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

[stopintime]

put that into a legal argument and we can go somewhere.

i was reading the other day a thread a guy posted complaining the flat-earth theory doesn't get much attention.  anyone and their pet guinea can post on the web....

It's not a legal argument. It's just my opinion (worth somewhere between nothing and 2 cents)

[thought]

It can and DOES.  All of the tanks shrink back when dried.  Drain the tank, let it sit in a humidity-free environment and it will shrink back after 1-2 months.

Alternatively, put a gallon of hot water in it and it will balloon overnight.

i actually do have one question about this though...

when it shrinks back, do the paint issues get better?  i figure it def wont be as it was when it was non inflated, but does it get better at all or is it just screwed for good?

[Desert Dust]

It can and DOES.  All of the tanks shrink back when dried.  Drain the tank, let it sit in a humidity-free environment and it will shrink back after 1-2 months.

Alternatively, put a gallon of hot water in it and it will balloon overnight.

Mine shrinks back in just five minutes after I finish or right before I go to sleep. 

[ducatiz]

i actually do have one question about this though...

when it shrinks back, do the paint issues get better?  i figure it def wont be as it was when it was non inflated, but does it get better at all or is it just screwed for good?

I have seen mixed results.  If you have cracks, the cracks remain. 

[hunduc]

Mine shrinks back in just five minutes after I finish or right before I go to sleep. 

like a frightened turtle!

[jgrm1]

So, I visit the dealership that replaced my original tank to learn their position on replacing, coating with Caswell's, etc. in hopes of getting a (lined) third tank before it's too late.  I was told the window is closing because of the proposed class action settlement and that unless the front of my tank is making physical contact with the ignition switch, then Ducati will not approve a replacement.  Before, we all know Ducati would consider frame mounts, too. 

If I were to have a replacement approved, the dealership is contracting out the Caswell lining for $150-200. 

Finally, the dealer is about to start selling a product called K100 to add to each tank of gas.

-Jeff

P.S.  Is anyone formally protesting the settlement to the court?

[The Bearded Duc]

I spoke with someone at Girard Gibbs yesterday and she told me that the courts should have reached a settlement by mid February pending any objections or appeals.

I haven't decided whether to "do nothing" or "comment or object", the woman I spoke to said that they would need enough people to object to the proposed settlement of just replacing the tanks in order to garner a different result. The downside to that, she said, is that if enough people object and the replacement settlement is not agreed upon because enough people want a better/different remedy (i.e. steel tanks) that the whole process could be drawn out indefinitely and there may be a possibility that Ducati may stop replacing tanks because of the lawsuit.

She also told me that there has been some testing going on with third party companies and that they have realized there is a saturation point with the tanks, meaning that the tanks will only absorb so much. A proposed remedy for that would be Ducati making a smaller tank as a replacement thus accommodating for the swelling and fit issues. She said the courts don't really care if the tanks look like shit just whether there are safety issues (i.e. fuel leaks). I would also assume a smaller tank would mean smaller fuel capacity which already isn't that great.

I would definitely have something to say about a smaller tank as a replacement but if I can get my hands on a regular sized tank and just coat it that would be fine by me.   

[thought]

just picked up the replacement tank today for the sf.  going to try out that kreem tank mask stuff.  i'll let you guys know if it's worth it or just stick with masking the hell out of it.

update:  it sucks.  it prob works but it takes 2-3 coats and take 15-30 min for each coat to dry.

in the end, masking it off is simpler and easier and does the same thing.

[muskrat]

still no one has been confronted with the "you pay the labor" and we replace tank?

[thought]

still no one has been confronted with the "you pay the labor" and we replace tank?

my dealer is doing everything under warranty, no labor charges at all.

pretty sure everyone else is the same or else there would have been a lot more posts about it

[Bill in OKC]

I have mixed feelings.  First I feel this problem belongs to the ethanol cartels for lobbying to sell a substandard fuel with the EPA being complicit by lying about its destructive properties.  Ducati -among others- just got left holding the bag.  Second I feel Ducati's sin was continuing to release new model bikes with nylon tanks for several years after they SHOULD have known better.  An 18 month extension on the warranty won't do me any good if Oklahoma starts mandating e-10 in 19 months.  I know I've got a tank with an expiration date on it but the timer won't start ticking until I move to another state or a bureaucrat signs a mandatory ethanol bill for Oklahoma.  I am going to ask to be excluded because I've got nothing to gain and nothing to lose.

[Desert Dust]

I don't know the legal precedence for this type of action, but I've thought about filing a small claims suit against Ducati. What would DNA do if they suddenly had to appear in 500 different counties across the US to settle various claims from different owners?

$5,000 is the limit for small claims in California

Any lawyers out there?

[ducatiz]

I don't know the legal precedence for this type of action, but I've thought about filing a small claims suit against Ducati. What would DNA do if they suddenly had to appear in 500 different counties across the US to settle various claims from different owners?

$5,000 is the limit for small claims in California

Any lawyers out there?

Lawyer here.

No small claims court I know of would allow that kind of suit.  Small claims is for return of property or contract breach (i.e. party D owes party P money).  There are a few other types of claims, but defective product and/or failure to honor warranty aren't one of them.

You might do better with a Lemon Law claim, but generally the remedy for a Lemon Law claim is the manufacturer has to buy your vehicle for estimated market price.

[Desert Dust]

Interesting-thanks

[HotIce]

Any reports about Monster 1100 EVO tank issues?
Is this BS?

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2011/04/17-high-res-photos-of-the-ducati-monster-1100-evo/#more-16437

"Update: Ducati tell us the plastic fuel tanks on this new generation
Monster and the Diavel are now impervious to the deformation caused by
US fuel’s ethanol content which affected older models."