS IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR FUEL SEEPAGE AND FIRE ALONG WITH THE TANK BECOMING DISLODGED WHILE RIDING. *TR

1. MY 2008 DUCATI 848 MOTORCYCLE DEVELOPED A RADIATOR LEAK. THERE ARE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OTHER THAN NORMAL RIDING. MY MOTORCYCLE HAS LESS THAN 5000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. 2. THE FAILURE IS A LEAKING RADIATOR. CONSEQUENCES ARE HIGHER RISK OF CRASH (DUE TO SLICK FLUID EMANATING FROM THE MACHINE), AND MASSIVE ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO OVERHEATING. 3. NO REPAIR HAS BEEN MADE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF SERVICE. *TR

ENGINE WILL STALL WHEN APPROACHING A STOP. IT HAPPENS WITH NO WARNING AND REQUIRES A RESTART IN TRAFFIC. *TR

WHEN SLOWING DOWN FOR A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT THE ENGINE WILL JUST STALL WITH NO WARNING. THIS REQUIRES ME TO RESTART THE BIKE IN TRAFFIC. A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *TR

STALLING ISSUES WITH THE 2010 DUCATI MULTI-STRADA 1200. I HAVE HAD 3 OCCURRENCES OF THE BIKE SHUTTING DOWN DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. ALL THREE TIMES THE ISSUE OCCURRED AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN THE BIKE, AND THE ENGINE JUST SHUT DOWN. THIS OCCURRED ONCE ON A FREEWAY, WHICH HAS OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUES. ALL THREE TIMES I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE BIKE BY PRESSING THE STARTER. *TR

FUEL TANK ON MOTORCYCLE HAS EXPANDED AND BUCKLED. IT IS NO LONGER BEING HELD IN PLACE BY THE "PUCKS" AT THE FRONT OF THE TANK. IT IS ONLY HELD BY THE SINGLE BOLT AT THE REAR OF THE TANK AND BY THE FRONT FAIRING. THE FRONT OF THE TANK CAN BE LIFTED UP OFF THE BIKE. THE TANK SHIFTS BACK AND FORTH WHEN RIDING THE BIKE. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THE TANK COULD SHIFT AND THROW OFF MY BALANCE UNDER HARD CORNERING, LEADING TO A LOSS OF CONTROL. DUCATI NORTH AMERICA (DNA) HAS BEEN REPLACING THESE TANKS FOR OTHER OWNERS, BUT THE REPLACEMENT TANKS SUFFER FROM THE SAME ISSUE. BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF A TRUE LONG TERM SOLUTION, I HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF REQUESTING A REPLACEMENT YET. IT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF EFFORT, AND BE A SHORT TERM SOLUTION AT BEST. IT SEEMS THAT THE CULPRIT IN THIS PROBLEM IS ETHANOL IN GASOLINE. OWNERS WHO ARE ABLE TO PURCHASE ETHANOL FREE GASOLINE HAVE NOT HAD THE SAME ISSUE. ETHANOL DOES NOT BELONG IN OUR GASOLINE! *TR