NHTSA Complaint #10375217 — 2007 DUCATI 1000GT

THE PLASTIC GAS TANK ON MY 2007 DUCATI GT1000 MOTORCYCLE IS "SPREADING", MEANING THAT IT IS EXPANDING HORIZONTALLY, AND IS NO LONGER HELD IN PLACE WITH IT'S ORIGINAL 2 FRONT-END MOUNTS (THE REAR OF THE TANK IS MOUNTED AT A SINGLE POINT, AND IT NOT AN ISSUE). TWICE I HAVE REMOVED THE TANK, AND USING WASHERS AND LONGER BOLTS, MOVED THE MOUNTING BRACKETS OUT FROM THE FRAME IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE FUEL TANK. LAST YEAR, I INCREASED TO 5 WASHERS ON EACH SIDE, WHICH HAVE MOVED EACH BRACKET OUT ABOUT 1/4 INCH. HOWEVER, ON RECENT INSPECTION, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TANK IS FALLING OUT OF THE BRACKET AGAIN (SO TOTAL TANK EXPANSION IS NOW MINIMALLY 3/4 INCHES AT THE BASE). ** AT SOME POINT VERY SOON, THE FRONT OF MY GAS TANK WILL NO LONGER BE PHYSICALLY ATTACHED TO THE MOTORCYCLE ** IN DEC 2010, I INQUIRED TO A LOCAL DUCATI DEALER ABOUT A WARRANTY CLAIM, BUT HE EMAILED ME: "SORRY, WE CURRENTLY DO NOT PERFORM WARRANTY WORK FOR DUCATI. THEY OWE US WELL OVER $10,000 IN UNPAID WARRANTY CLAIMS. EVIDENTLY THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY US. UNTIL THEY MAKE GOOD ON THE UNPAID WORK, WE CANNOT ASSIST THEM FURTHER WITH THEIR EXTENSIVE WARRANTY PROBLEMS. WE HAVE SUFFERED A HUGE FINANCIAL LOSS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM." (6 MONTHS EARLIER, I HAD CALLED MY OTHER LOCAL DUCATI DEALER. AFTER PROVIDING MY VIN, HE APPARENTLY CHECKED SOME LIST AND TOLD ME THAT THE VIN NUMBER RANGE FOR DEFECTIVE TANKS DID NOT INCLUDE MY NUMBER; THAT MY TANK IS GOOD. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE). THIS IS AN EVOLVING ISSUE, SO THE INCIDENT DATE USED WITH THIS SUBMISSION REFLECTS THE DATE OF THE DEALER EMAIL EXCHANGE. IN THEORY, THIS LIKELY STARTED AT THE DATE OF MFG OF THE TANK. *LN