2006 Ducati Sport Classic

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

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

THE GAS TANK ON MY 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC WAS SPREADING AND WARPING, WHICH MADE IT LOOSE FROM THE FRONT TABS/CLAMPS AND COULD BE LIFTED FROM THE FRAME. I JUST RECEIVED A REPLACEMENT TANK FROM DUCATI ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. HOWEVER, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS TANK IS NO DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS DEFECTIVE ONE, WHICH MEANS THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY SPREAD AND WARP AGAIN MAKING IT UNSAFE. I PURCHASED THIS DUCATI ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2007, USED. THE WARPING BEGAN AROUND THE 9000 MILE MARK. IT NOW HAS A LITTLE OVER 10000 MILES. *TR

WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF PURCHASE OF MY MOTORCYCLE THE GAS TANK "SPREAD". THIS MEANS THE PLASTIC GAS TANK DISTORTED IT'S SHAPE ENOUGH TO COME COMPLETELY OFF IT'S MOUNT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GAS TANK. DUCATI IS REPLACING THIS TANK WITH AN EXACT DUPLICATE. 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 DEFECTIVE TANKS TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TANKS ALREADY ON THE BIKES. I AM ON MY THIRD TANK REPLACEMENT. THE DUCATI DEALERSHIP KEPT GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND UNTIL FINALLY THEY AGREED TO DO THE THIRD REPLACEMENT. *TR

THE GAS TANK HAS STARTED TO DEFORM AND DOES NOT MOUNT PROPERLY TO THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED AND WAS REPLACED AT NO COST BY THE DUCATI DEALER. THIS SECOND TANK THE DEALER IS GIVING ME A BIT OF HESITATION AND WANTS TO SHIM THE TANK. I BELIEVE SHIMMING WILL NOT STOP THE TANK FROM SPREADING AND WILL EVENTUALLY BE A BIGGER PROBLEM. *TR

MY MOTORCYCLE IS A 2006 DUCATI SPORT 1000 WHICH HAS A PLASTIC GAS TANK WHICH HAS BEGUN TO EXPAND AND DEFORM. THE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS OF THE TANK HAVE INCREASED AND IT NOW DOES NOT SIT CORRECTLY IN THE FRAME. THE RUBBER MOUNTS NO LONGER SIT ON THE FRAME. I HAVE MADE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE FUEL TANK OR FUEL PUMP. IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2008 I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE DEALER WHO SUBMITTED A CLAIM TO DUCATI NORTH AMERICA (THE IMPORTER/FACTORY) AND THEY AUTHORIZED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TANK WITH A NEW ONE, WHICH WAS FITTED AT THAT TIME. I WAS NOT GIVEN A REASON. WITHIN ONE YEAR THE NEW TANK STARTED TO EXPAND AND DEFORM IN THE SAME WAY. SO I JUST RECENTLY TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DUCATI DEALER. THEY GOT ME ANOTHER REPLACEMENT TANK, WHICH WAS FITTED 2 WEEKS AGO. THEY TOLD ME THE TANKS HAVE NOT CHANGED AND DUCATI HAS NOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM (I.E. NEW TANK DESIGN, OR DIFFERENT MATERIALS USED IN ITS CONSTRUCTION) OTHER THAN REPEATEDLY REPLACING THE TANKS WITH THE SAME TYPE AS THEY EXPAND/DEFORM. I AM VERY CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFETY OF THIS MOTORCYCLE. THE TANK'S SWELLING MAKES IT VERY LOOSE. IF THE TANK SWELLS ENOUGH I AM CONCERNED THAT IT MIGHT SPLIT OPEN WHILE I AM RIDING AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND/OR LIFE ENDANGERING FIRE. *TR

A NEWLY PURCHASED DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE, PURCHASED FROM AN AUTHORIZED DUCATI DEALER IN MARCH OF 2006, IS EXHIBITING OUT OF SPEC GAS TANK EXPANSION, WHICH IS CREATING UNSAFE MOUNTING ONTO MOTORCYCLE FRAME. THAT IS, THE GAS TANK IS WARPING OUT OF SHAPE AND NO LONGER SECURELY MOUNTED ONTO FRAME. NO OWNER ABUSE, ACCIDENTS, OR EXTREME EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS HAS CAUSED THIS GAS TANK WARPAGE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT. *TR

I OWN A 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. THE GAS TANK IS PLASTIC AND THE TANK IS SPREADING APART FROM THE MOUNTING BRACKETS TO THE POINT WHERE THE BRACKETS DO NOT ENGAGE THE TANK ANY LONGER. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AS THE TANK COULD SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE. I READ ON OWNER FORUMS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS SO FAR FAILED TO ADDRESS. I ALSO READ THAT THIS WAS BEING INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA AND THAT I SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT. I FIRST OBSERVED THIS CONDITION IN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND IT HAS CONTINUED TO WORSEN. *TR

THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK ON MY 2006 DUCATI PAUL SMART 1000 MOTORCYCLE IS SPREADING IN WIDTH, SO THAT IT NO LONGER SITS SECURELY ON THE MOUNTS THAT ATTACH IT TO THE VEHICLE. THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK IS ALSO BECOMING DIMPLED, WAS SMOOTH WHEN NEW. I SUSPECT IT MAY THE POLYMER USED IN THE FUEL TANK REACTING BADLY WITH THE ETHANOL WE HAVE IN USA GASOLINE. *TR