2004 DUCATI MTS 1000 Complaints

2004 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1000DS MOTORCYCLE. GAS TANK MADE FROM COMPOSITE MATERIAL (RATHER THAN METAL) IS DEFORMING/GROWING DUE TO ETHANOL FUEL. INTERIOR COATING IS DEFICIENT, IT IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT ABSORPTION OF WATER FROM ETHANOL WHICH CAUSES THE TANK TO EXPAND OVER TIME. GAS TANK HAS EXPANDED UP TO 1 INCH IN SOME DIMENSIONS, TO THE POINT WHERE IT CANNOT BE REMOVED FROM THE BIKE FOR ROUTINE VALVE MAINTENANCE TO HELP CONTROL EMISSIONS. *TR

MY MOTORCYCLE HAS A PLASTIC GAS TANK WHICH HAS BEGUN TO EXPAND. THE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS OF THE TANK HAVE INCREASED AND IT NOW DOES NOT SIT CORRECTLY IN THE FRAME, THE HANDLEBARS HIT IT ON TURNING. THE TANK FRAME MOUNTS NO LONGER PROPERLY LINE UP WITH MOUNTING BOLTS ON TANK CORRECTLY. I HAVE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY MODIFIED MY MOTORCYCLE. I AM VERY CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFETY OF THIS MOTORCYCLE NOW. THE TANK'S SWELLING HAS MADE IT SO THE HANDLEBARS DO NOT TURN CORRECTLY. IF THE TANK SWELLS ENOUGH, IT WILL SPLIT OPEN AND I AM CONCERNED THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE I AM RIDING. *TR

THE FUEL TANK ON MY 2004 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1000DS HAS BEGUN EXPANDING. THE EXPANSION OF THE TANK TO THIS POINT HAS ONLY LED TO MISALIGNED BODY PANELS AND A POOR FIT OF THE TANK ITSELF ON THE MOTORCYCLE'S FRAME. FURTHER EXPANSION OF THE TANK, AS HAS BEEN OBSERVED ON NUMEROUS OTHER MOTORCYCLES WITH THE SAME OR SIMILAR TANKS, LEADS TO THE SEPARATION OF THE FUEL FLANGE FROM THE TANK RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT FUEL LEAK THAT COULD POSE A SERIOUS COMBUSTION HAZARD. THE EXPANSION OF THE TANK IS CAUSED BY THE INCOMPATIBILITY OF THE TANKS PLASTIC WITH THE ETHANOL FOUND IN E10 FUEL. AS E10 IS NOW NEAR UBIQUITOUS ON THE EAST COAST WHERE I LIVE, IT CANNOT BE AVOIDED. THE POTENTIAL INTRODUCTION OF E15 OR HIGHER LEVELS OF ETHANOL IN THE FUEL SUPPLY CHAIN WILL EXACERBATE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

1. REGULAR USE ON THE STREET OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS 12000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND A GOVERNOR TO PREVENT REDLINING. 2. THE FAILURE APPEARS TO BE WIDESPREAD ON DUCATIS MADE BEFORE 2006. THERE IS EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION OF THE PROBLEM AND DUCATI NORTH AMERICA APPEARS TO BE ARBITRARY IN ITS ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. DUCATI NORTH AMERICA HAS A LIST OF "POTENTIALLY EFFECTED ENGINE NUMBERS". FAILURE OF THE VALVE GUIDES CAN CAUSE THE PISTON TO BE FORCIBLY EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE OR CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE DURING REGULAR USE CAUSING CRASHES. DUCATI HAS REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON MY BIKE BECAUSE I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THE BIKE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY DUCATI. I WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WILL FAIL AS A RESULT OF THIS PARTS DEFECT. 3. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. *TR

I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT AN ISSUE WITH THE FRONT BRAKES ON THE '04 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1000DS. WHEN BRAKING THE BIKE SHUDDERS VIOLENTLY CAUSING A MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL. THIS HAPPENS 8 OUT OF 10 STOPS. THERE IS CURRENTLY A FORUM DISCUSSION GOING ON SINCE 2003 REGARDING THE DREADED BRAKE SHUDDER ON THIS BIKE: HTTP://WWW.MULTISTRADA.NET/FORUM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?T=54&HIGHLIGHT=BRAKE+SHUDDER SO FAR ONE MEMBER ON THE FORUM HAS CRASHED DUE TO THIS PROBLEM: HTTP://WWW.MULTISTRADA.NET/FORUM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?T=2694&HIGHLIGHT=BRAKE+CRASH DUCATI IS YET TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THE FRONT BRAKES OF THIS BIKE. SO FAR THEY HAVE A NOTICE ISSUED TO DEALERS SAYING TO REPLACE THE BANJO BOLTS WHICH DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE IS SEVERE ENOUGH TO WARRANT A RECALL. HOPEFULLY NHTSA WILL BE ABLE TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND WORK WITH DUCATI TO GET A RECALL ISSUED. *NM

FRONT BRAKES VIBRATE AND SHUDDER EVERY TIME THE MOTORCYCLE IS APPROACHING A STOP, SOMETIMES VIOLENTLY. THIS BEGAN WHEN THE BIKE HAD REACHED 600 MILES IN SERVICE, AND HAS NOT STOPPED SINCE THEN. THERE ARE NOW HAS 3600 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND INSPECTED THE BIKE BUT GAVE NO REMEDY AND COULD NOT REPAIR IT. *NM

REAR VIEW MIRRORS ON MODEL YEAR 2004 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1000DS MOTORCYCLE ARE EFFECTIVELY USELESS. REARWARD VISIBILITY IS ESSENTIALLY NIL, EVEN WITH FULL ADJUSTMENT ONE IS UNABLE TO SEE LITTLE MORE THAN THE RIDERS ARMS. DUCATI OBVIOUSLY KNOW OF THIS DEFECT BECAUSE MODEL YEAR 2005 BIKES HAVE DIFFERENT MIRRORS WHICH ARE CONSIDERABLY BETTER AS FAR AS REARWARD VISIBILITY IS CONCERNED. DUCATI REFUSE TO REPLACE MIRRORS ON 2004 BIKE ENDER WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH I BELIEVE THEY ARE A SAFETY LIABILITY. *NM

UPON APPLYING THE FRONT BRAKE, FREQUENTLY THE MOTORCYCLE FRONT END SHAKES BACK AND FORTH. THIS CAN GET VIOLENT AT TIMES AND THE RIDER LOSES CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. *NM