This will be the third active thread regarding the defective fuel tanks. Maybe we should pick one fuel tank thread for simplicity?

Anyway, my dealer said the tanks are not covered after warranty and they cost $1900.

I have an extended warranty that lists "fuel tank" under "carbueration" as being a covered item. Exactly what that means I'm not sure.

I submitted the issue about the fuel tanks not being covered to DNA today and also filed a complaint to NHTSA.

Here's the link: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/Consumer.cfm

I love my GT and have no regrets but don't like the idea of having to spend $1900 on part that is defective out of the factory.

I'm hoping that if we all keep up the pressure Ducati will give in and replace these tanks as needed or come up with a better tank and recall them.

 

Anyway, my dealer said the tanks are not covered after warranty and they cost $1900.

I would push the dealer and Ducati on that. This is not simply a part that breaks. It is a flawed design issue. Ducati needs to step up to the plate and fix the bad tanks.

 

Complant filed here, too. I doubt if we can get a stick on this one, so let's keep it alive.

 

I shimmed my tank brackets out as shown on (http://www.webbikeworld.com/ducati-motorcycles/gt-1000/fuel-tank/) with 3 washers on each side and while the tank is still a bit loose at least it is being supported better than before.

I went ahead and filed a complaint with NHTSA so hopefully Ducati N.A. comes in with a replacement tank soon.

 

I just filed my complaint.
My tank has spread so that it is loose, but not quite able to come out of the brackets. I hadn't really thought it was a problem until I read a poster's comment that it could break loose during an accident...

Since i flipped my bike last summer I realize this could present a very real danger.

 

My tank was so loose that we shimmed it up at the dealer. It seems very tight, with a little play. The worry is that if the tank is that loose, it could just come off at speed as well. You'd better get to work on building some tanks! If they are half as nice as your huggers, we'd all be OK.

 

DNA good will

I bought my 06 used a few monthes back and the warrenty expired this past july.
I contacted my local Duc dealer and explained my loose tank issue.
they advised me to bring the bike in to them. upon inspection they notified there rep and 8 weeks past but my new tank finally arrived.
I was told that DNA replaced it under "good will".
i was responsible for the labor cost. I didnt complain and paid on the spot.
Its been 2 weeks since my new tank was installed and i am noticing the tank is getting loose.

Im now dreaming about after market aluminum in the future.

 

Has anyone in Europe been affected by the dreaded tank issue?

 

Doubtful Europeans have too much common sense to run out ethanol crap!

 

"Check your state laws on emission controled devices. A gas tank is classifed as such. In California that would be a 7 or 8 year warrenty on that gas tank. So they would have to replace it.

We used to use the same law to replace leaking monster gas tanks."

The above info is from Sport Classic site.

 

I shimmed my tank today. After replacing the stock bolts with ones that were slightly longer it took 5 washers on each mounting bolt, 7mm a side, for a total of 14mm, to take up most of the space. The tank still has some slight movement, but to eliminate all movement I would have had to get longer bolts to add any more washers. (I also worry about loading the tank by putting pressure on the mounts if I add too many washers - after all I suppose the tank can only stretch just so much before something gives somewhere on it). I am now going to monitor the tank carefully to see if it continues to get looser. Pretty amazing that the bike had over a 1/4 inch of extra space on each side of the front mountings. The interesting question is whether the bike originally had this much play and I just did not notice it, or whether it has developed over the 2 plus years and 8,700 miles that I have had the bike.

 

I filed a report on my tank.

John

 

I just received contact via email from Ducati North America concerning an inquiry I sent them last week. They are going to check the VIN and see if they can help get coverage for the tank and replace it. I, too, have shimmed it up, but the concern is ongoing. This bike is a riot to ride, however!

 

I filed a report too!

thanks for all the info.

 

I've filed a report on my tank.

Between the 2006 and 2007 models, it looks like there have been around 16 or 17 complaints filed with NHTSA as of this post. As popular as this subject is, it sure seems like there are plenty people that are aware of the site but not taking the 1 minute to file a statement. PLEASE, take the time to file a complaint.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm


I love my Ducati, but I would prefer that it was not my tank bag that is holding my bike together.

 

I just found this link to degredation of fuel tanks in boats, it looks like its a known issue with fibreglass and epoxy resins, does anyone know what an SC tank is made from?

 

Or 2 bolts and 8 washers.
One thing I've noticed is that the expansion has brought the tank just about to the steering limit.
I pray that nobody gets hurt because of this. Isn't there something we can do to get the issue resolved BEFORE that? Along with this site, keep pounding DNA with complaints and issues. I don't want to give them a bad time, but this is gonna get REAL bad soon.

 

calm down, brooksie.

who needs so much steering angle anyway ?


no, i am serious, this is sure a defect, but you
guys should take it easy, or as a men at least.

get some washers and space out the brackets,
what is the problem anyway.

i mean, you have just entered the huge red ducati
church, now that you have noticed a little spot on
the high-priest's wardrobe, stop crying about it,
that the others can go on with their worshipping.



you should read in the old cycle world magazines,
about the issues cook and spalding hat with their
machine, to notice, that nothing has changed basicly.

get that thing tuned and trash the fuck out of it,
but do me one favour in between: stop crying
about it, as this is the most beautyful thing you
will ever come across.

you guys should be more grateful, that you have
the opportunity to buy such a great machine, and
should stop crying about these minor issues.

nothin' is leakin', nobody got hurt so far, so what
the fuck.

 

get some washers and space out the brackets,
what is the problem anyway.

IMHO when you pay the price of admission for a Ducati you shouldn't have to put up with jury rigged fixes. Ducati has a problem and they need to get it straightened out. (Excuse the pun.)

 

you dont want to read whining and i dont want to read a post with 5 (plus 1 in the sig)

take a look at my tank and tell me if its the most beautyful (sic) thing you will ever come across. The indent on top is so bad you can eat a can of soup out of it.

 

oh i didn't mean to sound disrespectful at all,
he should just get his senses together.

take a look at my tank and tell me if its the most beautyful (sic) thing you will ever come across. The indent on top is so bad you can eat a can of soup out of it.

hi there.

that sounds weird, i would love to see some noodle
soup arranged on your sport classic tank,
an image, ducati north america would like
to see also, i assume.



haven't you guys asked http://www.airtech-streamlining.com/ , if they are
willing to come up with a tank of their own ?
maybe with a slight different shape also ?

I'll give WBO a call tomorrow, to see if he is
willing to come up with a badge of aluminum
tanks for your bikes.

cheers.

 

I second that Timdog; let's not start being disrespectful to members. This is a club and a friendly one. I have to agree that a fuel tank which costs around a £8-900 to replace is not a trivial issue. Plus, surely if the tank keeps spreading it will split eventually and this will be a safety issue.

 

From what has been discovered so far - it seems to be only US tanks, US has high ethanol, there is a known degredation problems with high ethanol I'd hazard a guess that Ducati didn't actually test the tank material construction in the US market using US gas prior to launch. Is that the buyers fault and should one expect the buyer to spend money putting it right or fashioning a fix? Most here will have put up with the "quirks" owning them bring, you'd hardly buy an SC without some knowledge of Ducati but a faulty gas tank and its replacement cost should not be one the owner has to bear!

 

I am dead calm about this. I bought the bike know how "quirky" Ducati can be. I love the bike. Everything about it. I really think I could live with the can being shimmed up. But the last thing I need is an aluminum tank I have to paint. Why should I? Just looking for a little support from the manufacturer, is all.

 

Truelu, I am dead calm about this.

thanks brooksie, i have a good laugh here on
your very dry last post.
i really didn't mean to offend you or anybody
else, just wanted to share my view of the
matter with you.

i sure agree, that this is a fault of the manufacturer,
just as gizmo has stated, it seems as if ducati
has never tested the tanks in the u.s. before they
went into production.

still wait for the noodle soup picture here, and hope
you all come to a good conclusion with your tanks.

cheers.

 

I knew that something was wrong! At first, I thought that perhaps I lost a rubber mount or clip of some sort because my tank has spread so much that I can list it off the bike. O. F. F. As in: Lift it the FUc% OFF my bike with no tools. It slots into one or the other mount hangers, but not both at the same time. I'm waiting until spring to do the valve service and new tires, so I'll see if they have a fix for this while I'm at it.

 

Any replacement tank will go the same way. It seems to be a problem in the States only. Is there a way to start a thread that we can simply count how many owners have this issue without the rhetoric? Maybe if we can get enough together, we can get some notice from DNA.

 

Dear Moderator.....Thread For Counting Bad Tanks?

Can we get a thread going that would be like a survey that allows owners to be counted that have or had the incredible melting tank? I'd be glad to provide any info required from the bike. I've filed with NTSB and DNA but I think we need to get some help providing real numbers to DNA and NTSB as to the real numbers. While it is good to have dialog here, we need to get a REAL count as best we can so perhaps we can get some help for this issue. Thanks!

 

Can we get a thread going that would be like a survey that allows owners to be counted that have or had the incredible melting tank? I'd be glad to provide any info required from the bike. I've filed with NTSB and DNA but I think we need to get some help providing real numbers to DNA and NTSB as to the real numbers. While it is good to have dialog here, we need to get a REAL count as best we can so perhaps we can get some help for this issue. Thanks!

I posted a poll. Vote "yes" or "no" and include any information that you think might be useful . . . . how long have you had your bike, do you keep it indoors or outdoors, etc.

 

i might be trading my b ike for a sportclassic next week and I didn't know about this problem. Would it be smart to coat the inside of the tank this winter with por-15/kreem/ or something similar???

 

Temp Fix

Until Ducati gets us new, safe, non-spreading replacements for our defective tanks, I have been pondering what to do. I did take the time to place my technical problem complaint per the instructions YMRacing so kindly posted on the poll thread. I know some folks have decided to shim out the mounting brackets on the frame, but that seems like the wrong way to go to me. I keep thinking that some sort of tiny aluminum turnbuckle attached to the frame and the tank could be used to pull the tank sides back towards the frame and retain the original shape. I have not spent much time looking at it yet, just an idea. If anyone here has more of an engineering background or reasearched this, I would be curious as to your thoughts. I was thinking of zip tying the turnbuckle to the frame and somehow attaching it to the tank, although I am not sure how. If that can be accomplished, you could slowly, over several days or weeks, tighten the turnbuckle to pull the tank back into shape. Feasible or not?

 

Until Ducati gets us new, safe, non-spreading replacements for our defective tanks, I have been pondering what to do. I did take the time to place my technical problem complaint per the instructions YMRacing so kindly posted on the poll thread. I know some folks have decided to shim out the mounting brackets on the frame, but that seems like the wrong way to go to me. I keep thinking that some sort of tiny aluminum turnbuckle attached to the frame and the tank could be used to pull the tank sides back towards the frame and retain the original shape. I have not spent much time looking at it yet, just an idea. If anyone here has more of an engineering background or reasearched this, I would be curious as to your thoughts. I was thinking of zip tying the turnbuckle to the frame and somehow attaching it to the tank, although I am not sure how. If that can be accomplished, you could slowly, over several days or weeks, tighten the turnbuckle to pull the tank back into shape. Feasible or not?

Not..........you are talking plastic here that has been deformed, stretched and bubbled due to a chemical reaction to the additives in the gasoline suppled in the USA. No amount of pushing/pulling with anything is going to get it back to its original shape.

Stop pondering and just get a new tank from DNA. As I have posted before they are aware of the problem. Also the NHTSA is now involved.

 

So, here's a pic of of mine and two friend's bikes, all with very warped tanks. The lines you see are not just from the photo, they are now features in the tanks. The yellow bike has bubbles on the top of the tank and I kinda freaked my buddy out when I casually lifted the tank off the mount with ease. My tank now has warps and creases that make it a little less attractive in these glamour shots. The Monster tank has a series of creases and bubbles across the top and has expanded so much the latch barely works even though the rear mount is at the end of it's adjustment and will need to be drilled to mount the tank further back to keep working. The bottom of my tank where the fuel pump is mounted is warped so bad the o-ring alone will not seal it and I have to use sealant when putting it together. I have been sorta OK with my bike, bacause although I like taking pics and showing it off, I really bought it to ride. As long as it's functional I figured I would be OK with it. But, it is hard to watch my friends and forum members go through the pains of having their $10,000 plus bike warp before their eyes. I may be interested in swapping my tank if a solution has truly been found in the replacement tanks:

 

I may be interested in swapping my tank if a solution has truly been found in the replacement tanks:

It's unfortunate that this is happening...my GT's tank looks horrible too. I'd love for Ducati to find a fix for this; however, we all may be writing letters to the wrong people.

If it truly is ethanol that is causing the trouble, Ducati is not mandating the use of ethanol here in the States...the government is. Where is the benefit? It's less fuel efficient, it costs more than gasoline, our food prices have gone up because ethanol has caused feed prices to go up...AND OUR DUCATIS' FUEL TANKS CAN'T HOLD IT.

I'm in the grain business, and I've watched first hand the ethanol industry rise to and now rapidly fall from power. Two years ago they couldn't open these plants fast enough, and now they can't close them fast enough. They are going bankrupt or posting record losses. The most frustrating part of it is that up until a couple of months ago, the government was paying a $.51 per gallon of ethanol produced blenders credit. Which means if an ethanol plant produced 100,000,000 gallons a year, then they received a check from the government for $51,000,000. The blenders credit still exists, but I think it's been backed down to $.45 a gallon. If ethanol really is a good thing, then why does the government have to mandate it and subsidize it?

They don't subsidize my business, and I also handle grain...and I doubt they'll subsidize Ducati for a fuel tank problem caused by ethanol...mandated by the US Government.