2007 Ducati S2R1000

FUEL TANK DISTORTED BY POSSIBLE SWELLING CAUSING STEERING HEAD TO CONTACT FUEL TANK LIMITING STEERING. FUEL LEAK FROM HINGE AREA OF FUEL FILLER CAP DUE TO POSSIBLE DISTORTION. FUEL LEAK SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO SPLASH ONTO RIDER AND ENGINE POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. FUEL TANK IS OF PLASTIC MATERIAL. UPDATED 02/15/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, PLASTIC DEGRADES FROM ETHANOL BASED FUEL. UPDATED IVOQ 02/17/12 *TR

MY MOTORCYCLE HAS A PLASTIC GAS TANK WHICH I BELIEVE HAS BEGUN TO EXPAND AND CORRODE INSIDE THE GAS CAP HOUSING. THIS EXPANSION IS CAUSING THE GAS CAP TO SHIFT, ALLOWING GASOLINE TO LEAK OUT BECAUSE THE CAP NO LONGER SEALS PROPERLY. *TR I HAVE NOT MODIFIED MY MOTORCYCLE. I HAVE MADE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE FUEL TANK OR FUEL PUMP. THE DEALER WHO SOLD THIS BIKE TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER WENT OUT OF BUSINESS AND I AM THE SECOND OWNER. I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO ANOTHER DUCATI DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE EXPANSION AND CORROSION WAS NOT NORMAL AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT THE NHTSA. I AM VERY CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFETY OF THIS MOTORCYCLE NOW BECAUSE GASOLINE SPILLS WHEN I RIDE IT AND WATER FREQUENTLY GETS INTO THE GAS TANK CAUSING THE ENGINE TO MALFUNCTION, WHICH HAS LED TO UNSAFE RIDING AND HANDLING.

MY MOTORCYCLE HAS A PLASTIC GAS TANK WHICH HAS BEGUN TO DEFORM AND PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD. THE OUTER DIMENSIONS OF THE TANK HAVE INCREASED AND IT NO LONGER FUNCTIONS PROPERLY, THE HANDLEBARS HIT IT ON TURNING, AND THE TANK & TANK LATCH PRESS AGAINST THE IGNITION SWITCH HOUSING. THE TANK LATCH IS INOPERABLE AND THE TANK'S RUBBER PADS NO LONGER SIT ON THE FRAME. THE TANK MATERIAL APPEARS TO HAVE EXPANDED INSIDE AS WELL, DECREASING THE FUEL CAPACITY OF THE TANK. THE TANK'S SWELLING HAS MADE IT SO THE HANDLEBARS DO NOT TURN CORRECTLY. THERE HAVE BEEN NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE FUEL TANK OR FUEL PUMP. I AM A DOCTORAL-TRAINED CHEMIST AND AM CONCERNED THAT THIS DEFECT WILL RESULT IN DECREASED INTEGRITY OF THE TANK AND LEAD TO TANK RUPTURE OR WORSE, MAY LEAD TO A SERIOUS CRASH! SOME RESEARCH THAT THE TANK IS CONSTRUCTED OF A POLYAMIDE MATERIAL (PA6), WHICH IS A KNOWN ABSORBER OF WATER TO ~8 WEIGHT PERCENT BY MASS. THIS EFFECT IS MAGNIFIED IN THE FUELS CONTAINING ETHANOL AND LEADS TO DECREASED POLYMER PERFORMANCE. IT APPEARS DUCATI IS CURRENTLY REPLACING DEFECTIVE TANKS WITH TANKS CONSTRUCTED OF SIMILAR MATERIALS, WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO THE SAME ISSUES. MOREOVER, THE EPA IS CURRENTLY CONSIDERING AN INCREASE IN THE ETHANOL CONTENT OF FUEL; AN ACT THAT WILL LEAD TO ACCELERATED DEGRADATION OF THE TANK MATERIALS. THIS IS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE! I HAVE TAKEN THE BIKE TO A DEALER WHO SUBMITTED A CLAIM TO DUCATI NORTH AMERICA (THE IMPORTER/FACTORY). THE DEALER INDICATED IT WOULD BE SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE THE CLAIM WAS EITHER APPROVED OR DENIED. I AM PARTICULARLY CONCERNED THAT MY TANK WILL BE REPLACED WITH ONE OF THE SAME MATERIAL, AS ITS FAILURE IN A SIMILAR TIME FRAME WOULD EXTEND IT BEYOND THE 5 YEAR WARRANTY COVERING PARTS OF THE FUELING SYSTEM. *TR

2008 DUCATI S2R 1000, GAS TANK IS DISTORTING BEYOND ITS INTENDED DIMENSION AND WILL NOT FIT CORRECTLY ON THE FRAME STOPS. IT IS ALSO INTERFERING WITH THE FRONT LATCH (ADJACENT TO THE IGNITION HOUSING) MAKING ACCESS BELOW THE GAS TANK DIFFICULT. INCORRECT FIT IN THESE THREE FORWARD AREAS (TWO ON FRAME, ONE AT LATCH), PUTS EXCESSIVE STRESS ON REAR PIVOT, MAKING A POSSIBLE FAILURE CONDITION. *TR

GRADUALLY, OVER TIME, THE MOTORCYCLE'S FUEL TANK STARTED EXPANDING. CURRENTLY THE TANK NO LONGER FITS ON TO THE MOTORCYCLE SECURELY. THE LATCH MECHANISM THAT HOLDS THE TANK CLOSED CAN'T BE SECURED AND THE TANK SLIPS OFF THE FRAME. WHEN RIDING, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE TANK WILL SLIDE OFF THE FRAME, CREATING A HAZARDOUS CONDITION. FUEL MIGHT ALSO LEAK OUT OF THE TANK. THE DEALER REPORTS THAT A NEW TANK WILL FIX THIS PROBLEM. BUT NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED YET. *TR

THE MOTORCYCLE HAD BEEN IN THE DEALER'S SHOWROOM FOR OVER A YEAR. I BOUGHT THE MOTORCYCLE NEW AND EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. THE BIKE WAS KEPT CLEAN AND MAINTAINED PROPERLY BY MYSELF AND THE DEALER ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE MANUAL. AFTER A COUPLE MONTHS, I NOTICED THE TANK BUMPERS DID NOT LINE UP WITH THE FRAME CORRECTLY. LATER, I ALSO NOTICED THE TANK WAS PUSHED UP AGAINST THE IGNITION KEY CYLINDER. I REPORTED THE DEFORMATIONS TO THE DEALER AND THE WARRANTY CLAIM WAS ENTERED. THE DEALER TOLD ME FOR 8 MONTHS THAT THEY WERE STILL WAITING ON THE TANK TO ARRIVE FROM DUCATI. THE TANK ARRIVED AFTER 8 MONTHS AND MY BIKE WAS BROUGHT TO THE SHOP FOR THE REPLACEMENT. *TR

VEHICLE IS A 2007 DUCATI S2R1000 MOTORCYCLE. THE GAS TANK IS MADE FROM PLASTIC. THE GAS TANK HAS EXPANDED TO THE POINT THAT THE LATCH IS INOPERABLE WITHOUT JAMMING A SCREWDRIVER UP INTO IT FROM UNDERNEATH. WHEN THE LATCH IS OPERATED EVERY TIME IT REMOVES MATERIAL FROM THE PLASTIC GAS TANK AND THE IGNITION SWITCH HOUSING. ALSO THE EXPANSION OF THE GAS TANK INTERFERES WITH TURNING THE BARS FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE STEERING STOPS HAVE TO BE MOVED IN TO THE POINT THAT THE TURNING RADIUS HAS BEEN NOTICEABLY INCREASED. IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE ON MESSAGE BOARDS THAT THESE TANKS ARE BEING REPLACED BY DUCATI BUT THE REPLACEMENTS ARE MADE FROM THE SAME MATERIAL AND THEREFORE WILL EXPAND THE SAME WAY OVER TIME. THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL RISKS THAT APPEAR AS THE TANK GETS LARGER AND THE MATERIAL GETS THINNER. I HAVE TAKEN MY MOTORCYCLE TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHO ASKED DUCATI TO REPLACE IT. ACCORDING TO HIM THEY AGREED BUT I HAVE SEEN NO PAPERWORK. HE TELLS ME THE TANK IS "BACKORDERED" AND HE WILL CALL ME WHEN ONE IS AVAILABLE. I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING THIS ROUTE AND DUCATI IS REPLACING MANY TANKS HOWEVER THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM REMAINS AND THE REPLACEMENT TANKS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. SOME FOLKS ARE ON THEIR THIRD TANK. I THINK THESE TANKS NEED TO BE RECALLED AND REPLACED WITH A TANK MADE OF A DIFFERENT MATERIAL OR AT LEAST LINED WITH SOME SUBSTANCE TO PREVENT THE CHEMICAL REACTION BETWEEN THE GASOLINE AND THE PLASTIC. *TR