2006 Ducati Sport Classic

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2006 DUCATI SPORT 1000 SPORT CLASSIC. IN JANUARY I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL TANK HAD DEFORMED IN SHAPE AND WAS NOW UNABLE TO REST IN ITS MOUNTS. THE FACT THAT THE FUEL TANK MOVES ALL AROUND ON THE BIKE AND IS UNSECURED MAKES IT UNUSABLE AND UNSAFE. I HAVE CONTACTED DUCATI ABOUT THIS AND HAVE NO HEARD ANYTHING FROM THEM REGARDING THIS SAFETY ISSUE. CURRENTLY MY MOTORCYCLE IS UNUSABLE AS THE POTENTIAL FOR RUPTURE OR SPILLAGE WHILE RIDING IS VERY HIGH. CURRENTLY I AM HEARING FROM OTHER OWNERS THAT DUCATI REPLACES THE PART WITH THE EXACT SAME PIECE AND THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED. I HAVE MET OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD TWO OR THREE TANKS REPLACED FOR THE SAME ISSUE. CURRENTLY DUCATI IS SELLING THIS MODEL NEW WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC SPORT 1000 FROM THE DEALER (TOURING SPORT IN GREENVILLE, SC) THAT SOLD IT TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND THEN TO ME. THE GAS TANK HAS DEFORMED TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS NO LONGER SECURELY HELD IN PLACE ON THE FRAME. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A COMMON KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MOTORCYCLE. MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE HAVE BEEN FILED WITH THE NHTSA. I HAVE SUFFERED NO CATACLYSMIC EVENTS DUE TO THIS DEFECT. HOWEVER, THE POTENTIAL IS GREAT AND I MUST HAVE SOME RESOLUTION BEFORE I WILL CONSIDER THE MOTORCYCLE SAFE TO DRIVE. THANK-YOU. *TR

FUEL TANK ON MY 2006 DUCATI PAUL SMART (PS1000LE) HAS DEVELOPED WAVES ON THE SURFACE AND NUMEROUS DIMPLES. THE SURFACE IS NO LONGER UNIFORM. ALSO, IT SEEM TO HAVE INCRESED ITS OUTSIDE SIZE. THIS IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE HOWEVER. DUE TO THE TANK DEFORMATION IT IS NO LONGER FIRMLY ATTACHED TO THE FRAME AND CAN ESILY BE MOVED(ROCKED) SIDE TO SIDE. THIS IS EXTREMEMLY DANGEORUS AND I AM WORRIED THAT IF THIS DEFORMATION CONTINUES THE TANK CAN BECOME DISLOGED OR CRACK CAUSING A FUEL LEAK AND FIRE. I ASKED MY DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT, I WAS REFUSED.

MY PLASTIC FUEL TANK EXPANDS AND DEFORMS, A PHENOMENON SUPPOSEDLY CAUSED BY A CHEMICAL REACTION OF THE PLASTIC TANK TO THE ETHANOL IN THE FUEL (THIS PROBLEM SEEMS ONLY TO OCCUR FOR THE BIKES THAT ARE IN THE UNITED STATES, BECAUSE OTHER COUNTRIES APPARENTLY DO NOT HAVE ETHANOL IN THE GAS). THIS IS A WELL KNOWN AND WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. THERE ARE OVER 100 COMPLAINTS FILED IN THIS NHTSA SITE, MOSTLY WITH THE SPORT CLASSIC LINE, BUT ALSO WITH THE MONSTER, HYPERMOTARD, AND SUPERBIKE LINES AS WELL. ANY OF DUCATI'S BIKES WITH PLASTIC FUEL TANKS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE. ON A POPULAR WEBSITE, DUCATI.MS, 238 SPORT CLASSIC OWNERS STATED THEY EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE TANK EXPANDING. THE CONCERN IS THAT EVEN THE REPLACEMENT TANKS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. MY SECOND TANK HAS ALSO DEFORMED AND NOW I AM SEEKING A THIRD TANK FROM DUCATI. THE WORRY FOR ALL SPORT CLASSIC OWNERS IS THAT SOON DUCATI WILL STOP HONORING THESE CLAIMS AS OUR WARRANTY PERIODS HAVE ENDED. THE SPORT CLASSICS WERE SUCH LIMITED EDITION BIKES, THAT THERE IS ALSO CONCERN THAT DUCATI WILL NOT MANUFACTURE ANY MORE REPLACEMENT TANKS. BUT ONCE AGAIN, THE FRUSTRATION IS THAT TO THIS DATE, DUCATI STILL HAS NOT INTRODUCED A REPLACEMENT PLASTIC FUEL TANK THAT WILL NOT EXPAND. AGAIN, ALTHOUGH THIS PROBLEM IS MOST PREVALENT FOR OWNERS OF THE SPORT CLASSIC LINE, DEALERS INFORM ME THEY ARE SEEING SIMILAR PROBLEMS NOW WITH ALL DUCATI BIKES EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC FUEL TANKS, SOMETHING DUCATI NEVER DID BEFORE, INTRODUCING THEM IN 2006. THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING FILED WITH HOPES THAT THE NHTSA CAN MAKE SURE DUCATI CONTINUES TO DEVELOP A REPLACEMENT TANK THAT WILL NOT DEFORM (AGAIN THE REPLACEMENT TANKS NOW ARE NO BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL ONES). AND UNTIL THEY DO THAT, I HOPE THE NHTSA CAN PERSUADE DUCATI TO CONTINUE TO REPLACE THESE PROBLEM TANKS, REGARDLESS OF WHEN THE BIKE WAS PURCHASED, AND TO SPECIFICALLY PROVIDE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THOSE REPLACEMENTS. *TR

1) THE PLASTIC GAS TANK HAS "SPREAD" OR DEFORMED AND NO LONGER MOUNTS TO THE MOTORCYCLE FRAME CORRECTLY. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT THE TANK COULD COME LOOSE. 2) THE SPREADING SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY FUEL CONTAINING ETHANOL AND ONCE THE TANK HAS SPREAD IT DOES NOT RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL SHAPE. 3) DUCATI IS CURRENTLY REPLACING TANKS, BUT FOR HOW LONG? THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE MY TANK, BUT THE REPLACEMENT TANK WOULD NOT BE AUTOGRAPHED (THE ORIGINAL TANK IS AUTOGRAPHED WHICH ADDS TO THE VALUE OF THE MOTORCYCLE. DUCATI PAID TO HAVE THE MOTORCYCLE RACER COME TO THE US AND AUTOGRAPH THE TANKS IN ORDER TO SELL THE MOTORCYCLES - SO THEY ADDED THE VALUE). I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL, DEFORMED TANK. *TR