DUCATI Complaints

I WAS RIDING FOR AROUND 4 HOURS ON THE INTERSTATE. I CAME OFF THE INTERSTATE AND ONTO THE SURFACE STREETS. I WAS ENTERING A PARK WITH A DIRT ROAD AND PARKING LOT. I WENT TO APPLY THE REAR BRAKE FOR STOPPING ON DIRT. THE REAR BRAKE LEVER CYCLED THROUGH THE ENTIRE STROKE. I PUMPED THE REAR BRAKE LEVER AND NO PRESSURE WAS BUILT UP. I HAD TO USE THE FRONT BRAKE TO STOP ON THE DIRT. AFTER VISITING THE PARK ABOUT 20 MINUTES THE BIKE WAS RIDDEN TO A GAS STATION AND THE REAR BRAKE STILL FAILED TO WORK. THE BIKE WAS THEN RIDDEN TO A LOCAL HOTEL STILL WITH NO REAR BRAKE. THE NEXT MORNING I TESTED THE REAR BRAKE BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE DAY. THE REAR BRAKE HAD NORMAL PRESSURE AND A VERY SHORT LEVER STROKE AND WOULD STOP THE WHEEL (CENTER STAND). AFTER RIDING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR 2 HOURS I PULLED OFF FOR GAS AND THE BRAKE WOULD NOT ENGAGE. SINCE RETURNING HOME FROM MY TRIP I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING REPEATEDLY, BIKE COLD REAR BRAKE WORKS, BIKE HOT NO REAR BRAKE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 DUCATI SUPERSPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD TO BLEED THE REAR BRAKES THREE TIMES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THE FAILURE ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINE RAN TOO CLOSE TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKE CABLE HAD HYDRAULIC FLUID IN IT, WHICH BECAME HOT AND CAUSED AIR TO ENTER. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE REAR BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION. AZ MOTORCYCLES (15500 NORTH HAYDEN ROAD, SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85260, (480) 609-1800) SERVICED THE BRAKES, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO FAILURE AND SUGGESTED THAT THE CONTACT CONTINUE TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,386.

ON 03/14/2019 WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE DURING THE DAY I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM WHILE NAVIGATING A TURN. I HAD BEEN ON THE BIKE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR WITH NO INDICATION ANYTHING WAS WRONG. IT WAS VERY SUDDEN AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. UPON A VISUAL INSPECTION I NOTED THERE WAS NO FLUID LEAKING, FLUID LEVEL WAS FULL, BRAKE PADS ARE GOOD, AND NO ABS MALFUNCTION WAS INDICATED ON THE BIKES DISPLAY. IF NOT FOR MY RIDING EXPERIENCE I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CRASHED. WEATHER WAS SUNNY AROUND 70 DEGREES SPEED IN TURN UNDER 15 MPH BRAKING PRESSURE WAS NORMAL (NOT PANIC BRAKING)

AFTER PURCHASING A 2009 DUCATI 1198S ON 8/3/2018, I DISCOVERED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE HAD 2 OPEN SAFETY RECALLS. I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO A DUCATI DEALER TO PERFORM THE RECALLS. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT 1 OF THE RECALLS (NHTSA #09V-170; MANUFACTURER #RCL-09-003) IS NOT NEEDED AND THAT THE OTHER RECALL (NHTSA #09V-381; MANUFACTURER #RCL-09-005) CANNOT BE PERFORMED BECAUSE THE RECALL REQUIRES REMOVAL OF THE GAS TANK AND THE GAS TANK CANNOT RELIABLY BE REMOVED AND REPLACED BECAUSE IT IS SWOLLEN (SEE ATTACHED REPAIR ORDER). THE GAS TANK IS SWOLLEN DUE TO A FACTORY DEFECT THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT (SEE ATTACHED NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT). THE CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT PROVIDES FOR FREE REPLACEMENT OF THE GAS TANK WITHIN 6 YEARS AFTER THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE DATE (THAT WAS PROBABLY IN 2009 OR 2010), BUT THIS TIME PERIOD EXPIRED BEFORE I PURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE. THE DEALER INFORMED ME, AFTER INQUIRING WITH DUCATI ABOUT REPLACING MY GAS TANK FOR FREE, THAT THE 09V-381 SAFETY RECALL CANNOT BE PERFORMED UNLESS I PAY APPROXIMATELY $1300 FOR A NEW GAS TANK. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS NOT WILLING TO PAY $1300 FOR A FACTORY DEFECT (SEE ATTACHED EMAIL). AS A RESULT, THE DEALER DID NOT PERFORM THE 09V-381 SAFETY RECALL AND I PICKED UP THE MOTORCYCLE. I DO NOT THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY $1300 TO GET A SAFETY RECALL PERFORMED. DUCATI SHOULD REPLACE MY GAS TANK, AND PERFORM THE 09V-381 SAFETY RECALL, FREE OF CHARGE.

FAULTY FUEL SENSOR. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, THE FUEL SENSOR WILL BREAK DOWN RESULTING IN AN INACCURATE FUEL GAUGE READING AND WILL SHOW EMPTY. DESPITE MANY REVISIONS OF THIS PART NUMBER, DUCATI IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A LONG TERM SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. DUCATI HAS NOT RELEASED OR NOTIFIED THE OWNERS OF THIS MISHAP AND ARE HOLDING BACK INFORMATION ON FIXING IT.

DEFECTIVE TPS UNITS IN MANY BIKES. THIS CAUSES SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. ACCORDING TO MY RESEARCH THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD IN THIS SPECIFIC BIKE. VERY DANGEROUS ALMOST CRASHED ON HIGHWAY. THIS NEEDS ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY! WAS TRAVELLING APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES PER HOUR AND LOST ALL POWER ON BIKE. STUCK ON SIDE OF ROAD. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM MAKING IT MORE DANGEROUS.

I WAS RIDING UP TO A RED LIGHT INTERSECTION AND APPLIED THE REAR BRAKES. THEY SEIZED CLOSED (SAME EFFECT AS SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES), ALMOST WASHING ME OUT INTO CROSSTRAFFIC. THEY DID NOT RELEASE FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS ONCE STOPPED. THERE WAS NO DIRT, WATER, OR FOD IN THE HYDRAULIC LINES OR THE PAD/ROTOR. I HAD JUST BLED THEM, SO IT WAS NOT THE EXPANSION OF AN AIR POCKET. THE RETURN CHANNEL (THE SMALL PINHOLE BACK TO THE RESERVOIR) WAS CLEAR, AND THE SPRING WAS FUNCTIONAL. I SEARCHED FOR OTHER PROBLEMS AND FOUND SRV-RCL-18-004, A KNOWN RECALL FOR FAULTY REAR BRAKE PADS ON MY BIKE/MODEL (HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/RCL/2018/RCRIT-18V480-3230.PDF). I SUSPECT THAT THEY THERMALLY FUSED TO MY DISC DURING THE INCIDENT ABOVE. I REMOVED THE BRAKE PADS TO INSPECT THEM. PICTURES ARE ATTACHED. SURE ENOUGH, THE PADS WERE TRASHED. NOT ONLY WAS THE FRICTION MATERIAL COMPLETELY GONE, BUT ABOUT 80-90% OF THE BACKING PLATE ON WHICH THE PAD IS ADHERED WAS WORN THROUGH. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS 3500 MILES, WELL BEFORE EOL FOR A HEALTHY REAR BRAKE PAD. IF A MOTORCYCLE IS DRIVEN FOR 3500 MILES WITH NO FRONT BRAKE APPLICATION, ONLY REAR, THAT WOULD STILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO WEAR THE REAR PAD OUT TO THIS DEGREE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT. THE ROTORS ARE SCORED DUE TO THE CONTACT WITH THE FAULTY BRAKE PAD. I HAVE REPLACED THE REAR PADS TO TEMPORARILY ALLOW REAR BRAKING, BUT EFFICIENCY IS REDUCED AGAINST A NON-FLAT ROTOR. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE DEALERSHIP AS WELL. THEY DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL, WHICH WAS SCHEDULED FOR OWNER CONTACT AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.

POTENTIAL OIL COOLER FAILURE AT THE "B" NUT JOINT AS OBSERVED ON THREE MOTORCYCLES WORLDWIDE. VEHICLES IN HUNGRY AND THE UNITED KINGDOM WERE IN MOTION WHEN FAILURES OCCURRED. OWNER THAT SUBMITTED THIS INCIDENT INFORMATION HAS PHOTOS OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN OIL COOLER JOINT THAT IS ABOUT TO FAIL. PHOTO SHOWS OIL RESIDUE IN THE JOINT AREA

REAR BRAKE DOES NOT WORK. THE PEDAL WHEN DEPRESSED GOES TO THE STOP BUT DOES NOT SLOW THE MOTORCYCLE. THE REAR BRAKE IS COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE.

THE REAR BRAKE BECOMES USELESS AFTER BLEEDING BY THE DEALER. THEY TESTED THE SYSTEM AND REPORTED IT HOLDS PRESSURE WITH NO ISSUE YET AFTER TIME TYPICALLY WITHIN 12 MONTHS THE BRAKE FAILURE OCCURS. THE ONLY REASONING GIVEN IS DESIGN WITH LOCATION TOO CLOSE TO THE HEAT SOURCE. THESE BIKES ARE NOT ENTRY LEVEL SO IT ONLY DUE TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE RIDERS THERE HAS NOT BEEN A FATALITY DUE TO NO REAR BRAKE.