Ducati Monster Forum

Interesting proposal to stop the madness of the ever-expanding MTS1000 tank:

http://inv.st/2Y4 (http://inv.st/2Y4)

Why just the old multi? EVERY newer Ducati (excluding the aluminum tank supervises) uses a plastic tank susceptible to warping from ethanol.

If I'm correct everything from 1991 current is federally mandated to be ethanol compatible. At least it's that way with automobiles.

CA Cycleworks has taken a lead role in Ducati OEM replacement and specialty tanks:

http://ca-cycleworks.com/products/tanks (http://ca-cycleworks.com/products/tanks)

Hmm no superbikes or new monster tanks though..

I LOVE THIS NEWS!!!! 

Thanks for posting  [thumbsup]

I would think the ROI from monster or superbike tanks could be huge. It's nice that they provided relief to owners of Hypers and Multistradas first, since the bodywork and seat on those bikes depend on the the tank maintaining dimension to fit properly on the bike.

The new monsters use the tank panels too that mount to the plastic tank. The seat however does not.  Hopefully they make one for new gen monsters next.

thank you for validating why I'm keeping my metal tank for the foreseeable future.  Until they correct the issue they are NOT getting my money and I want a Multi so bad.

Even moto wheels is doing the aluminum tanks for sport classics. But In ducatis defense (and this is just my personal theory), no other countries I know of that Ducati has a strong foot hold in, have such insane ethanol mandates. It was not until 2005 that ethanol was even being introduced into fuels in the US. Skip forward 3 years and E10 was federally mandated in all states within the United States (I'm not sure the specifics that allow stations in the boonies to still sell 100% ethanol free fuel). Fast forward to 2010, Everyone is using e10; most newer ducatis using plastic tanks have been seeing symptoms of the ethanol expansion. See: class action. They have already spent millions of dollars the tooling and production of their tanks.  Why on earth would they spend millions more on new tooling set up for metal or some other non-deforming plastic for bikes that are nearing the end of their production cycles? They wouldn't, it's cheaper for them to give away new tanks to customers for a limited time.

Now the pani is a brand new bike and look what it has, an aluminum tank all through the range-base all the way to RS. I think as they start redesigning bikes through their lineup, we will see more and more changes I regards to ethanol comparability. America is one of their largest markets, and I highly doubt they are completely ignoring us.

from 2005 to 2013 you've had 8 years for them to get their shit together.  I see NO defense other than pure Italian stubbornness; isn't Ducati's largest market the US?  I know all to well the class action suit and it only benefited the shithead lawyer (see payout and settlement action).  A latch, shorter seat and whatever "marketing" bullshit they make is no excuse for a defective product of which they've known for over 6 years now.  Acerbis is making the Ducati tanks last I checked so the tooling you speak of is not in house, in fact they are the largest tank manufacturer in the world (plastic tanks) so where's this tooling  you speak of?

In the end I hope Audi makes it right because by  your logic of "cheaper for them to give away new tanks to customers for a limited time" is not a solution but a bandaid.  This brand deserves better than a temporary fix; hell is temporary fix even a fix?  I guess we need Texas Pacific Group to shake the house again when they brought back Ducati from the brink.

I assumed the tanks were made inhouse. Even then it's still new tooling that acerbis would have to come up with to make new tanks. I don't see it happening until the next gen of bikes.

Is the new hyper susceptible?

Whether the tanks swell (Ducati), or the electrics short out (Norton), or the seals leak oil (BSA), we still love them. [Dolph] 

Until they stop winning races, of course. [evil]

The cheapest thing for Ducati to do is drop US sales altogether.  Do an Alfa Romeo and return twenty years later with new product...

That cost four times as much.  

Voila! 20 years of lost US revenue replaced in one swell foop  [evil]

As far as ethanol goes and why rural areas generally have no ethanol in their gas at all is because ethanol was introduced into major metropolitan areas to help decrease levels of smog.  Cross the border into Oklahoma and you'll immediately see signs in front of gas stations that read, "Our gas has NO ethanol."  Maybe we should organize a group buy of 500 gallons or so  [roll]

And someone kindly explain WTF is up in WSBK with the Panigale!  I think I heard in the commentary last round that the Ducatis have fuel restrictors that limit their performance as a "competition adjustment" until the true ability of the bike in relation to the other competitors can be firmly established...

Of course I'd much rather believe this than the obvious alternative  [bang]  [bang]

The twins because they get a displacement advantage over the inline and v4's, the governing party over WSBK has put intake running size restrictions on the 1199. So basically the pani is choking down the straights while the BMW and Aprilia is high revving and free breathing.

Right, a manufacturer can't be allowed to hold an advantage over the field due to "unfair" design improvements! They must install restrictors and limiters, and carry extra weight. [leo]

If the organizing bodies could limit competition to "2-strokes only", the European brands would have to go away and leave motorcycle racing to the Japanese.  So we must conclude that emissions standards haven't been entirely anti-competitive, although the fact that they allow Ducati to stay on the roster is an unintended consequence. >:(

I'm also left to assume that bikes that regularly sit for long periods of time are more susceptible to this because ethanol attracts water and I guess the plastic used absorbs water. So riding regularly and filling up with fresh gas often will help prolong the tanks life. Which is also why people report that draining the tanks COMPLETELY and letting them sit for a few weeks the tank shrinks back up because all the absorbed water has evaporated.

I still say NO excuse whatsoever.