Plastic Tank problems: Discussion thread, see info thread sticky for updates

[GAAN]

So if Mr gobbstopper's lawsuit gets filed and they win

what is the projected/assumed effect on the current tank replacement system in place now?

if it kills it

would it be more cost effective to purchase a second plastic tank

and

implement your own swelling/shrinking maintenance schedule

or

mod a metal tank to fit?

[Meerkat]

I wouldn't recommend the 2 tank cycling method to keep a decent tank on the bike. Every time it swells/shrinks, the physical properties of the plastic change. Who knows what sort of safety problems that could lead too...imagine a bulge on the bottom of a freshly-filled tank bursting while you're cooking it through the canyons at a spirited pace^TM. Future DMFers will be saying, "Mother went out riding a ball of flames!"

[GAAN]

I wouldn't recommend the 2 tank cycling method to keep a decent tank on the bike. Every time it swells/shrinks, the physical properties of the plastic change. Who knows what sort of safety problems that could lead too...imagine a bulge on the bottom of a freshly-filled tank bursting while you're cooking it through the canyons at a spirited pace^TM. Future DMFers will be saying, "Mother went out riding a ball of flames!"

metal tanked monster riders have gone out in a similar fashion...who was that australian guy who burned down several hundred acres?

[ducatiz]

Interesting that the lawsuit mentions several times of a replacement aluminum tank in the works.

I am curious where you read that.  Paragraph 21 claims that Ducati developed an aluminum tank in 2006 "behind the scenes" but no other place that I see outside of that mention.

[slower than...]

Just my take...

Ducati makes a cash settlement...the girard-briggs firm cashes in...

and every member of the class action gets $100....the actual number yet to be determined.

The problem eventually gets solved, but the current members of the class get no real resolution because they now have no claim.

Now you have thousands of people that hate the brand.

The best solution is the one 'tizz was working towards.

Ducati keeps the owners motos safe and pretty by replacing swelled tanks until the problem is resolved.

It's a rare situation when anyone but the lawyer gets much out of the situation...just sayin'

I am one of the many folks on ducati.ms that has an SC and has complained about this issue.  Iz knows who I am.  I am also not interested in being a part of this lawsuit, because I don't want to see Ducati harmed. Having said that, we're all pretty frustrated that it take this kind of thing to force Ducati to do anything about solving the tank problem (no, replacing is not solving).

I do not understand this post.  Are we saying Ducati can agree to a cash settlement without fixing the problem?  And if so, should they ever solve the problem, those that accepted the settlement has no further claim?  That makes no sense whatsoever, but I suppose that is how the legal world turns.

Truthfully, if Ducati would do something like that, cashing out versus addressing the problem, screwing us over in the process, what little loyalty I have left for them would be gone.  

I agree with Iz's approach too, although it has been YEARS now, and Ducati has not come up with a solution that is FINANCIALLY ACCEPTABLE TO THEM.  So for now, they have been stringing us out.  I suspect Iz has been feeling that too.  The problem for us is that we have no guarantee that Ducati will continue to keep replacing the tanks.   

[ducatiz]

I am one of the many folks on ducati.ms that has an SC and has complained about this issue.  Iz knows who I am.  I am also not interested in being a part of this lawsuit, because I don't want to see Ducat harmed.  Having said that, we're all pretty frustrated that it take this kind of thing to force Ducati to do anything about solving the tank problem (no, replacing is not solving).

I do not understand this post.  Are we saying Ducati can agree to a cash settlement without fixing the problem?  And if so, should they ever solve the problem, those that accepted the settlement has no further claim?  That makes no sense whatsoever, but I suppose that is how the legal world turns.

Truthfully, if Ducati would do something like that, cashing out versus adressing the problem, screwing us over in the process, what little loyalty I have left for them would be gone. 

The law firm could accept a cash settlement from Ducati with a promise to fix the tanks later, if it is accepted by the court.

It is commonly done. 

Regardless of the solution, you won't see a new tank for 1-2 years.  They aren't sitting in a warehouse somewhere.  The new tanks don't exist.  They might be on the way, but nothing I have access to says they have new ones yet.

[slower than...]

The law firm could accept a cash settlement from Ducati with a promise to fix the tanks later, if it is accepted by the court.

It is commonly done. 

Regardless of the solution, you won't see a new tank for 1-2 years.  They aren't sitting in a warehouse somewhere.  The new tanks don't exist.  They might be on the way, but nothing I have access to says they have new ones yet.

But I would guess such a settlement would still assure that the plaintiffs would get said fixed tanks should they ever come around.  So there really isn't a situation that one would settle for $100 and exclude himself from a new tank in the process, is there?

I think the demand that Ducati disclose the problem to any potential buyer is the most difficult one for Ducati, if such an order can be enforced.  You would think it would effectively kill sales until a fix is done.  Can they survive not selling any bikes here for the  1-2 years before a new tank is released?

[herm]

mod a metal tank to fit?

definitely a metal tank, if you can find one. the only thing needed is the different hinge assembly, and they go on.

[GAAN]

definitely a metal tank, if you can find one. the only thing needed is the different hinge assembly, and they go on.

well

I have one

I promised it to Jesus for Lu's store but if this gobstopper make the beast with two backs is going to ruin the tank replacement program

I'll keep my wrecked tank on my bike and mod the new tank for Jess' 800

can one of you lawyers spell it for me in plain english if this guy winning the lawsuit for .ms will make the beast with two backs up what the dealerships are doing now for tank replacement?

[ducatiz]

No guarantee of anything.

[WetDuc]

What's the current feel on Startron and Stabil?
I tried Stabil in my S2R and after a couple miles, the bike got used to it and runs pretty much the same.  The first couple miles it kinda gurgled and popped a bit, not very noticeably different than normal though.
Might these additives actually prevent the tank warpage?

[sbrguy]

look at it this way, everyone is saying its the lawyers fault and if this ruins ducati its the attorneys that make out and harming ducati is not good.

ok here is how i see it.  ducati as a corp makes more than any of us combined, right now they are in the drivers seat if you have a bike, sure your spent 15-40k on a bike and if you have to complain about the tank, big deal that isn't much money to them if you never buy a bike from them again, what maybe you buy 1 or2 more bikes again that isn't a lot of money to a huge corp like theirs.

so for now ducati sees fit to just string things along replace cheap tanks, etc maybe things will die down we can go at our own pace to figure out a new tank solution.

right now the situation isn't bad enough for ducati to really get off their asses and fix the problem.  do you really think it would take over 1-2 years (that they have been warranty replacing tanks) for them to fix the problem if there was an injunction saying they couldn't sell the bike anymore in the US?

i personally think ducait would come up with a solution within weeks if a court said no more bikes being sold until you fix this and couch it as a safety issue. 

companies have a way of moving very fast when their asses are on the line, right now ducati is not doing a damn thing becasue honestly their asses aren't on the line yet.

ducati could have stopped all of this when they started seeing the replacement tanks being done, and lit a fire under their own asses and used a different plastic, but for some reason they have not.  maybe its cost related, etc, but the fact is now they are going to have to fix things because their asses may be on the line.

we can all like ducati a lot, and i do too, but sometimes when someone is just doing a half assed job you have to call them out on it and tell them simply "quit dicking around and do it the right way".  that is what a lawsuit is really for, its the equivalent of that saying.

[ducatiz]

The question isn't whether Ducati should provide a solution.

The question is how much money should a disinterested 3rd party get for doing that.  And also how much money should you be paid by Ducati for selling a bad tank?

Their suit wants restitution paid over getting a good tank.  At $100 per tank, that will be over $5mil.  And for what? Then add that to the bill rate of their 3 attorneys working this.

I've been on it over a year, I have less experience and they've used all of my info that I've posted.  And they still need 3 guys on it?   

[booger]

Does anyone think it possible that Ducati may pull out of the US market like Alfa did? Not really sure why Alfa left. I know Peugeot pulled out inexplicably as well.

[ducpainter]

Anything is possible.

I think their market here is too large to simply walk away from.

I'll guarantee the price of a new bike won't go down.