DUCATI Complaints

THE FUEL TANK ON MY 2004 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1000DS HAS BEGUN EXPANDING. THE EXPANSION OF THE TANK TO THIS POINT HAS ONLY LED TO MISALIGNED BODY PANELS AND A POOR FIT OF THE TANK ITSELF ON THE MOTORCYCLE'S FRAME. FURTHER EXPANSION OF THE TANK, AS HAS BEEN OBSERVED ON NUMEROUS OTHER MOTORCYCLES WITH THE SAME OR SIMILAR TANKS, LEADS TO THE SEPARATION OF THE FUEL FLANGE FROM THE TANK RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT FUEL LEAK THAT COULD POSE A SERIOUS COMBUSTION HAZARD. THE EXPANSION OF THE TANK IS CAUSED BY THE INCOMPATIBILITY OF THE TANKS PLASTIC WITH THE ETHANOL FOUND IN E10 FUEL. AS E10 IS NOW NEAR UBIQUITOUS ON THE EAST COAST WHERE I LIVE, IT CANNOT BE AVOIDED. THE POTENTIAL INTRODUCTION OF E15 OR HIGHER LEVELS OF ETHANOL IN THE FUEL SUPPLY CHAIN WILL EXACERBATE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THE GAS TANK ON MY 2007 DUCATI S2R100 IS DEFORMING. IS BULGING TO THE POINT THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH IS ABOUT TO POKE THROUGH THE TANK ITSELF. I NOTICED THIS SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, AND DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH. IT SEEMS SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I WILL TAKE MY BIKE TO THE DEALER AS SOON AS WE HAVE SOME DECENT WEATHER TO SEE IF THEY WILL REPLACE IT. *TR

THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK ON MY 2008 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1100S MOTORCYCLE IS EXPANDING AND DEFORMING. SO FAR MY TANK HAS ONLY CRACKS IN THE PAINT, AS WELL AS FITMENT ISSUES ON THE MOTORCYCLE'S FRAME, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT AN EVENTUAL FAILURE OF THE TANK FROM CONTINUED DEFORMATION, CAUSING FUEL LEAKAGE. OBVIOUSLY THIS WOULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A POSSIBLE FIRE AND/OR CRASH. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM ON LATE MODEL DUCATI MOTORCYCLES, AND APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY THE ETHANOL ADDED TO GASOLINE IN THE US. *TR

MY MOTORCYCLE HAS A PLASTIC GAS TANK WHICH HAS BEGUN TO EXPAND. THE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS OF THE TANK HAVE INCREASED AND IT NOW DOES NOT SIT CORRECTLY IN THE FRAME, 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 RUBBER MOUNTS NO LONGER SIT ON THE FRAME. I HAVE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY MODIFIED MY MOTORCYCLE EXCEPT FOR AN AFTERMARKET EXHAUST AND 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 REFUSED TO REPLACE THE TANK. I WAS NOT GIVEN A REASON. I AM VERY CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFETY OF THIS MOTORCYCLE NOW. THE TANKS SWELLING HAS MADE IT SO THE HANDLEBARS DO NOT TURN CORRECTLY. IF THE TANK SWELLS ENOUGH, IT WILL SPLIT OPEN AND I AM CONCERNED THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE I AM RIDING. *TR

MY MOTORCYCLE HAS A PLASTIC GAS TANK WHICH HAS BEGUN TO EXPAND. THE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS OF THE TANK HAVE INCREASED AND IT NOW DOES NOT SIT CORRECTLY IN THE FRAME, 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 RUBBER MOUNTS NO LONGER SIT ON THE FRAME. I HAVE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY MODIFIED MY MOTORCYCLE EXCEPT FOR AN AFTERMARKET EXHAUST AND SOME COSMETIC CHANGES. I HAVE MADE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE FUEL TANK OR FUEL PUMP. I AM VERY CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFETY OF THIS MOTORCYCLE NOW. THE TANK'S SWELLING HAS MADE IT SO THE HANDLEBARS DO NOT TURN CORRECTLY. IF THE TANK SWELLS ENOUGH, IT WILL SPLIT OPEN AND I AM CONCERNED THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE I AM RIDING. I HAVE HAD THE TANK INSPECTED BY A DUCATI DEALERSHIP WHO HAS CONTACTED DUCATI NA AND HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A RESPONSE. *TR

THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK ON MY 2005 DUCATI MONSTER IS SWELLING. THE RUBBER MOUNTS THAT SET ON THE FRAME ARE NOW ALMOST TO THE POINT WHERE THEY DON'T CONTACT THE FRAME. THERE ARE NOTICEABLE RIPPLES ON THE SIDE OF THE TANK. IT HAS ALSO AFFECTED THE TANK CLOSING LATCH TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAS TO BE MANIPULATED TO LIFT THE TANK FOR MAINTENANCE VERSUS JUST A SIMPLE LIFTING OF THE LATCH W/ NO EFFORT. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE CONTINUED SWELLING WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE THE TANK TO SEPARATE AND LEAK FUEL. *TR

THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK HAS EXPANDED TO THE POINT WHERE THERE IS INTERFERENCE BETWEEN THE PLASTIC TANK AND OTHER HARD POINTS. DIFFICULT TO REMOVE FOR ROUTINE SERVICE DUE TO MISALIGNMENT WITH MOUNTING HOLE/FASTENERS. BODYWORK MAKING CONTACT WHERE GAPS SHOULD EXIST. EVIDENCE OF FUEL SEEPAGE AT FUEL-PUMP MOUNTING FLANGE/SEAL AREA INDICATING WARPAGE. PUBLIC FORUMS INDICATE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR MANY DUCATI MODELS WITH PLASTIC GAS TANKS. *TR

MY 2007 DUCATI MONSTER S4RS HAS A PLASTIC GAS TANK WHICH HAS BEGUN TO EXPAND. THE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS HAVE INCREASED AND IT DOES NOT SIT CORRECTLY IN THE FRAME AND IT NOW PRESSES AGAINST THE IGNITION SWITCH. I HAVE MADE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE FUEL TANK AND THERE HAS BEEN NO DAMAGE TO THE FUEL TANK. I TOOK THE BIKE TO MY DEALER TO SHOW THEM THE PROBLEM BUT AS YET HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEM. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE IS UNSAFE TO RIDE NOW DUE TO THE TANKS MOVING RELATIVE TO IT'S MOUNTS ON THE FRAME. *TR

MY MOTORCYCLE HAS A PLASTIC GAS TANK WHICH HAS BEGUN TO EXPAND. THE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS OF THE TANK HAVE INCREASED AND IT NOW DOES NOT SIT CORRECTLY IN THE FRAME, THE HANDLEBARS NEARLY HIT IT ON TURNING, AND IT NEARLY PRESSES AGAINST THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE RUBBER MOUNTS NO LONGER SIT ON THE FRAME - THEY EACH SIT OUT 1/4 TO 1/2". I HAVE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY MODIFIED MY MOTORCYCLE EXCEPT FOR AN AFTERMARKET EXHAUST AND SOME COSMETIC CHANGES. I HAVE MADE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE FUEL TANK OR FUEL PUMP. I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE DEALER WHO ADJUSTED THE TANK AND THOUGHT IT WAS SIMPLY OUT OF ADJUSTMENT. I AM VERY CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFETY OF THIS MOTORCYCLE NOW. THE TANK'S SWELLING HAS MADE IT SO THE HANDLEBARS DO NOT TURN CORRECTLY. IF THE TANK SWELLS ENOUGH, IT WILL SPLIT OPEN AND I AM CONCERNED THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE I AM RIDING. *TR

MY FUEL TANK EXPANDED AND HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE SAME ISSUE AS MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME BIKES AND PLASTIC FUEL CELL HTTP://DUCATIMONSTERFORUM.ORG/INDEX.PHP?TOPIC=25074.0 1ST TANK WAS REPLACED IN AUG 07,AND AGAIN IN NOV OF 09 BY DUCATI INDIANAPOLIS. *TR