2007 Ducati 1000GT

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

FUEL TANK DEFORMS RESULTING IN THE TANK NOT FITTING PROPERLY IN MOUNTING BRACKET. TANK COULD DISENGAGE FROM MOUNT WHILE OPERATING THE MOTORCYCLE. FUEL PUMP IS MOUNTED IN TANK. DEFORMATION AROUND THE FUEL PUMP MOUNTING SITE COULD RESULT IN A FUEL LEAK, SPILLING FUEL ONTO A HOT ENGINE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A FIRE WHILE MOTORCYCLE IS IN OPERATION. *TR

PLASTIC FUEL TANK ON MY 2007 DUCATI GT1000 SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE HAS BECOME WARPED/DEFORMED AND CAME FREE FROM ITS FRAME MOUNTS AS A RESULT. SEVERITY OF ISSUE PRESENTED ITSELF WHILE I WAS OPERATING THE MOTORCYCLE, REPRESENTING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TOOK MOTORCYCLE TO REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE SHIMS INSTALLED SO FUEL TANK WOULD NOT BE LOOSE, BUT THE WARPING HAS CONTINUED. FUEL TANK IS NOW AGAIN LOOSE. *TR

THE FUEL TANK ON MY 2007 DUCATI GT 1000 HAS EXPANDED/DEFORMED TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS NOT SECURE ON THE FRAME. THIS HAPPENED DUE TO EXPOSURE TO ETHANLOL, AS FAR AS ANYONE'S BEST GUESS. NO TRAUMA, HEAT, OR UNUSUAL FORCES CAME TO BEAR, THE MOTORCYCLE STAYS IN A GARAGE EXCEPT WHEN RIDDEN. THE TANK WAS REPLACED ONCE FOR THIS PROBLEM BY DUCATI, AND IT HAS NOW RE-OCCURRED ON THE REPLACEMENT. OBVIOUSLY, NO PERMANENT SOLUTION FOR THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION HAS BEEN DEVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO OBTAIN ANOTHER REPLACEMENT TANK FROM DUCATI. *TR