2007 Ducati 1000GT

GAS TANK REACTING WITH ETHANOL IN FUEL CREATING A CONDITION WHERE THE TANK DISTORTS FROM ORIGINAL SHAPE AND FALL OFF ITS MOUNTS. THIS CREATES A CONDITION WHERE THE TANK INTERFERES WITH THE STEERING OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND ANOTHER CONDITION WHERE THE TANK WEARS ON THE FRAME AND MAY PRODUCE TANK FAILURE WITH FUEL LEAKAGE ONTO ENGINE AND EXHAUST SYSTEM.... NO RESPONSE AT ALL FROM DUCATI DEALERSHIP REGARDING ISSUE, THE REPLACEMENT TANK THAT IS AVAILABLE IS THE SAME AS ORIGINAL AND AN AFTERMARKET ALUMINUM TANK REPLACEMENT COSTS $2700 PLUS PAINT, DECALS AND FITTING, ANOTHER $800. TOTAL $3500, THIS IS 30% OF ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE OF THE MOTORCYCLE...I FEEL IT IS UP TO THIS DEPARTMENT TO DO ITS JOB AND CORRECT THIS DANGEROUS, EXPENSIVE AND UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION. *TR

THE GAS TANK DEFORMED SO MUCH THAT INSTEAD OF A THREE POINT FIT, IT IS NOW ONLY HELD IN PLACE BY THE BOLT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SEAT. THE TANK CAN EASILY BE LIFTED UP ON THE FRONT OF THE BIKE. THE TANK HAS ALSO DEVELOPED 'DIMPLES' ON THE SURFACE (AS IN LARGE 'DENT'). BASICALLY THE TANK IS COLLAPSING. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD GAS TANK REPLACEMENT FOR THIS BIKE. DUCATI COVERS IT UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, IT IS GUARANTEED THAT THIS ISSUE WILL RE-OCCUR. CURRENTLY THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO HAVE THE NEW TANK COATED BY A THIRD PARTY. THE COST FOR THIS IS NOT COVERED BY DUCATI (APPROX. $300) AND THIS PREVENTATIVE STEP WILL EFFECTIVELY VOID THE WARRANTY. THE COATING OF THE TANK MAY OR MAY NOT PREVENT THIS ISSUE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. BUT SHOULD THE SAME ISSUE OCCUR AGAIN A REPLACEMENT MAY NO LONGER BE COVERED BY DUCATI. *TR

THE GAS TANK HAS SPREAD / SWELLED. YOU CAN PICK THE GAS TANK UP OFF OF THE FRAME BECAUSE THE CLIPS NO LONGER HOLD IT IN PLACE. ALSO, WHEN YOU TURN THE HANDLEBARS FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT THE RUB INTO THE GAS TANK. THE TANK ALSO HAS BUBBLES FORMING IN PAINT FROM THE SPREAD / SWELL. AS OF 4/1/2012 DEALER STATED DUCATI NORTH AMERICA IS REFUSING TO REPLACE TANK UNDER CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. *TR

THE GAS TANK HAS DEFORMED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO DETACH ITSELF FROM THE FACTORY MOUNTINGS AND NOW INTERFERE WITH THE FRONT FORKS AS TO IMPAIR FULL RANGE OF STEERING. THE TANK IS NOW RESTING ON THE WIRING HARNESS AND FRAME OF THE MOTORCYCLE AS TO CAUSE POSSIBLE WEAR THROUGH OF HARNESS OR TANK, . IF THE TANK LEAKS FROM ITS WEAR POINTS IT WILL LEAK FUEL DIRECTLY ONTO THE ENGINE. AND ELECTRICAL SHORT BETWEEN FRAME AND GAS TANK NEEDS NO FURTHER DESCRIPTION.. *TR

FUEL TANK EXPANSION LOOSENS TANK WHERE IT CAN COME OFF EASILY. THIS TANK WAS ALREADY REPLACED 1 1/2 YRS AGO & WHILE I JUST NOTICED IT, I WASN'T AWARE OF WHAT TO LOOK FOR UNTIL VISITING DEALER & OTHER CUSTOMER INSPECTED MY TANK TO COMPARE TO HIS. APPARENTLY MINE HAD BEEN SPREADING FOR SOME TIME PRIOR. DEALER HAS SAID DUCATI HAD BRACKET & WILL INSTALL AT NO CHARGE. MY CONCERN IS TANK INTEGRITY FROM SPREADING. *TR

FIRST INCIDENT OF TANK SPREADING AND COMING LOOSE FROM RETAINER 9/07 AND WAS SHIMMIED TO MAKE FUEL TANK SECURE. SECOND INCIDENT OF FUEL TANK SPREADING 6/08 AND WAS SHIMMIED AGAIN. THIRD TIME 8/09 AND FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED WITH NEW PART. NEW FUEL TANK IS NOW (3/11) EXHIBITING SAME SPREADING AND COMING LOOSE FROM FRONT RETAINER.

THE PLASTIC GAS TANK ON MY 2007 DUCATI GT1000 MOTORCYCLE IS "SPREADING", MEANING THAT IT IS EXPANDING HORIZONTALLY, AND IS NO LONGER HELD IN PLACE WITH IT'S ORIGINAL 2 FRONT-END MOUNTS (THE REAR OF THE TANK IS MOUNTED AT A SINGLE POINT, AND IT NOT AN ISSUE). TWICE I HAVE REMOVED THE TANK, AND USING WASHERS AND LONGER BOLTS, MOVED THE MOUNTING BRACKETS OUT FROM THE FRAME IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE FUEL TANK. LAST YEAR, I INCREASED TO 5 WASHERS ON EACH SIDE, WHICH HAVE MOVED EACH BRACKET OUT ABOUT 1/4 INCH. HOWEVER, ON RECENT INSPECTION, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TANK IS FALLING OUT OF THE BRACKET AGAIN (SO TOTAL TANK EXPANSION IS NOW MINIMALLY 3/4 INCHES AT THE BASE). ** AT SOME POINT VERY SOON, THE FRONT OF MY GAS TANK WILL NO LONGER BE PHYSICALLY ATTACHED TO THE MOTORCYCLE ** IN DEC 2010, I INQUIRED TO A LOCAL DUCATI DEALER ABOUT A WARRANTY CLAIM, BUT HE EMAILED ME: "SORRY, WE CURRENTLY DO NOT PERFORM WARRANTY WORK FOR DUCATI. THEY OWE US WELL OVER $10,000 IN UNPAID WARRANTY CLAIMS. EVIDENTLY THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY US. UNTIL THEY MAKE GOOD ON THE UNPAID WORK, WE CANNOT ASSIST THEM FURTHER WITH THEIR EXTENSIVE WARRANTY PROBLEMS. WE HAVE SUFFERED A HUGE FINANCIAL LOSS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM." (6 MONTHS EARLIER, I HAD CALLED MY OTHER LOCAL DUCATI DEALER. AFTER PROVIDING MY VIN, HE APPARENTLY CHECKED SOME LIST AND TOLD ME THAT THE VIN NUMBER RANGE FOR DEFECTIVE TANKS DID NOT INCLUDE MY NUMBER; THAT MY TANK IS GOOD. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE). THIS IS AN EVOLVING ISSUE, SO THE INCIDENT DATE USED WITH THIS SUBMISSION REFLECTS THE DATE OF THE DEALER EMAIL EXCHANGE. IN THEORY, THIS LIKELY STARTED AT THE DATE OF MFG OF THE TANK. *LN

THE FUEL TANK ON MY MOTORCYCLE IS DEFORMING DUE TO THE ETHANOL THAT IS PUT IN GASOLINE. IT HAS DEFORMED TO THE POINT THAT IT DOES NOT SIT IN IT'S MOUNTS PROPERLY AND HAS BECOME LOOSE. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO REPLACE THE TANK, THEY HAVE INSTEAD MODIFIED THE MOUNTS TWICE. THE TANK CONTINUES TO DEFORM AND KEEPS COMING LOOSE. DUCATI NEEDS TO MANUFACTURE A TANK THAT IS NOT AFFECTED BY ETHANOL AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TANK WITH THE NEW STYLE. *TR

WITH THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST DUCATI REGARDING DEFORMED TANKS, THE DEALER FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE MY TANK. HOWEVER TO MY SURPRISE, IT IS THE IDENTICAL FUEL TANK THAT WAS DEFECTIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE. OTHER MANUFACTURERS SWITCHED TO METAL TANKS. I AM CERTAIN THAT MY TANK WILL BEGIN TO DEFORM AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I WANT TO GET THE PROPER REPLACEMENT THAT WOULD NOT ENDANGER THE RIDER. *TR