DUCATI Complaints

THE "PLASTIC" FUEL TANK EXPANDS OVER TIME ALLOWING RELEASE OF THE FRONT MOUNTING POINTS. THIS LEAVES ONLY ONE MOUNTING POINT AT THE REAR OF THE FUEL TANK. *TR

THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK ON MY MOTORCYCLE EXPANDED, 'BUBBLED' AND WARPED TO A POINT THAT IT WAS UNSAFELY ATTACHED TO MOTORCYCLE. THE DEALER REPLACED FUEL TANK WITH AN IDENTICAL COPY, WHICH WORRIES ME ABOUT FUTURE ISSUES. *TR

I PURCHASED A '06 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC SPORT 1000 IN AUGUST 2007. IT WAS A NEW OLD STOCK MOTORCYCLE. WITHIN 1 YEAR OF PURCHASE THE GAS TANK STARTED TO DEFORM, AND AFTER 1 1/2 YEARS THE PLASTIC GAS TANK HAD DISTORTED IT'S SHAPE ENOUGH TO COME COMPLETELY OFF IT'S FRONT MOUNTS. THE TANK COULD BE LIFTED STRAIGHT UP OFF THE BIKE AND THE ONLY RESTRAINT BEING THE SINGLE BOLT AT THE REAR OF THE TANK. DUCATI REPLACED THIS TANK WITH AN EXACT DUPLICATE UNDER THE TWO YEAR WARRANTY. SINCE THE REPLACEMENT TANK IS THE SAME MATERIAL AS THE ORIGINAL, I EXPECT THE "SPREADING " PROBLEM TO RE-OCCUR. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE MATERIAL USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE GAS TANK. DUCATI IS GIVING US (THIS IS A WIDESPREAD AND WELL KNOWN DEFECT IN THIS PARTICULAR DUCATI PRODUCT) DEFECTIVE TANKS TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TANKS ALREADY ON THE BIKES. THEY NEED TO DESIGN AND PRODUCE A METAL TANK OR ONE OF DIFFERENT MATERIAL THAT WILL NOT DEFORM UNDER USE CREATING A FIRE HAZARD IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH AND PROVIDE IT UNDER WARRANTY EVEN FOR THOSE BIKES LIKE MINE THAT ARE NOW OUT OF THE FACTORY WARRANTY PERIOD. THIS LOOSE FUEL TANK ISSUE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD TO ANYONE OPERATING THESE MOTORCYCLES. *TR

BOUGHT BRAND NEW DUCATI GT1000 IN JULY 2009. IN AUGUST I NOTICED THE GAS TANK HAD "SPREAD" TO THE POINT WHERE THE RIGHT SIDE IS NO LONGER MOUNTED. YOU CAN LIFT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GAS TANK UP AND DOWN. THE TANK IS ONLY BOLTED NOW IN BACK AND THE LEFT SIDE SLIDES AROUND IN ITS HOLDER/MOUNT/BRACKET. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 DUCATI MOTORCYCLE, MODEL PS 1000 LE. DUE TO THE MATERIAL USED FOR THE GAS TANK, ANY ETHANOL FUEL USED IN THE TANK CAUSES THE TANK TO DEFORM BY EXPANDING. THIS EXPANSION CAUSED THE MAIN MOUNTING POINTS TO EXPAND SO THAT THEY ARE NOT HELD BY THE FRAME BRACKETS. THE RESULT IS THAT THE GAS TANK DOES NOT SECURE TO THE MOTORCYCLE. THE TANK EXPANSION OCCURRED IN THE SUMMER OF 2009 AND THE GAS TANK WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THE TANK WAS REPLACED WITH THE SAME MODEL REPLACEMENT PART AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REPEAT THE DEFECT. *TR

THE GAS TANK ON DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLES SPREADS SIDE TO SIDE TO THE POINT THAT THE RUBBER POLKS ON THE SIDES OF THE POLY CARBONATE TANK ARE NO LONGER IN THE METAL TANGS ON THE FRONT OF THE FRAME. THIS IN EFFECT RELEASES THE FRONT OF THE TANK ALLOWING IT TO "FLOP AROUND". AT THIS POINT THE TANK IS HELD ON BY ONE BOLT ON THE REAR OF THE TANK. DUCATI'S RESPONSE IS TO REPLACE THE TANK WITH EXACTLY THE SAME TANK, WHICH AGAIN SPREADS IN THE SAME WAY. I AM AWAITING MY THIRD TANK CURRENTLY. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2009 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC GT ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO FROM MUNROE MOTORS IN SAN FRANCISCO. THAT MODEL IS PRONE TO THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK DEFORMING AND SPREADING, CAUSING IT TO SOMETIMES BECOME LOOSE ENOUGH TO ALMOST FALL OFF. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED TO MY MOTORCYCLE. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN USED NORMALLY AND CARED FOR. I WILL BE CONTACTING MUNROE MOTORS TO REPLACE IT UNDER WARRANTY. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THERE IS NO PERMANENT FIX SO IT LIKELY WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. THE DANGERS OR HAVING A LOOSE FUEL TANK ON A MOTORCYCLE ARE OBVIOUS. IT IS A PLASTIC HOLDER FOR COMBUSTIBLE FLUID THAT IS TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED, WITH THE RIDER LYING ON TOP OF IT. SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH ARE BOTH VERY POSSIBLE IN EXTREME CASES OF TANK SPREAD. *TR

1. NORMAL USE OF GAS TANK. 2. GAS TANK HAS DISTORTED, SEPARATING FROM IT'S MOUNTS AND IS THUS NOT ATTACHED AT THE FRONT OF THE MOTORCYCLE. 3. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO REPAIR IT. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE IN DEC 08. THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK STARTED "SPREADING APART AND THE TANK BECAME LOOSE ON THE FRONT MOUNTS. DUCATI REPLACED THAT TANK IN JAN 09, BUT THE NEW TANK HAS STARTED TO SPREAD THE SAME AS THE OLD TANK. THE TANK IS WARPING AND CAN BE LIFTED OFF THE FRONT MOUNTS WITHOUT UNDOING THE BOLT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE TANK WOULD DETACH IN AN ACCIDENT AND BECOME A FIRE HAZARD. *TR

FUEL TANK DEFORMS OVER TIME, CAUSING IT TO LIFT OUT OF THE FRONT BRACKETS. THE TANK IS THEN LOOSE AND MOVES CONSIDERABLY UNDER HAND PRESSURE, WOULD PROBABLY COME OFF COMPLETELY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. DEALER HAS REPLACED TANK ONCE, THE NEW ONE IS ALREADY SHOWING THE SAME PROBLEMS, SO CLEARLY THE DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE OF THE TANK IS TO BLAME. *TR