2003 Suzuki SV1000

MY 2003 SUZUKI SV1000S STARTED RUNNING POORLY AFTER I FILLED UP THE GAS TANK ON 9/10/2005. INITIALLY I THOUGHT I HAD BAD GAS. I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE DEALER AND THEY CHECKED IT AND FOUND THERE IS A CRACK IN THE TANK. THE DEALER SAID THE CRACK IS NEAR THE FUEL VAPOR SEPARATOR. THIS PART IS ONLY INSTALLED ON E-33 (CALIFORNIA MODEL) GAS TANKS FOR EMISSIONS PURPOSES. THAT CRACK CAUSED FUEL TO LEAK INTO THE CARBON CANISTER WHICH IS ONLY FOR FUEL VAPOR. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED THE TANK, AND CARBON CANISTER UNDER WARRANTY. I AM NOT THE ONLY SV1000S OWNER LIVING IN CA THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM. SEVERAL MEMBERS FROM A FORUM I AM A MEMBER OF (HTTP://WWW.SV1000.ZYNS.COM/INDEX.PHP?) ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. I FOUND A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT FROM ANOTHER OWNER AND THAT IS WHY I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT UP. I BELIEVE SUZUKI WILL REPLACE THE TANKS BUT ONLY ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. *NM

THIS COMPLAINT IS IN REFERENCE TO MY 2003 SUZUKI SV100S,CALIFORNIA MODEL[XXX]. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND THE BIKE HAS 23,000 MILES ON IT NOW. THE PROBLEM IS WITH FUEL LEAKING FROM A SPOT WELD ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK. I HAD THE ORIGINAL TANK REPLACED LAST YEAR UNDER THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY WHEN IT HAD ABOUT 16,000 MILES FOR FUEL LEAKING FROM THE SAME PLACE. UNDERNEATH THE TANK THERE IS A SQUARE INDENTATION WITH SEVERAL SPOT WELDS IN THE SQUARE. THE FUEL LEAKS FROM THE SPOT WHERE THE WELDS ARE. LIKE THE METAL HAS A HAIRLINE CRACK AT THE EDGE OF THE ACTUAL SPOT WELD. THE FUEL LEAKS ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK AND ONTO AN ALUMINUM HEAT SHIELD WHICH IS DIRECTLY OVER THE ENGINE AND COULD VERY EASILY CAUSE A FIRE. *NM UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)