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Are you having problems with your tank?

  • Yes, I am having problems with my tank.

    Votes: 368 66.7%
  • No, I am not having problems with my tank.

    Votes: 184 33.3%

Tank Problems - Yes or No

178K views 1K replies 254 participants last post by  mopgcw 
#1 · (Edited)
Let us know if you are having tank problems.

I voted already. I have not had any tank problems so far. For the record, my Paul Smart does not have many miles on it and it stays in a heated garage. I don't know if that makes any difference.
 
#34 · (Edited)
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/results.cfm 2007 = 11 complaints filed.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/results.cfm 2006 = 12 complaints filed.

That equals a whopping 23 complaints I can find at NTSB. Out of 57 votes with tank problems. Come on, hit the link and file. Nobody is gonna come and get you. Maybe you don't mind spending $1600.00 on a fuel tank that keeps doing the same thing? At this point, over 60% are messed up.
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Jan/080109b.htm
http://www.desmonorthwest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6161
OK, it is hard to get hard numbers on total sales by model, but this is a lot of bikes. Let's get some real numbers together and get this fixed.
 
#35 ·
Yeah, my wife's and my bikes are both having the issue. I'll just fix them myself and be done with it. I don't think the NHTSA site is going to do any good if we don't go through the warranty process first, and I'm just not going to go through that with my dealer...
 
#38 · (Edited)
Just celebrated my SC1000's 2nd birthday (and the end of the warranty) with the installation of tank #3. When #1 started to spread, I made spacers to go between the frame and the front brackets but it kept spreading and also pushed a little forward out of the brackets. Dealer has many SCs waiting for tanks so evidently there has been no running production change to the design. Part # hasn't changed, either. I've been told that if it wasn't for the warranty, I would have been out upwards of $1,600 (times 2).
So, where to now? I really like the bike and while I think the spacers are better than having the tank supported by the air box or frame (or having the controls go through the side of the tank), you are only chasing the spread. I'm keeping a close eye on #3 and I've got a couple of ideas on how to help the tank with its memory. If you google "Bulge in Sport Classic Gas Tank" you will find the story of tank #1 with pictures..

Voted and complaint filed. Also like the angle that the tank is part of the emission system in California - can't seem to find the other part, though.

Am I the only one that thought AZ_Scott was having the same problem with his wife? And he was going to fix it himself??
Ken
06 Sport Classic with Zard slip-ons, Cycle Cat adjustable bars, Whistler Cruisader, 15mm preload in the forks, "comfort seat", and my own fender elimination with Lite'N Boltz for the plate.
 
#39 ·
I wonder if this could be a regional or state thing? My dealer (and good friend so he's not going to BS me) has never heard of tanks spreading. As far as he knows it is not a problem in North or South Carolina. (He sells a lot of bikes to people in both states.) In other words, could our fuel be different? :confused: A different formulation for S.C. and N.C.? :confused: Fewer additives? :confused: Less ethanol? :confused:
 
#43 ·
Had a meeting near the dealer today so stopped by to check on my new tank. No tank yet.

They still had an SC and a GT on the floor. Both bikes are spreading on the throttle side. You can only lift up the one side on the SC, GT has spread so much tank lifts of the frame.
 
#44 ·
I took a cursory look at the home states of those who have submitted a written post. It looks like most problems are in:

1. California
2. Oregon

3. Colorado
4. Arizona

5. Illinois
6. Indiana
7. Kentucky

8. New Jersey
9. New York

10. Virginia

It appears that the problem is in four general areas with Virginia being an anomaly.

I don’t see anything in the South or South East. (NC, SC, Georgia, Florida, etc.)

What do you all think? Is there anything special about the fuel in those regions?? Chime in if I missed your state/region.
 
#45 ·
#46 · (Edited)
Very interesting! Thanks.

I found this most interesting . . .

Caution - Warning:​
The percent of ethanol may be incorrectly added by the local fuel distributor. In most areas ethanol is added to the tanks by the delivery truck drivers, (local distributor); And, very few gas stations monitor or check ethanol content (% added) of fuel delivered and contained in the gas pump.


My nephew drives a fuel delivery truck in Indiana. He says that they add about 10% ethanol when they load.
 
#47 ·
I'm up in Washington state north of Seattle. I stopped to ask the truck driver that was delivering his load of fuel and he and the gas station owner who happened to be there said his Texaco still doesn't ever use ethanol but that in about a month it will be mandatory by federal law to have ethanol in the gas!

I'm just starting to spread a little. Not as tight as it used to be. Has anyone looked into any products similar to the POR-15 kit that we use to coat the inside of metal takes to seal it so none of this fuel gets to the plastic?

If and when I get a new tank I want to do something like that before any fuel ever touches the tank!


.
 
#48 ·
some of these tank sealing products are said to have
problems with nowadays fuel also, as if has changed
through the years over here too.
but it is a very good idea to do something like this
after all, since i don't know, how Ducati could solve
this problem otherwise, but having tanks out of a
different plastic made.

cheers.
 
#49 ·
Triumph went to metal to get rid of the problem with the Sprint. I am told Guzzi and Aprillia have similar issues with plastic tanks. Why are plastic tanks used on bikes that are really not designed for ultra-high performance? Other than being able to shape them easier, maybe? The weight difference can't make that big a deal for most street riders. I think if manufacturers stuck to metal tanks and lighter wheels we'd be better off.
 
#54 ·
I'm taking my PS1000 into the dealer this weekend for tank inspection. I was just going to wait it out for Ducati NA to sort out this problem but after attempting to install an NCR gas cap and finding it didn't fit very well due to the fact the progressing tank deformations, I just figured something had to be done now.


Hopefully getting a 3rd tank from Ducati NA will kick them into finding a better solution for this issue.
 
#55 ·
Ducati Seattle is taking care of me. i got a call from them telling me that if i bring it in they have me covered and will order a tank ahead of time so my bike isnt sitting for more than a day.

yay Dave R and friends!
 
#56 ·
Tank problem because of gas additives

07' Multistrada 620 in for 12k service and technician discovers my tank is deformed, blistering due to expansion. I never noticed because I have a tank cover on it. Luckily I have a very good relationship with my dealer. They didn't even call to tell me what they found, they went to bat on my behalf and got the factory to agree to ship me a tank at no charge. I'll probably pay for the labor but so what, I'm lucky to get the tank since I'm out of warranty. I guess it pays to have purchased four Ducatis from this dealer.

My question is what is going to keep the new tank from getting all bent out of shape like the original one? What do I do to defend against chemistry.
 
#57 ·
Okay. So I've read all six pages thus far on the gas tank issues. Just inspected my bike and everything is fine (yes I have already voted). After reading the various theories as to why this is happening I thought I'd post my two cents worth.

1. Ethanol in fuel could be the issue... I don't know what the Australian regulations are on this, however, I am confident that our fuel contains less ethanol than the U.S. does - could be one explanation for it???

2. Riding / garaging habits.

Personally, my bike gets ridden very selectively on really good roads - i.e. I don't commute on the bike, and I don't get stuck in heavy traffic etc with it, and I don't leave it lying around for long periods in the sun. Basically my bike is getting ridden always over 60 - 70km/h (and thus cooled by the air), or it is parked in the shade or in the garage - except for a few rare exceptions.

I wonder???? some of you guys who are experiencing problems, do you commute on the bike regularly (possibly leading to the tank being hotter than during a rec. ride) - and also maybe leave the bike parked in the sun for extended periods of time. Maybe leaving the bike parked with more than half a tank of gas in the sun???? Some of this might be exacerbated by the ethanol aspect???

3. You guys in the states seem to have all the bad luck. Remember the dreaded fuel clamp issue - well us guys in Oz didn't experience any of that - my dealer looked at me bemused when I said just about every bike in the states suffered from this defect.

So far (fortunately for us) tank deformation seems to be unheard of down here.:confused:
 
#58 ·
Geo, it is Charleston. Shad seems to be a pretty good tech.

Martin, I have thought for quite a while the tank and fuel line issue is related to the tank not being ethanol compatible at the elevated levels we are seeing here in the US. Maybe fine at 5% or so but 10% is too much.
 
#59 ·
I think the ethanol is the most likely culprit, due to the apparent geographic correlation.

My wife's and my bikes live in a climate-controlled garage when we're not riding them. There's no way our bikes are subject to any adverse conditions, yet our tanks are blown up just like everyone else's.

I'm curious: Of the US residents who haven't (yet) had tank problems, what percentage of those bikes are less than a year old? Hmmm...
 
#60 ·
Hello everyone,

I just found this page by mistake, and indeed, i did have problems with my tank.
Bike model is a SportClassic Biposto 2007, but purchased in April 2008. I never heard of a tank disformation by itself... I was at the dealership (Ducati NY) a month ago, and showed them the disformation. luckily, there was a technician from DNA there that day, and said that it's common for these tanks to get deformed due to misplacement on the chassis... the dealership is going to replace the tank! to me, this seems just a band-aid on the injury, which will of course occur again on the new tank!
haven't had a chance to read all the posts on this thread, but will surely go back through all of them, and make sure to keep stay posted...
thanks for everyone's input, and hope this issue will be fixed for good
~k
 
#61 ·
I was at the dealership (Ducati NY) a month ago, and showed them the disformation. luckily, there was a technician from DNA there that day, and said that it's common for these tanks to get deformed due to misplacement on the chassis... ~k
I've never heard that explanation before. I wonder who you misplace/misalign the tank? :confused:
 
#68 ·
I figured I should add this for the record...

When I first purchased my SC in July '07, I noticed a very slight imperfection in the tank when the light hit it right. It's steadily grown and is now a dime sized pimple (you can see it in the picture directly over the gold stripe). Five other very slight imperfections have also recently appeared in close proximity to the first one. I spoke to my dealer about this problem (I also have a spreading tank) and they indicated DNA has been getting difficult lately about covering tanks under warranty. They also said that since I have a special edition SC, DNA might be even more disinclined to cover it as the tank may not be readily available. So far, I've been asked to send an email detailing my problem along with a picture. A follow-up question was also asked about my bike's mileage (which is relatively low). It's been about a week, so I suspect I should be hearing back on it, soon. Given the eruption of these other small "growths", anything less than a tank replacement is unacceptable. More to follow.
 

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#69 ·
When I first purchased my SC in July '07, I noticed a very slight imperfection in the tank when the light hit it right. It's steadily grown and is now a dime sized pimple (you can see it in the picture directly over the gold stripe). Five other very slight imperfections have also recently appeared in close proximity to the first one.
Is that the same imperfection that the rest of you who have tank problems are seeing?

I looked at my tank last night and it appears fine. I don't see any pimples or bubbles and the tank fits tight. There is no spreading.

I think Ducati might be trouble if they refuse to swap tanks. In many states the tank and the rest of the fuel system is covered a lot longer than two years.

By the way, didn't the marine industry faced the same kind of problems with plastic tanks?
 
#70 ·
I have an '06 S1000, bought two years ago, with embarrassingly low miles on it. The bike has always been stored indoors, in an unheated space, and was never left outside to bake in the sun.

A few months ago, I discovered a blister about 1.25" across. Took it to the dealer, who took pictures of it to send to DNA, so they could get a replacement approved. Other than the blister, I didn't see any deforming of the tank, and the tank was tight on the chasis.

DNA approved replacement of the tank pretty quickly, and I returned to the dealer once the new tank got in, maybe three weeks later. But in that short time, only a few weeks later, the tank had gotten extremely loose on the chasis. But I still didn't notice any deforming of the tank itself. Anyway, the tank was replaced, and so far, all is good.

Does anyone know if the replacement tanks are any different than the original ones? I'm sort of curious if through time, we can expect to go through this all over again.
 
#71 ·
The bike has always been stored indoors, in an unheated space, and was never left outside to bake in the sun.
I probably should mention my bike has also been stored in a heated garage with no direct sunlight since the day I bought it. I've never even washed it with water, so I doubt the problem is moisture related. I should add that on the few occasions that it's sat outside in the sun, such as having lunch while out riding, the growth I've referenced grows to about an inch in size. Once the tank cools down, the growth shrinks back down to its original size.
 
#72 ·
I was really, really hoping my bike was not affected.........but tonight we went for a ride and my tank is warping. I don't have any small bubbles like some, just both sides seem to be "popping" up. I'm really afraid of what it will look like in 6 months to a year. :(

For reference - my bike is in a climate controlled garage, in Dallas (not too wet, not too dry), and has less than 1,400 miles. But it is one of the first PS's produced.....so I guess I was lucky to make it this long.
 
#73 ·
Just curious, anyone have a full custom paint job (i.e. not just an added stripe or other highlight) *and* experiencing the tank spreading or other deformation(s)?

FWIW, our bike is 2 1/2 years old, has 7400 miles on it and the tank is tight on its mounts with no detectable slack or movement. The stock tank never saw use as all the painted parts were shipped off for painting prior to taking delivery of the bike.
 
#74 ·
Just a thought . . . I wonder if the bubbles are caused when fuel seeps through the plastic tank and pushes the paint out away from the tank? :confused: I was looking at the paint around the fuel opening and the paint seems to be pretty thick and pliable/elastic.

I have no idea what would cause the tank to spread.
 
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