2009 DUCATI S1000S — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I PURCHASED AN 09 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC SPORT 1000S ON 12-17-10, FROM ACE MOTORSPORTS IN CONCORD, CA. THE NEXT MORNING, I CHECKED THE GROMMETS AND GAS TANK MOUNTING BRACKETS AND ESTIMATED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE'S GAS TANK HAD SPREAD APPROX. .5 TO .75 INCHES ON EITHER SIDE, ALMOST FULLY SEPARATING FROM THE MOUNTING BRACKETS. I WAS ALSO ABLE TO WIGGLE THE GAS TANK WHICH INDICATED IT WAS LOOSELY ATTACHED. ON APPROXIMATELY 12-7-11, I CHECKED MY MOTORCYCLE'S GAS TANK'S MOUNTING BRACKETS. I OBSERVED THAT THE GAS TANK HAD SPREAD EVEN FURTHER, AT AN APPROXIMATE DISTANCE FROM THE BOTTOM SEAT OF THE MOUNTING BRACKET BY .5 TO .75 INCHES. PRIOR TO THIS, THE LOCAL DEALER SHIMMIED THE TANK DURING MY FIRST SERVICE. CLEARLY, THE SHIM 'SOLUTION' DOES NOT FIX THE DEFECTIVE TANK. THE DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURE AND SUBSEQUENT SALE OF THIS SERIES' PLASTIC GAS TANK BY DUCATI AND ITS AFFILIATES IS A SAFETY CONCERN IN THREE IMMEDIATE WAYS: (1) THE GAS TANK, WHICH IS PART OF THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM AND IS LOOSELY CONNECTED TO THE FRAME OF THE MOTORCYCLE, INCREASES THE PROBABILITY OF AN ACCIDENT, OR, IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, THE FUEL TANK MORE EASILY SEPARATING FROM THE MOTORCYCLE ITSELF AND BECOMING AN ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL COLLISION HAZARD TO THE DOWNED RIDER (2) THE FUEL LINE SYSTEM, WHICH IS INHERENTLY CONNECTED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE GAS TANK, CAN LOOSEN AND DISCONNECT FROM ITS MOUNTING IN THE GAS TANK. THIS WOULD RESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE, AS WELL AS CONSTITUTE AN IMMEDIATE HAZARD TO THE MOTORCYCLIST BY DECREASING FRICTION BETWEEN THE MOTORCYCLES' TIRES AND THE ROAD SURFACE. THIS WOULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE (3) THE INABILITY TO CONDUCT A FULL-LOCK TURN INCREASES THE CHANCE OF COLLISION BY REDUCING THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE MOTORCYCLE. THE EXPANSION OF THE PLASTIC REDUCES THE AREA BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND THE FULL-LOCK POSITION OF THE HANDLEBARS OF THE MOTORCYCLE. *TR