Own a ducati or KTM ....worry and weep!!!!!

[jerry]

Look at this link about problems with ACERBIS madePlastic tanks used on all recent Ducatis and KTM

www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=43639.0

I have now seen 5 Ducatis ibn Thailand with this problem and a KTM 520 dirt bike .

Ducatis with steel tanks dont have this problem .

[steeevvvooo]

Could be a worry, but seems like it might not be a problem here... yet. Spotted this when reading though some of the links:

"Remember that Europe doesn't have the fuel problems we do. Upcoming he entire EU will use our "blend" of fuel that is causing the headaches here now. Thus European manufactures will truly start to see the problem. Imagine buying your Ducati and riding it for multi-years without tank deformation problems in Europe -- they change the gasoline composition and then your tank deforms. For those whose bikes are years out of warranty -- it will be an interesting problem in how it is dealt with."

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=39604.0

[rollo22]

Nothing Mentioned on the VOSA recall site

www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/default.asp

[gary tompkins]

The plastic tanks used on Ducati's (including monsters), must have been in use for at least 10 years now in the UK. If this deformation was simply down to a materials issue then we should have seen the problem here too. I think it's due to the specific Ethanol/Petrol blend sold in countries like the USA, reacting with the plastic used. If so this could become an issue for UK/European riders if suppliers adopt the same fuel policy.

Maybe the Ethanol/Petrol blend is used in other countries to meet tighter emission regulations?

I'll stick to a metal tank - and just wait for my hinge to rot through and leak :rolleyes:

[Stafford]

From January of next year the UK fuel suppliers will be allowed to add up to 10% ethanol to petrol. This is then the same as the USA and where some issues have been seen in acerbis supplied tanks. In at least one case this has become a law suit where the owner is on his third 1098 tank.
http://www.ducati851and888.com/showthread.php?t=3258&highlight=Ethanol

[Nickj]

The US class action essentially covers all of the plastic tanked models that Ducati introduced in the US, the class action only needs a representative list of names (about 100). The main legal thrust is under the warrenty obligations Ducati holds to its customers, they are also harrrying the US National vehicle safety organisation to declare this a safety issue at which point Ducati US will have to replace all the plastic fuel tanks they've sold in the US. Class actions tend to get results in the US, over here I expect Ducati will be happier to pick people off one by one with 'generous discount' offers and non-disclosure agreements. Cynical but true I'm afraid.
VOSA is a different beast entirely to the US NHTSA, VOSA's primary role is about testing and licencing whereas the NHSTA looks more at safety of vehicles on a national level with local states dealing with testing and licencing.

[Nickj]

One point of note out of this that is relevant to carbed monsters is that we already have E5 fuel, tesco has been flogging it for years. The ethanol comes from brazilian sugar cane I understand, that'll be good for the rainforests.
Ethanol allows the fuel to carry more moisture so you're more likely to get icing with E5, E10 (up to 5 & 10% ethanol addition) will be way worse.
It's also possible that hot starting problems will crop up with E10 due to the increased volitility (vapour lock, rich/lean running), plus problems as the old lacquer and gink in the fuel system breaks off and bungs stuff up.
Of course the actual ammount of ethanol may vary as it's being used to bring the fuel up to EN228 volatility ratings for that fuel type. For this reason you're less likely to find it in 98RON than 95RON fuel where it's used to bump up the octane rating.
Shell v-power used to be guaranteed free of ethanol but not any more, I think there's definitely a bit there as last year the monnie was running much happier in sub zero mornings than this year, this years been drier so the moistures come from somewhere.