2006 Ducati Sport Classic

MY PLASTIC FUEL TANK EXPANDS AND DEFORMS, A PHENOMENON SUPPOSEDLY CAUSED BY A CHEMICAL REACTION OF THE PLASTIC TANK TO THE ETHANOL IN THE FUEL (THIS PROBLEM SEEMS ONLY TO OCCUR FOR THE BIKES THAT ARE IN THE UNITED STATES, BECAUSE OTHER COUNTRIES APPARENTLY DO NOT HAVE ETHANOL IN THE GAS). THIS IS A WELL KNOWN AND WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. THERE ARE OVER 100 COMPLAINTS FILED IN THIS NHTSA SITE, MOSTLY WITH THE SPORT CLASSIC LINE, BUT ALSO WITH THE MONSTER, HYPERMOTARD, AND SUPERBIKE LINES AS WELL. ANY OF DUCATI'S BIKES WITH PLASTIC FUEL TANKS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE. ON A POPULAR WEBSITE, DUCATI.MS, 238 SPORT CLASSIC OWNERS STATED THEY EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE TANK EXPANDING. THE CONCERN IS THAT EVEN THE REPLACEMENT TANKS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. MY SECOND TANK HAS ALSO DEFORMED AND NOW I AM SEEKING A THIRD TANK FROM DUCATI. THE WORRY FOR ALL SPORT CLASSIC OWNERS IS THAT SOON DUCATI WILL STOP HONORING THESE CLAIMS AS OUR WARRANTY PERIODS HAVE ENDED. THE SPORT CLASSICS WERE SUCH LIMITED EDITION BIKES, THAT THERE IS ALSO CONCERN THAT DUCATI WILL NOT MANUFACTURE ANY MORE REPLACEMENT TANKS. BUT ONCE AGAIN, THE FRUSTRATION IS THAT TO THIS DATE, DUCATI STILL HAS NOT INTRODUCED A REPLACEMENT PLASTIC FUEL TANK THAT WILL NOT EXPAND. AGAIN, ALTHOUGH THIS PROBLEM IS MOST PREVALENT FOR OWNERS OF THE SPORT CLASSIC LINE, DEALERS INFORM ME THEY ARE SEEING SIMILAR PROBLEMS NOW WITH ALL DUCATI BIKES EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC FUEL TANKS, SOMETHING DUCATI NEVER DID BEFORE, INTRODUCING THEM IN 2006. THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING FILED WITH HOPES THAT THE NHTSA CAN MAKE SURE DUCATI CONTINUES TO DEVELOP A REPLACEMENT TANK THAT WILL NOT DEFORM (AGAIN THE REPLACEMENT TANKS NOW ARE NO BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL ONES). AND UNTIL THEY DO THAT, I HOPE THE NHTSA CAN PERSUADE DUCATI TO CONTINUE TO REPLACE THESE PROBLEM TANKS, REGARDLESS OF WHEN THE BIKE WAS PURCHASED, AND TO SPECIFICALLY PROVIDE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THOSE REPLACEMENTS. *TR

1) THE PLASTIC GAS TANK HAS "SPREAD" OR DEFORMED AND NO LONGER MOUNTS TO THE MOTORCYCLE FRAME CORRECTLY. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT THE TANK COULD COME LOOSE. 2) THE SPREADING SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY FUEL CONTAINING ETHANOL AND ONCE THE TANK HAS SPREAD IT DOES NOT RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL SHAPE. 3) DUCATI IS CURRENTLY REPLACING TANKS, BUT FOR HOW LONG? THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE MY TANK, BUT THE REPLACEMENT TANK WOULD NOT BE AUTOGRAPHED (THE ORIGINAL TANK IS AUTOGRAPHED WHICH ADDS TO THE VALUE OF THE MOTORCYCLE. DUCATI PAID TO HAVE THE MOTORCYCLE RACER COME TO THE US AND AUTOGRAPH THE TANKS IN ORDER TO SELL THE MOTORCYCLES - SO THEY ADDED THE VALUE). I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL, DEFORMED TANK. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I HAVE A 2006 DUCATI SPORT1000 MOTORCYCLE [XXX] [XXX] WITH A FUEL TANK WHICH HAS BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE MOUNTING TO THE FRAME OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS IS DUE TO A WELL KNOWN DEFECT ON DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLES, IN WHICH THE FUEL TANK SLOWLY SPREADS APART, SO THAT THE RUBBER MOUNTS NO LONGER PROPERLY ENGAGE. THIS IS BOTH A SAFETY AND EMISSIONS RISK. THIS DEFECT WAS DOCUMENTED IN MY MOTORCYCLE BY DUCATI SEATTLE ON MARCH 5, 2010, BUT THE DESIGN FLAW IS KNOWN TO HAVE EXISTED FROM THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE. *TR

I HAVE A MOTORCYCLE THAT WAS INCLUDED IN A RECALL FOR A DEFECTIVE FUEL LINE CONNECTOR: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V017000 COMPONENT: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS BECAUSE OF AN OVERSIGHT BY EITHER DUCATI NORTH AMERICA, OR THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT MY MOTORCYCLE, EASTSIDE MOTORSPORTS, OR WHERE I HAD RECENTLY HAD SERVICE, DUCATI SEATTLE, I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE RECALL. INSTEAD, MY ENGINE FAILED WHILE ON A CURVED ON-RAMP, WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS. NOBODY KNOWS WHY I WASN'T INFORMED, OR WHO IS RESPONSIBLE. *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