Ducati Monster Forum

Just wondering if anyone with a 696 has had this issue.  I took my bike to the dealer last week, because I noticed it smelled like gas while riding it.  I then found out it was leaking gas but couldn't see where, so I decided to take it to the dealer.  They gave me a call back and said that it was my gas tank leaking, and that somehow it had been warped by heat.   They are supposedly having one sent from Italy that should be here in 3 days.  Not really worried about it since it is a warranty issue, but just wondering if anyone had a problem similar to this. Dealer said it was the first one he saw.  It's been so nice out I just want to ride though!

3 days from Italy?  Let us know how that goes.

No kidding, that seems very optimistic. 

I've been able to smell gas a time or two on my 696, but rarely, and only on startup... Never enough to be concerned.

I have about 700 miles on my 696.

Have not noticed any gas smell. How hot is your engine running?

Mine runs at 3-4 bars.  I've never seen five.

zero issues here, or any others i know of.....

 [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

1000+ miles on my M696, up to 5 bars on the temp gauge.  NEVER any gas smell.

1500 miles on my 696 here.  she has been known to see 6 bars on a couple instances in traffic, but usually stays pegged around 3-4 bars.

1700 on the 696 and no gas smell. however im starting to lose that "New Bike Smell" i wonder if i can get that odure and spray it inside my helmet so i can feel as if my bike will always stay new.

 I waited 3 weeks and they still never got me a part for my new bike. The dealer finally gave up and took one out of a bike on the showroom floor. My speedo back lighting quit on me a month ago and I'm still waiting for a new one. Ducati absolutely blows in the customer service aspect. Can't say much good about reliability either. Funny thing though is I still love the bike.

3 bars..4 bars..6 bars.  What's with that shit?  I thought temperature was measured in degrees.

Oh yeah.  It's a 696.  No real guages..just that digital video game shit.  It's not a real bike.

No real vacuum tubes, just that fancy transistor stuff?  You're not using a real computer.  ;D


1200 miles, occasional gas smell when parked but nothing to complain about, 3 days from Italy, do post if you get it, might want to switch dealers, no matter where they are located.

Real Computers didn't have no fancy TUBES.  Just gears and levers and things.  Real men calculated projectile trajectories on them.  Or something.

c'mon dude....

My 96 didn't have any real gauges besides a speedometer.

give 'the ron' act a rest.

i guess all superbike and moto GP bikes dont have real gauges either huh....try embracing advances and new technology for the monster line instead of getting upset by it.   [beer] 

Meanwhile back at the ranch, my S2R 800 Dark's tank had the exact same problem. Running a finger around the fuel pump flange one could notice dips in the mating surface between the bolts. I don't know if I'm so quick to blame heat however. I think it's just a factory defect. An Acerbis factory defect. Tank also had the weird cellulite surface finish on the knee indents. So something funny went on with the plastic. Perhaps not annealed properly after rotomolding??? Just a guess. Got a new tank, garage doesn't smell like gas anymore. Dark's not a Dark anymore either.

Heh heh... [cheeky]   Where is my hero these days anyways?

My Hyper also has "just that digital video game shit."

And it has a readout in degrees.

Sorry to ruin your fun.

Update:
     Initially dropped my bike off last Friday, the 19th.  Dealer called me yesterday (Tuesday the 23rd) telling me my bike is ready to be picked up.  that's a total of 5 days, with Ducati shipping the tank from Italy and the dealer replacing it. The dealer isn't open on Sundays or Mondays either.  Not bad.  Maybe some of you guys should go to my dealer. ;)  It's Motorcycle Center (MCC) in Villa Park, IL, in case you were wondering.

Holy SHIT!
That has got to be a speed record for a Ducati repair.
Glad to hear it went so well.
Now if they were a little closer (717 miles from me) I'd start using them and buying from them.

Wow, that's outstanding!

Any chance they're looking to buy a dealership in Raleigh, NC?

There're a couple here that could use a little positive influence.   [roll]

4K miles on my 696....No problems like that...Can't imagine they would use a gas tank that could warp because of heat...seeing as though they placed it right over the engine.  Is this the first time they've used this plastic fuel cell rather than a real honest to god tank?

Hi my 696 was leaking gas,and it was a seal on the base of the tank they told me. They ordered a new tank because you can't replace the seal. I'm not so upset because it's late January,and not the first day of spring. [bang] [bang]

Maybe the seal was leaking because the surfaces are warped like the op's bike.
Welcome to the board [thumbsup]

was your tank attached with two or three bolts?

I've read some are finding out that ethanol is the culprit on the nylon tanks.  Could this be the problem here too?  When the e10 separates, the ethanol settles to the bottom and causes *problems*  I'd think that winter time would be when it would show up - when the bike/fuel sets for some time?

Aren't the new tanks HDPE?

Ducati is teh suck when it comes to building fuel tanks.     :-\

Wait, your gas tank WARPED due to HEAT?

That smells like bullshit to me.

Have you seen the "plastic tank problem" sticky in this section?

Plenty of plastic gas tanks exhibiting problems, first I've heard of a 696 "warping".

File a NHTSA report.  That is serious shit.

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=25074.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=25074.0)

For everyone's sake I hope this isn't the same kind of wide spread problem it was for the plastic tanked Monsters and Sport Classics.  It will be the same problem if they used the same material.  Does anyone know if it is the same material?

i think it really needs to be asked and checked on these bikes people are saying are cracking/warping if they are using 3 mounting screws or 2. the manual clearly says use only 2 and some dealers and riders were added the 3rd. the 3rd not being used allows for some chassis and tank flex without cracking the tanks. fixing the 3rd with a bolt and any flex will put stress on it.

"Italy" according to the dealer, must be what the refer to the parts warehouse out back. Bullshit they got parts that fast.