DUCATI Complaints

EXCESSIVE EXHAUST HEAT CAUSED BLISTER BURNS THROUGH LEATHER SUIT ON LEG WHEN MOTORCYCLE DRIVEN SLOW. THIS MOTORCYCLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN SLOW WITH OUT THE EFFECTS OF EXCESSIVE EXHAUST HEAT. *TR

PLASTIC GAS TANK HAS DEFORMED CAUSING IT TO BECOME UNATTACHED FROM THE TWO FRONT MOUNTS. ONLY THING HOLDING TANK TO MOTORCYCLE IS ONE BOLT IN REAR. OBVIOUS BULGE IN TOP OF TANK FROM THE DEFORMATION. PLASTIC MAY CRACK AND ALLOW GAS TO ESCAPE AND LEAK OVER ENGINE WHICH IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE TANK. *TR

MOTORCYCLE FUEL TANK IS SPREADING ON ITS MOUNTS; I.E., IT IS BECOMING LOOSER AND PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD IN THAT IT MAY SEPARATE FROM ITS MOUNTINGS ALTOGETHER IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THERE WERE NO SPECIFIC INCIDENTS OCCURRING TO CAUSE THIS, AS IT APPEARS TO BE A FAULTY DESIGN. *TR

THE FUEL TANK IS LOOSE ON THE FRONT MOUNTS ALMOST TO THE POINT THAT IT CAN BE LIFTED UP OFF THE FRAME. I SHIMMIED THE MOUNTS OUTWARD FROM THE FRAME WITH WASHERS A YEAR AGO TO HOLD THE TANK TIGHT, BUT IT IS AGAIN LOOSENING. IT APPEARS THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK IS DISTORTING AND GETTING WIDER OVER TIME. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS THE TANK COULD SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE AND CAUSE AN EXPLOSION OR FIRE EVEN IN A LOW SPEED CRASH OR DROP OF THE MACHINE. *TR

FUEL TANK ON 2007 DUCATI GT 1000 SPREADS AND COMES LOOSE FROM FORWARD TANK MOUNTS. *TR

1.) I BOUGHT A 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC 2.) THE GAS TANK BULGES AND DEFORMS (APPARENTLY WITH TEMPERATURE) AND DOES NOT ALWAYS SEAT IN THE MOUNTING BRACKETS AS THE TANKS SHAPE CHANGES. I AM CONCERNED THE EXPANDING/CONTRACTING MATERIAL WILL EVENTUALLY FATIGUE TO THE POINT OF LEAKING GASOLINE. 3.) DEALER TOLD ME DUCATI NORTH AMERICA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT THEY AREN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT BUT I COULD PURCHASE ANOTHER (SIMILARLY FLAWED) GAS TANK FOR $1900 THAT WILL DO THE SAME THING. *TR

THE FUEL TANK ON MY 2007 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC 1000 HAS SPREAD APART AND NO LONGER RESTS IN THE MOUNTING POINTS ATTACHED TO THE FRAME. I CAN PHYSICALLY MOVE THE TANK UP AND DOWN AT LEAST FOUR OR FIVE INCHES AND MY CONCERN IS THAT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THE TANK WILL DETACH FROM THE MOTORCYCLE. MY DEALER CLAIMS THEY WILL "SHIM" THE TANK UNDER WARRANTY TO MAKE IT FIT, HOWEVER, I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM, PROPERLY. *TR

PLASTIC GAS TANK ON MOTORCYCLE IS WIDER THAN THE FACTORY MOUNTING WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. IF YOU SHIFT THE TANK IT CAN BE LIFTED OUT OF THE "CUPS" THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HOLD IT DOWN. THEN ONLY THE REAR MOUNT OF THE TANK KEEPS IT IN PLACE. POINTED OUT PROBLEM TO DEALER AND CHECKED 2 NEW EXACT SAME MODELS (BUT NEWER) IN SHOWROOM AND THE TANKS CAN BE LIFTED UPWARDS ON A BRAND NEW BIKE THAT HASN'T EVEN GOT GAS IN IT YET. I'M MONITORING MINE FOR NOW. DEALER DOESN'T FEEL IT IS A PROBLEM YET. I'M UNSURE AT THIS TIME, BUT THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THIS PROBLEM ON HOW MUCH "SPREADING" IS 'ALLOWABLE AND WHY ARE THE TANKS GROWING WIDER OVER TIME. WATCHING FOR OTHER DEFECTS REPORTED IN CLUB NETWORK. PERSONALLY I THINK GAS TANKS FROM AT LEAST THE MODEL YEAR I'M REPORTING SHOULD BE RECALLED. IF THIS GAS TANK EVER SPLITS OPEN FROM SPREADING IT WOULD CREATE A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD WHILE STATIONARY OR INJURY OR DEATH WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE. HONESTLY HAVE NOT HEARD ANY REPORTS YET OF TANKS SPLITTING YET, GETTING WIDER OVER TIME, DEVELOPING BUMPS, AND PIMPLES ALL STEMMING FROM GASOLINE INSIDE THE TANKS. *TR

ENGINE NOISE, REAR TIRE LOCKED UP ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF MOTORCYCLE, FAILURE WAS A BROKEN ENGINE CRANK SHAFT (RECALL CAMPAIGN,TSB603), CORRECTION COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLE ENGINE AND REPLACE ENGINE CRANK SHAFT AND FLY WHEEL NUT, MOTORCYCLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, ABOUT 975 MILES ROUND TRIP, MOTORCYCLE WAS ALSO UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY, MANUFACTURE (DUCATI NORTH AMERICA) MADE US PAY FOR PARTS UP FRONT EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS A WARRANTY REPAIR/NATIONAL RECALL, MANUFACTURE WELL NOT PAY FOR TOW BILL OF $1090.00 EVEN THOUGH IT IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, IT ALSO TOOK TO LONG TO GET THE PARTS FROM THE MANUFACTURE (3 MONTHS) SO BIKE HAD TO BE BOUGHT BACK BY DEALER AND A NEW BIKE WAS PURCHASED IN AUGUST OF 2008 AT THE DEALERS EXPENSE, NET LOSS TO DEALER ON REPURCHASE TRANSACTION WAS $3890.00. *TR

PLASTIC GAS TANK ON 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE DOES NOT HOLD SHAPE. BECOMES FREE OF RUBBER MOUNTS AND CAN RUB AGAINST FRAME, ETC. ALSO CAN BE STRUCK BY CONTROLS IN TIGHT TURN. BOUGHT BIKE NEW 11/06. TANK REPLACED BY DUCATI 12/07, SECOND TANK REPLACED 11/08. NO CHANGE IN PRODUCT OR ISSUE - NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND JUST AS UNSAFE. *TR