DUCATI Complaints

The rear brake on the 2014 Ducati monster doesn't work, even after the dealer bleeds it, it will return to no braking power in a few weeks. Both the 2015 and 2016 Ducati years of this model have an active recall for their rear brake line, so the 2014 year should also have a recall, the model years are all identical.

The rear brake seems to be ineffective compared to other Ducati models I've owned. This condition has lead to depending on the front brakes more than the standard 70% due to the rears not performing their part. This has caused (In my humble opinion) the fronts to warp causing pulsing in the front brakes. This was noted with fewer than 1200 miles when first service was performed. Dealer noted nothing abnormal other then the sound of a horn (sounds like a trumpet) while rolling the bike at a walking pace. This issue became worse as I made my way across the country from San Fran to Sarasota Florida. Upon arrival with 3500 miles there is a notable pulsing from the front brake lever. Euro Cycles of Tampa took the bike in for warranty noting 6-9 thousandths runout. Ducati was provided this information and in return said I quote "Rotors are excluded from the Ducati Limited Warranty Policy". Under normal circumstances I can understand this policy but I believe there is an under lying issue being over looked here. If you look on any forum online there are numerous complaints of this very issue on the Multistrada from 2015-2020. Some of which Ducati "decided" to cover and some like mine they did not. For everyone coming after me I'd love to know what the root cause is. Oh By the way this is my 30th+ yr riding and probably 15th or 16th motorcycle and I've never had to replace rotors due to warping.

REAR BRAKES HAVE COMPLETELY FAILED. FRONT BRAKE REQUIRES PUMPING REPEATEDLY. BOTH THESE ARE WELL REPORTED IN ON-LINE DUCATI MONSTER FORUMS AS RECURRENT AND DANGEROUS PROBLEMS. DEALER DECLINES TO REMEDY SITUATION OTHER THAN TO BLEED BRAKES, THAT ACCORDING TO FORUMS WILL RECUR. SOME FORUMS SUGGEST THERE IS A MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDATION TO REPLACE BANJO BOLTS WITH IMPROVED PART BUT NO REQUIREMENT FOR DEALER TOPERFORM THIS VITAL SAFETY FIX. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE

THE REAR BRAKE ON THE MULTISTRADA HAS A KNOWN ISSUE OF THE BRAKE FLUID BOILING AND CAUSING THE REAR BRAKE PERFORMANCE TO BE NON-EXISTANT. RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE INCLUDED NOT USING THE REAR BRAKE, WHICH IS NOT AN OPTION. I LANE SPLIT, AND THE REAR BRAKE IS PERFECT FOR CONTROLLING SPEED IN SMALL MARGINS. I'VE RUN THROUGH MULTIPLE BRAKE FLUID SERVICES FOR THE REAR AND LOSE PERFORMANCE WITHIN AN HOUR OF RIDE TIME.

REAR BRAKE PEDAL IS VERY SOFT. WITH MAXIMUM FORCE APPLIED THE ABS SEEMS TO EITHER LOCK UP OR FAIL ALTOGETHER. THE REAR BRAKE IS VERY INEFFECTIVE ON THIS MOTORCYCLE.

REAR BRAKE DOESN'T WORK AT ALL, EVEN IF IM ON A HILL WITH A PASSENGER I HAVE TO USE FRONT BRAKES JUST TO KEEP US IN PLACE AS REAR BRAKE WILL HAVE US GOING BACKWARDS. I HAVE HAD IT BLED MULTIPLE TIMES, IF YOU SMASH IT WITH YOUR FOOT IT WONT EVEN LOCK UP THE REAR WHEEL.

I PURCHASED THE BIKE IN 2015 WITH 411 MILES ON IT FROM SOUTH SOUND MOTORCYCLES IN FIFE, WA. THE FIRST YEAR THE BRAKE WORKED FINE. THEN IT STOPPED WORKING. SOUTH SOUND BLED IT BUT IT STILL DIDNT WORK. SO THEY REPLACED EVERYTHING ON THE REAR BRAKE FROM BREMBO AS IT COMES AS A SET. IT WAS GOOD FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS THEN AGAIN NO BRAKE. I TOOK IT TO THE BELLEVUE DEALERSHIP AND THEY BLED IT AGAIN AND GOT IT TO WORK FOR 3 MONTHS. I TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND THE SAME THING. IT WORKED FOR A FEW MONTHS THEN NOTHING. I JUST TOOK THE BIKE IN FOR THE 28K MILE INSPECTION AND TOLD THEM THEY NEED TO FIX THE BACK BREAK. I CALLED AND ASKED HOW IT WAS GOING AND THEY TOLD ME THEY GOT THE BRAKE TO WORK BUT THEN IMMEDIATLY HAD ISSUES WITH IT. IVE OWENED THIS BIKE FOR 6 YEARS AND I WOULD SAY THE BACK BREAK HAS WORKED ABOUT 1-2 YEARS. WHEN SPEAKING WITH OTHER DUCATI OWNERS AND CHECKING FORUMS IT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE THAT DUCATI IS AWARE OF BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE BREAK JUST STOPPS WORKING GETS SPUNGY THEN NOTHING. MY NEXT STEP WILL BE CONTACTING DUCATI IN ITALY.

REAR BRAKE FAILED. PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THIS OCCURRED AT 300 MILES ON ODOMETER.

THE REAR BRAKE HAS NEVER FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THEY HAVE TRIED TO FIX IT AND I HAVE PAID TO BLEED IT SEVERAL TIMES. IT WORKS FOR ONE RIDE AND THEN IT IS BASICALLY NON FUNCTIONAL FROM THERE ON AGAIN. TO OBTAIN ANY ACTION I HAVE TO REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE PEG AND PUSH THE LEVER DOWN TO EXTREME LEVELS AND EVEN THEN LITTLE STOPPING POWER IS PROVIDED.

THE REAR BRAKE HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. BASICALLY, IT'S USELESS. I HAVE TURNED THE CALIPER UPSIDE DOWN SO THE BLEED NIPPLE IS FACING UPWARDS SO THAT ANY AIR IN THE LINES WILL BE REMOVED WHEN I CHANGE THE FLUID. I HAVE EVEN USED RACING BRAKE FLUID TO NO AVAIL. THE REAR BRAKE HAS TO BE PUMPED A COUPLE OF TIMES AND THEM IT MAY ENGAGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SOME DRAG AND SLOWING. THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE I'VE OWNED THE MC, WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER I'M STOPPED, IN MOTION, ON A FREEWAY OR SURFACE ROAD, THE REAR BRAKE WILL NO ENGAGE UNTIL IT HAS BEEN PUMPED UP AND THEN IT IS MARGINAL IN IT'S EFFECT. I TOLD THE DUCATI SHOP ABOUT THIS WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR THE 600 MILE AND THE 7K MILE SERVICE, AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEM. BAD BRAKE, NOT ONLY ON THIS MODEL BUT A LOT OF OTHERS.