fuel tank prob. - good will warrenty? 06's2r1k

[mitt]

All 3 of these bikes have warped tanks, the tank on the yellow bike has expanded off it's front mounts and can be lifted easily:

   That sucks.

[pennyrobber]

I figured I would fill everyone in on my situation. A few days ago I called a local Duc shop to ask about a good will warranty (the bike is one year out of warranty) and the chick I talked to wasn't very helpful. She said that 99 times out of 100 Ducati will not help. I tried to explain to her the situation with the tank but she really didn't care. This particular shop has changed ownership recently and I figured I would give them a chance. They sucked before and it seems nothing really changed.

I then contacted customer service at DNA and received a quick response that told me to make an apointment at a local shop of my choice and they would have the regional rep get in contact with the shop over the issue. The shop I chose (the only one of the 3 in town that I actually trust) said they have dealt with the issue recently on a Sport Classic and they are going to do what they can to get me set up with a new tank. I am keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well.

[lawbreaker]

my two-year is up but  I got extended by DNA.  email into dealer now about it.

Just an FYI:

Took my S2R1K in a while back for the tank bubble issue and the dealer told me that even though I have an extended warranty, it does NOT cover cosmetics ( such as the tank bubbles emerging on the side). They photo'd the tank, contacted DNA, DNA called the dealer back in a few days and honored replacement- I was still under warranty at the time.

I would guess that if this has become a common problem ( various tank issues- now tank expansion/elongation), DNA may also cover this new problem..........

of course im crossing my fingers....

and I just noticed my tank pads no longer sit on the frame so I guess it's happening to me too

[Old-Duckman]

Well I'm sure that everyone with a plastic tank went and checked it.

I got one of the first S2R 1000's to hit the states, took it home 3 Dec. 2005. I have about 16.5 K miles on it, store it in a heated basement during winter and my garage during warmer months.

The only thing I noticed...and I wondered about it when I first noticed it, is the fact that the bracket for my Matris top mount steering damper totally cleared the tank when I first put it on. Had a quick stop in gravel (like maybe 2 MPH) front brake lock-up ...bike went down on the side of the damper bracket. The bracket put a very small nick in the black stripe. I took the aluminum bracket off, ground back and polished the sharp edge and remounted the bracket. Full lock to the right and good clearance between the tank and the bracket.

Moving the bike out of the basement late this winter I noticed the bracket will now hit the tank again. If I took it to full stop it would probably put a good sized nick in the tank. Reading this thread...the puzzle added up.

I just went into the garage to check for any other symptoms pointed out here and found none of those. The rubber pads still hit the frame fully. The tank latch works well, no bubbles or ripples, etc. Just the symptoms described above.

I am wondering, do the guys who have the worst symptoms park their bikes in direct sun for long periods of time? Not that you shouldn't be able to do so...but it could be a key to the puzzle as to why it happens to some and not to others.

My bike sits in full sun (parked) perhaps 4 or 5 days a month during the warm weather. Other than when I am riding, it is in the garage, out of direct sunlight.

Any info on sun exposure in the worst cases would be interesting.

[Dietrich]

All 3 of the bikes in the pic I posted are garaged.  Of course we live in Arizona.   But other than weekend rides and stops for lunch, etc., even if riding to work my bike is under covered parking. 

Just saw some rumors posted on ducati.ms that Ducati will be replacing the Sport Classic tanks.  Hate to spread rumors, and have no details on that statment.... I'll believe it when I see it, but it would go a long way in restoring some faith and loyalty to Ducati.

[corey]

Mine is getting a **little** tight around the key area. I have **trouble** getting to the hook on the tank latch... I'm sure it will all get worse. But do I really want to go through all the trouble of replacing the tank if it's just going to happen again?
Anyone heard anything about new materials being used?

I can by no means afford a CF tank, but i'm probably going to go that route anyway.
Warming up the visa

[herm]

if i where to replace my tank, i would immediately put it on flea-bay..........then order a CF tank

however,... i cant say that i am experiencing any noticeable problems yet. but if its gonna happen, sooner would be better than later.

[Benjamin5150]

I tried a while back to obtain a good will warranty replacement of my tank which had bubbled/blistered severely.  Of course it didn't start going bad until my warranty expired.  DNA considered it a cosmetic issue and washed their hands of it.  I have little faith in Ducati doing the right thing when it comes to these tanks.  The so called Ducati good will warranty is an urban legend me thinks.

[arai_speed]

Seeing how I'm having the exact same issue I took my bike to my local dealership and the service manager immediately noticed the bulging and bubbling.  He said DNA no longer does "good will" for out of warranty work and that the issue was only cosmetic so chances were DNA would tell me to take a hike.  Being unhappy with that response I called up DNA and spoke to their customer service explaining my problem.

They told me that the tank is part of the "fuel delivery system and it has a 5 year warranty" - not 2 (not sure if this is a California thing only)  BUT to get a tank replaced under this warranty is has to negatively affect the fuel delivery system of the motorcycle.  In my case (and probably those of others) the bubbles and ripples are not directly affecting fuel delivery.

DNA also said to talk to your local Ducati dealership and have them make an appointment with a regional operator to come out and asses the situation.  Once the RO comes out you'll know if DNA will replace it or just say sorry.

I'll be giving my dealership a call in another week or so.

I forgot to mention - my 2 year warranty expired 2 months ago.

[mitt]

They told me that the tank is part of the "fuel delivery system and it has a 5 year warranty" - not 2 (not sure if this is a California thing only)  BUT to get a tank replaced under this warranty is has to negatively affect the fuel delivery system of the motorcycle.  In my case (and probably those of others) the bubbles and ripples are not directly affecting fuel delivery.

How about when the fuel pump wont seal and a leak starts?  I hate screwing companies or insurance, but if your local shop had to remove the fuel pump for whatever reason, then couldn't reinstall it without it dripping gas onto your engine, I would call that negatively affecting fuel delivery!

mitt

[Statler]

I hope to have time to do some organization about this in April through the DMF for the first round of some pressure on DNA.  I'll do this regardless of my own success or failure with my dealer and bike.

I will need to gather names, addresses, contact info, bike vin number.  I will not disclose any personal info in the first draft, but I will need the info.  This will not be a formal legal relationship and I will not be acting as anyone's attorney, but it definitely would be setting us all up for further work by someone else.

I'll post something when I can spend some time on it.

[J.P.]

Thanks Statler- there is strength in numbers!
You da man. again.

[angler]

This is fairly timely thread.  My tank is rippled badly in the knee pad area and has spread so much that very little of the mounting pads touch the frame.  It is also tough to get to the latch, but not as bad as others have mentioned.  I did not buy the bike new and it is a 2005.  I wrote DNA a letter and their response was they were sorry that I was having trouble, but I would have to go through my dealer.  So I called my dealer and DNA told them that it was due to a clogged vent line and I needed to come in and have that cleaned out!  I may try another dealer.

[Old-Duckman]

DNA told them that it was due to a clogged vent line and I needed to come in and have that cleaned out!  I may try another dealer.

Another piece of the puzzle.

If the tank does soften (which appears to be the case) with exposure to gasoline. Add to that a blocked vent hose and...well its like blowing up a balloon.

Every tank softens.? some distort slightly and some drastically...Why the difference? The blocked vent may just be the missing link??

[silentbob]

Another piece of the puzzle.

If the tank does soften (which appears to be the case) with exposure to gasoline. Add to that a blocked vent hose and...well its like blowing up a balloon.

Every tank softens.? some distort slightly and some drastically...Why the difference? The blocked vent may just be the missing link??

If your vent line gets plugged the tank implodes.