Plastic Gas Tanks SUCK

[uclabiker06]

I have a plastic tank and I put more scratches on my tank the first two weaks of ownership then I did the four years I owned my other steal tanked bike.  Now I understand a soft paint job that is easily scratched by metal objects BUT:  I parked my bike in the sun for less than an hour and when I came back I noticed that my tank protector had some air bubbles SOooooooooo when I was messing with it I firmly pressed my thumb nail against the clear coat and it mad a "scratch"  but really it was just an indentation caused by my nail because the sun heated up the clear coat and made it so soft that it allowed the pressure from my nail to cause this damage....and I wasn't even pressing that hard.  Winning races all the time is spectacular marketing but WHAT HAPPENED TO QUALITY CONTROL DUCATI???  Am I the only one?

[c_rex]

I felt even more gyped when I got my tank back from Nate (ducpainter).  His work is soooo nice compared to the Ducati factory job.  Until you see it mounted on your bike you can only dream of it but it's as glossy as paint gets.  So as disheartening as it is to see those scratches- save your ducats and send your tank to Nate.  You will not be disappointed.

[He Man]

I have a plastic tank and I put more scratches on my tank the first two weaks of ownership then I did the four years I owned my other steal tanked bike.  Now I understand a soft paint job that is easily scratched by metal objects BUT:  I parked my bike in the sun for less than an hour and when I came back I noticed that my tank protector had some air bubbles SOooooooooo when I was messing with it I firmly pressed my thumb nail against the clear coat and it mad a "scratch"  but really it was just an indentation caused by my nail because the sun heated up the clear coat and made it so soft that it allowed the pressure from my nail to cause this damage....and I wasn't even pressing that hard.  Winning races all the time is spectacular marketing but WHAT HAPPENED TO QUALITY CONTROL DUCATI???  Am I the only one?

i know how you feel. My rattle can paintjob is scratched ALL over. i have to constantly wax it to get it to look nice. it sucks. Thats why im trying to go for a polished steel tank!!!

[uclabiker06]

i have to constantly wax it to get it to look nice. it sucks.

Yeah, and it attracts fingerprints so easily.  Man, what a burn. 

[MotoCreations]

I wish Ducati would test the rotomoulded fuel tanks in Arizona during the summer.  It gets hot enough that one can easily put deep scratches into the plastic or deform areas of the tank.  I've seen one tank heavily damaged by sitting in direct 115 degree heat and someone leaning heavily onto it -- the result wasn't pretty. (it has a steel fuel tank now)

That said, GM has the same problem.  Look at all the half pickup / SUV combos out there.  In one Arizona summer they all get fried fairly quickly.  Some just discolor while others get all cut up as the plastic gets soft and items touching it do damage easily.  Nothing like taking ones fingernail and carving deep letters into soft plastic.

But one thing good about the plastic tanks -- they are cheaper to manufacturer which keeps the costs of the Monster down. Also they tend to survive crash damage better. (although much more difficult to fix)

I'll still take a good steel tank over a plastic one anyday of the week.  Then again, I'd toss the airbox and relocate the battery and fab a new bottom for the steel fuel tank to get another 2+ gallons of fuel capacity also...

Perk of the 696 design is the "fuel tank" is nothing more than a few body panels over an inner fuel tank.  Much better design and use of rotomoulding plastic technologies.

[MotoCreations]

-rotomold process-

Essentially 4 steps i nthe process:

1) plastic resin is loaded into metal mold
2) mold is heated on a revolving axis w/spindles to get the melted plastic to flow throughout the mold
3) mold / plastic is cooled
4) part is removed

The molds to make the parts are expensive -- but relatively straightforward via CNC/EDM.  Also you can insert other plastic parts or metal parts into the mold and get the molten plastic to flow around and thus seal.  You can also do a mold with several tanks at once to speedup the process.

If one gets a chance, take a look at the bare metal parts and welding / brazing done to create a steel Ducati Monster tank.  Everyone wonders why they are so expensive -- it's the skilled welding to make them which is the cost.  Whereas the rotomolded tank -- a monkey could make them and process them down the assembly line.

[uclabiker06]

I heard the plastic tanks aren't even made by Ducati but by Acerbis (don't know if spelled correctly).  That would mean that nothing on the bike but the engine and the frame are made by Ducati....thats a lot of outsourcing. 

[MotoCreations]

I think @95% of a Ducati is outsourced.  If they did it internally, figure the price being 3 or 5X higher at least.  The cost to manufacture small parts ala grips, exhausts, rims, brakes, bearings, suspension, swingarms, frames, bodywork, seats, gauges, electrical, gascaps, triples, airboxes, filters, interal gears / shafts, pistons, connecting rods, etc -- the costs would escalate fast as well as having to have more people / departments and infrastructure / tooling to make everything.

[NAKID]

I heard the plastic tanks aren't even made by Ducati but by Acerbis (don't know if spelled correctly).  That would mean that nothing on the bike but the engine and the frame are made by Ducati....thats a lot of outsourcing. 

Uhhh, the frames are outsources as well....

[uclabiker06]

Uhhh, the frames are outsources as well....

Wow, that I didn't know.  Don't mean to thread jack my own thread but who makes the frame??? 

[duc996]

Uhhh, the frames are outsources as well....

That's too bad...

[RB]

the plastic tank will also help retain resale value. A bike with the notorious tank dings simply won't fetch the same $$ as a non-dinged...obviously.
I like the plastic tank. I have less to worry about with it. True it indents easier, but ultimately resists scratches (i mean thru the clearcoat, exposing the paint scratches).You will get fine scratches in any clearcoat from laying across the tank or rubbing against it.
Wash you new car for the first time with a new microfiber cloth and you will notice very fine scratches on the sheet metal parts. wipe down the say new car with a bath towel and you will get more noticable scratches in the clear.
Clear coats are somewhat soft by nature and this is how they prevent chipping. The clearing agent does a great job of bonding with itself, but not a good job of bonding to other paint, or bare metal/plastic. if you get a fracture in the clear coat, you can essential peel it off the base coat (color).
The clearcoat on these tanks have a flex agent, like the one they put on automobile bumpers. This keeps the clear more flexible resualting in a softer finish. I suppose you could get the tank repainted using less or no flex in the mix, but i am not sure it would hold on the plastic, semi-flexible tank surface.

now where is ducpainter to correct me?

I believe outsourcing is how Ducati made the 1098 so cheap. Also, when DID Ducati make their own frames?
this from Ducati.ms...sorry to threadjack a bit:
'Certainly all of the Ducati race bikes had/have very thin wall hand welded frames, but to the very best of my knowledge the street bike frames have been outsourced for a very, very long time to people like Verlichi who specialize in this. ( So are you talking about a Verlichi- or other- hand built Ducati or a Ducati hand built Ducati ?)'

RB