2006 Ducati Sport Classic

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

I OWN A 2006 PAUL SMART 1000LE, FROM THE SPORT CLASSIC LINE BY DUCATI. THE GAS TANK, WHICH IS MADE FROM SOME SORT OF PLASTIC HAS BEGUN TO SPREAD APART AND IS NOT CONNECTED TO ITS MOORING POINTS. BASED ON WHAT I HAVE READ ON WWW.DUCATI.MS, THIS APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THESE TANKS, AND I AM WORRIED THAT IT MAY FALL OFF WHILE RIDING AND PERHAPS EVEN START A FIRE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT OTHERS HAVE GOTTEN REPLACEMENT TANKS ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME SPREADING OCCUR. *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