2006 Ducati Sport Classic complaints

GAS TANK ON 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC HAS SPREAD ENOUGH TO BE PULLED OFF BRACKETS BY HAND. BIKE IS ON 2ND WARRANTIED GAS TANK. *TR

THE GAS TANK HAS STARTED TO DEFORM AND DOES NOT MOUNT PROPERLY TO THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED AND WAS REPLACED AT NO COST BY THE DUCATI DEALER. THIS SECOND TANK THE DEALER IS GIVING ME A BIT OF HESITATION AND WANTS TO SHIM THE TANK. I BELIEVE SHIMMING WILL NOT STOP THE TANK FROM SPREADING AND WILL EVENTUALLY BE A BIGGER PROBLEM. *TR

MY MOTORCYCLE IS A 2006 DUCATI SPORT 1000 WHICH HAS A PLASTIC GAS TANK WHICH HAS BEGUN TO EXPAND AND DEFORM. THE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS OF THE TANK HAVE INCREASED AND IT NOW DOES NOT SIT CORRECTLY IN THE FRAME. THE RUBBER MOUNTS NO LONGER SIT ON THE FRAME. I HAVE MADE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE FUEL TANK OR FUEL PUMP. IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2008 I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE DEALER WHO SUBMITTED A CLAIM TO DUCATI NORTH AMERICA (THE IMPORTER/FACTORY) AND THEY AUTHORIZED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TANK WITH A NEW ONE, WHICH WAS FITTED AT THAT TIME. I WAS NOT GIVEN A REASON. WITHIN ONE YEAR THE NEW TANK STARTED TO EXPAND AND DEFORM IN THE SAME WAY. SO I JUST RECENTLY TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DUCATI DEALER. THEY GOT ME ANOTHER REPLACEMENT TANK, WHICH WAS FITTED 2 WEEKS AGO. THEY TOLD ME THE TANKS HAVE NOT CHANGED AND DUCATI HAS NOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM (I.E. NEW TANK DESIGN, OR DIFFERENT MATERIALS USED IN ITS CONSTRUCTION) OTHER THAN REPEATEDLY REPLACING THE TANKS WITH THE SAME TYPE AS THEY EXPAND/DEFORM. I AM VERY CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFETY OF THIS MOTORCYCLE. THE TANK'S SWELLING MAKES IT VERY LOOSE. IF THE TANK SWELLS ENOUGH I AM CONCERNED THAT IT MIGHT SPLIT OPEN WHILE I AM RIDING AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND/OR LIFE ENDANGERING FIRE. *TR

2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC 1000, FUEL TANK DEFORMING, THE FUEL TANK ON THIS VEHICLE IS FABRICATED OUT OF PLASTIC AND IT IS DEFORMING TO THE POINT OF NOT BEING FASTENED TO THE BODY OF THE MOTORCYCLE. *TR

A NEWLY PURCHASED DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE, PURCHASED FROM AN AUTHORIZED DUCATI DEALER IN MARCH OF 2006, IS EXHIBITING OUT OF SPEC GAS TANK EXPANSION, WHICH IS CREATING UNSAFE MOUNTING ONTO MOTORCYCLE FRAME. THAT IS, THE GAS TANK IS WARPING OUT OF SHAPE AND NO LONGER SECURELY MOUNTED ONTO FRAME. NO OWNER ABUSE, ACCIDENTS, OR EXTREME EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS HAS CAUSED THIS GAS TANK WARPAGE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT. *TR

I OWN A 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. THE GAS TANK IS PLASTIC AND THE TANK IS SPREADING APART FROM THE MOUNTING BRACKETS TO THE POINT WHERE THE BRACKETS DO NOT ENGAGE THE TANK ANY LONGER. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AS THE TANK COULD SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE. I READ ON OWNER FORUMS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS SO FAR FAILED TO ADDRESS. I ALSO READ THAT THIS WAS BEING INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA AND THAT I SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT. I FIRST OBSERVED THIS CONDITION IN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND IT HAS CONTINUED TO WORSEN. *TR

THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK ON MY 2006 DUCATI PAUL SMART 1000 MOTORCYCLE IS SPREADING IN WIDTH, SO THAT IT NO LONGER SITS SECURELY ON THE MOUNTS THAT ATTACH IT TO THE VEHICLE. THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK IS ALSO BECOMING DIMPLED, WAS SMOOTH WHEN NEW. I SUSPECT IT MAY THE POLYMER USED IN THE FUEL TANK REACTING BADLY WITH THE ETHANOL WE HAVE IN USA GASOLINE. *TR

I OWN A 2006 PAUL SMART 1000LE, FROM THE SPORT CLASSIC LINE BY DUCATI. THE GAS TANK, WHICH IS MADE FROM SOME SORT OF PLASTIC HAS BEGUN TO SPREAD APART AND IS NOT CONNECTED TO ITS MOORING POINTS. BASED ON WHAT I HAVE READ ON WWW.DUCATI.MS, THIS APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THESE TANKS, AND I AM WORRIED THAT IT MAY FALL OFF WHILE RIDING AND PERHAPS EVEN START A FIRE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT OTHERS HAVE GOTTEN REPLACEMENT TANKS ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME SPREADING OCCUR. *TR

PLASTIC GAS TANK HAS DEFORMED CAUSING IT TO BECOME UNATTACHED FROM THE TWO FRONT MOUNTS. ONLY THING HOLDING TANK TO MOTORCYCLE IS ONE BOLT IN REAR. OBVIOUS BULGE IN TOP OF TANK FROM THE DEFORMATION. PLASTIC MAY CRACK AND ALLOW GAS TO ESCAPE AND LEAK OVER ENGINE WHICH IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE TANK. *TR

THE FUEL TANK IS LOOSE ON THE FRONT MOUNTS ALMOST TO THE POINT THAT IT CAN BE LIFTED UP OFF THE FRAME. I SHIMMIED THE MOUNTS OUTWARD FROM THE FRAME WITH WASHERS A YEAR AGO TO HOLD THE TANK TIGHT, BUT IT IS AGAIN LOOSENING. IT APPEARS THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK IS DISTORTING AND GETTING WIDER OVER TIME. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS THE TANK COULD SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE AND CAUSE AN EXPLOSION OR FIRE EVEN IN A LOW SPEED CRASH OR DROP OF THE MACHINE. *TR

1.) I BOUGHT A 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC 2.) THE GAS TANK BULGES AND DEFORMS (APPARENTLY WITH TEMPERATURE) AND DOES NOT ALWAYS SEAT IN THE MOUNTING BRACKETS AS THE TANKS SHAPE CHANGES. I AM CONCERNED THE EXPANDING/CONTRACTING MATERIAL WILL EVENTUALLY FATIGUE TO THE POINT OF LEAKING GASOLINE. 3.) DEALER TOLD ME DUCATI NORTH AMERICA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT THEY AREN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT BUT I COULD PURCHASE ANOTHER (SIMILARLY FLAWED) GAS TANK FOR $1900 THAT WILL DO THE SAME THING. *TR

PLASTIC GAS TANK ON MOTORCYCLE IS WIDER THAN THE FACTORY MOUNTING WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. IF YOU SHIFT THE TANK IT CAN BE LIFTED OUT OF THE "CUPS" THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HOLD IT DOWN. THEN ONLY THE REAR MOUNT OF THE TANK KEEPS IT IN PLACE. POINTED OUT PROBLEM TO DEALER AND CHECKED 2 NEW EXACT SAME MODELS (BUT NEWER) IN SHOWROOM AND THE TANKS CAN BE LIFTED UPWARDS ON A BRAND NEW BIKE THAT HASN'T EVEN GOT GAS IN IT YET. I'M MONITORING MINE FOR NOW. DEALER DOESN'T FEEL IT IS A PROBLEM YET. I'M UNSURE AT THIS TIME, BUT THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THIS PROBLEM ON HOW MUCH "SPREADING" IS 'ALLOWABLE AND WHY ARE THE TANKS GROWING WIDER OVER TIME. WATCHING FOR OTHER DEFECTS REPORTED IN CLUB NETWORK. PERSONALLY I THINK GAS TANKS FROM AT LEAST THE MODEL YEAR I'M REPORTING SHOULD BE RECALLED. IF THIS GAS TANK EVER SPLITS OPEN FROM SPREADING IT WOULD CREATE A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD WHILE STATIONARY OR INJURY OR DEATH WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE. HONESTLY HAVE NOT HEARD ANY REPORTS YET OF TANKS SPLITTING YET, GETTING WIDER OVER TIME, DEVELOPING BUMPS, AND PIMPLES ALL STEMMING FROM GASOLINE INSIDE THE TANKS. *TR

PLASTIC GAS TANK ON 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE DOES NOT HOLD SHAPE. BECOMES FREE OF RUBBER MOUNTS AND CAN RUB AGAINST FRAME, ETC. ALSO CAN BE STRUCK BY CONTROLS IN TIGHT TURN. BOUGHT BIKE NEW 11/06. TANK REPLACED BY DUCATI 12/07, SECOND TANK REPLACED 11/08. NO CHANGE IN PRODUCT OR ISSUE - NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND JUST AS UNSAFE. *TR

MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2007; FUEL TANK WAS FITTED SNUGLY AGAINST THE FRAME AT THAT TIME. IN SPRING 2007, I NOTICED THE FUEL TANK HAD ABOUT 3CM OF PLAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE ON THE FRAME DUE TO THE PLASTIC SPREADING WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE CENTER FRAME WITH TWO BRACKETS THAT REST ON BUSHINGS. ON AN INTERNET MESSAGE BOARD, I FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. SOME HAD THE TANK REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, ONLY TO HAVE THE SECOND TANK SPREAD THE SAME WAY. FOR OTHERS, THE DEALER HAD SIMPLY SHIMMIED THE BRACKETS THAT HOLD THE TANK IN FRONT. I PERFORMED THIS FIX MYSELF, BUT I'M CONCERNED IT WILL NOT STOP THE DEFORMATION OF THE TANK AND COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

GAS TANK SPREADING OUT OF ITS BRACKETS. WORRIED THAT THE TANK MAY UNEXPECTEDLY FALL OFF. DEALERSHIP HAS BULLETIN TO SHIM OUT BRACKETS, NOT CURE THE PROBLEM OF THE TANK SPREADING. *TR

THE FUEL TANK ON MY BIKE IS WARPING TO THE POINT THAT IT NO LONGER IS SECURELY ATTACHED TO THE MOTORCYLE. THIS REPRESENTS A DESIGN FLAW THAT COULD QUICKLY BECOME A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

THE MATERIAL OF THE FUEL TANK ON MY 2006 DUCATI SPORT 1000 SEEMS UNSTABLE OVER TIME. THE SURFACE SHOWS BUBBLES (BLISTERS) AND DIMPLES AND THE TANK SEEMS TO BE "GROWING". WHEN NEW, AT FULL STEERING LOCK LEFT OR RIGHT, NONE OF THE CONTROLS ON THE HANDLEBARS WOULD HIT / TOUCH / INTERFERE WITH THE TANK. NOW, BOTH SIDES DO. IN ADDITION, CRACKS ARE DEVELOPING IN THE RECESSED AREA OF THE TANK WHERE THE FILLER-CAP RESIDES. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I'VE BROUGHT THIS MOTORCYCLE AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. FOUR WEEKS AGO, THEY HAVE ORDERED A NEW TANK UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED THIS REPLACEMENT. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE NEW TANK WILL DEVELOP THE SAME PROBLEM OVER TIME, AS THE PEOPLE AT THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE MATERIAL AND PRODUCTION-PROCESS FOR THESE REPLACEMENT TANKS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN FOR THE ORIGINAL ONES. *TR

MOTORCYCLE: 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC 1000-GAS TANK GETS LOOSE AND NO LONGER FITS BRACKETS. THE GAS TANK IS NOT HOLDING ITS MOLDED SHAPE AND CONTINUES TO GET WORSE, WHILE SPREADING AWAY FROM ITS MOUNTING BUSHINGS AND BRACKETS UNDER THE FRONT OF GAS TANK. THIS CAN CAUSE PAINT BUBBLING, POSSIBLE LEAKAGE OF FUEL AND A FUEL TANK THAT ULTIMATELY FALL OFF DURING RIDING. HIGHLY DANGEROUS. THE ORIGINAL GAS TANK HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM 2 YEARS AGO. NOW IM SEEING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN AND FEAR OF REPLACING AGAIN, SINCE MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND A NEW GAS TANK COST ABOUT $1700. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC 1000 MOTORCYCLE NEW, AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS NOTED THE FUEL TANK SHIFTED IN POSITION AND FOUND IT HAD AN INCH OR SO OF SLOP ON IT'S FRONT TANK MOUNTS. IT IS CLOSE TO COMING COMPLETELY OUT OF IT'S MOUNTS AND IS A DANGER/SAFETY HAZARD. THE TANK APPEARS TO HAVE SPREAD OUT AND IS MADE OF PLASTIC. DISTORTION OF THE TANK IS NOTED ON THE TOP SURFACE AS WELL, WHICH MAY ALSO BE THE RESULT OF THE SPREADING TANK AND ALSO MAY BE CAUSED BY SUBSTANDARD MATERIALS DUCATI IS USING FOR THESE FUEL TANKS. *TR

DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK. THESE TANKS ARE PLASTIC AND SWELL OR STRETCH OUT OVER TIME. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE TANK IS NOT HELD ON THE BIKE BY THE RUBBER BUSHINGS LOCATED AT THE FRONT OF THE TANK/FRAME. THIS IS A WIDELY KNOWN PROBLEM. *TR

2006 DUCATI SPORT 1000. FUEL TANK SWELLED TO THE POINT OF BEING LOOSE ON THE MOTORCYCLE. COMMON , I HAVE FOUND. *TR

IN REGARDS TO MY 2006 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC PS1000LE, THE FACTORY PLASTIC GAS TANK WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN 11/2007 DUE TO DEFORMATION ISSUES. THE DEFORMATION CAUSED THE FRONT UNDERSIDE OF THE TANK TO SPREAD APART THEREBY NO LONGER CONNECTING TO THE FRONT MOUNTING BRACKETS. ESSENTIALLY THE TANK WAS NO LONGER PROPERLY SECURED TO THE FRAME EXCEPT FOR 1 BOLT AT THE REAR. NOW 1 YEAR LATER, THE REPLACEMENT TANK IS AGAIN DEFORMING IN THE SAME MANNER AND THE TANK CONNECTION POINTS ARE NO LONGER REACHING THE TANK SUPPORT BRACKETS ON THE FRAME. THE MOTORCYCLE IS OUTSIDE OF IT'S 2 YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD AND THIS REPAIR IS NOT LONGER COVERED. IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME AND I FEEL THAT DUCATI N.A SHOULD OFFER A REDESIGNED TANK REPLACEMENT FOR THIS APPLICATION. *TR

SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING PROPERLY. SPEEDO AND TACHOMETER ARE SUPPOSED TO PERFORM A FULL SWEEP AFTER TURNING KEY TO START. HOWEVER, SPEEDOMETER MOVES ERRATICALLY AFTER KEY IS TURNED ON AND STOPS IN ARBITRARY POSITION, NEVER RETURNING TO 0 MPH. *TR

I AM WRITING TO YOU REGARDING A DANGEROUS RUNNING CONDITION OF MY DUCATI MOTORCYCLE, A 2006 DUCATI 800SS . THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE FUEL TANK IS RUSTING AWAY INTERNALLY EVEN THOUGH IT IS ALWAYS PARKED WITH A FULL TANK OF FUEL. THE RUSTING FUEL TANK KEEPS CLOGGING THE FUEL FILTER AND RENDERS THE BIKE UNSAFE TO RIDE. IT WILL RUN NORMALLY AND THEN WHEN IT CLOGS, IT WILL LOSE POWER WHICH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS ON THE ROAD. THE FILTER HAS BEEN CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES. IN THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY ON PAGES 85-87 IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL IT STATES THAT THE FUEL TANK IS PART OF THE EMISSIONS EQUIPMENT AND IS WARRANTED FOR A PERIOD OF 5 YEARS AND/OR 30,000 KMS. MY BIKE HAS ONLY 3000 MILES ON IT AND IS PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND STORED. DUCATI NORTH AMERICA HAS REFUSED WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE GAS TANK, STATING THAT A RUSTING TANK DOES NOT CAUSE EMISSIONS PROBLEMS, IGNORING THE FACT THAT IT IS CAUSING A HAZARDOUS RIDING CONDITION BY CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER. BUT THE TANK IS PART OF THE EMISSIONS EQUIPMENT, AND IT IS FAILING, AND SOON ENOUGH WHEN THERE IS ENOUGH RUST IT WILL LEAK. THIS WILL ALSO RESULT IN THE POSSIBILITY OF A FIRE AND AN ACCIDENT SHOULD THIS HAPPEN. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ARE REFUSING THE WARRANTY AS IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY AND EMISSIONS ISSUE AND I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THEIR DECISION. I APPRECIATE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ME IN THIS SITUATION. P.S. THE BIKE SELECTED IN YOUR DROP DOWN MENU, SPORT CLASSIC, IS NOT MY BIKE. MY BIKE IS A S

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DUCATI SPORT 1000. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEREWAS A SAFETY RECALL ON THE FUEL HOSE AND FASTENERS INSIDE THE FUEL TANK OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DAY HE RECEIVED THE RECALL LETTER HE ALSO RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE DEALER, STATING THAT THEY WERE NOT WITH DUCATI THE MANUFACTURER OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACTS COMPLAINED THAT THE CLOSEST PLACE WHERE HE COULD HAVE THE RECALL REPAIR WORK DONEWAS NOW OVER 100 MILES AWAY, AND HE BELIEVED IT WOULD BE A HAZARD TO DRIVE THAT DISTANCE FOR RECALL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT TRIED TO GET THE MANUFACTURER TO HAVE THE MOTORCYCLE TAKEN WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 300 MILES.