DUCATI Complaints

WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE FALLS OVER THE STEERING STOP WILL BEND. THIS WILL CAUSE THE FRONT BRAKE LINE TO SUBSEQUENTLY BE CRUSHED. I.E. THE BRAKE LINE NOW BECOMES THE STEERING STOP.

PLASTIC GAS TANK HAS EXPANDED AND WARPED, CAUSING TANK VENTS TO STOP WORKING EFFECTIVELY. GASOLINE NOW LEAKS AND SPRAYS EXTENSIVELY FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK, COVERING THE TANK AND SURROUNDING AREAS WITH GASOLINE. GASOLINE ALSO LEAKS EXTENSIVELY FROM THE OVERFLOW TUBE ONTO MY GARAGE FLOOR. THE EXPANSION HAS ALSO MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO ACCESS THE FRONT TANK RELEASE LATCH. I MAINLY OBSERVE THIS WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE IS STATIONARY IN MY GARAGE. THE GASOLINE FUMES ARE ALWAYS PRESENT IN THE GARAGE. WHILE I HAVE NOT OBSERVED IT, I SUSPECT THIS LEAKING AND SPRAYING ALSO HAPPENS WHILE RIDING ON STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. THE CONSTANT PRESENCE OF GASOLINE OUTSIDE THE TANK IS UNSAFE. ON 3-17-17, THE DUCATI DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT I REPLACE THE PLASTIC TANK WITH ANOTHER PLASTIC TANK FOR $1,200. THAT IS NOT AN ADEQUATE SOLUTION. THESE PLASTIC TANKS EXPAND AND WARP OVER TIME. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE REPLACEMENT TANK EXPANDS AND WARPS.

THIS IS FOR AFTERMARKET "DUCABIKE" (HTTP://WWW.DUCABIKE.COM/) SET OF FOOT PEGS NOT THE DUCATI MOTORCYCLE ITSELF. THE SET COMES WITH FOLDING PEGS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO FOLD UPWARD. THE PROBLEM IS THE DESIGN. THE PEGS CAN TURN ON THEIR AXLE AND FOLD DOWNWARDS. THIS HAPPENED TO ME WHILE RIDING AND I CRASHED WHEN MY FOOT CAME OFF PEG.

MY MOTORCYCLE HAS A FAULTY FUEL SENSOR WHICH HAS BEEN REPLACED A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES A TWO YEAR PERIOD AND IS BROKEN AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER IS ADVISING ME THIS IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND IGNORING THE CLEAR POOR QUALITY AND/OR DESIGN OF THIS PART WHICH HAS REQUIRED SO MANY REPLACEMENTS IN SUCH A SHORT TIME PERIOD. THEY ARE RELYING ON THE FACT THAT MOTORCYCLE RIDERS ARE MOSTLY RECREATIONAL AND WILL NOT NOTICE PROBLEMS ON PARTS THAT LAST JUST SHORT OF THEIR YEAR WARRANTY FOR PARTS.

THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM CONSISTENTLY AND FREQUENTLY ALLOWS AIR INTO THE SYSTEM AND RENDERS THE REAR BRAKE INEFFECTIVE. THE BRAKES REQUIRES BLEEDING AND ONCE THAT IS DONE THE BRAKE WORKS FOR A TIME. IF THE MOTORCYCLE IS NOT RIDDEN FOR A WEEK OR SO THIS SEEMS TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF AIR GETTING INTO THE SYSTEM. VEHICLE SPECIFIC INTERNET FORUMS REPORT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

THE MOTORCYCLE IS THE HYPERSTRADA MODEL WITH A FACTORY INSTALLED CENTER STAND. THE LEFT SIDE CENTER STAND ATTACHMENT BOLT LOOSENED AND FELL OUT WHILE RIDING. THE BOLT RETENTION WAS NOT SUFFICIENT AND IT WORKED IT'S WAY LOOSE AFTER 1.5 YEARS. THE ENTIRE CENTER STAND DROPPED TO WITHIN 3-5 MM OF THE DRIVE CHAIN. IF IT WOULD HAVE CONTACTED IT WHILE RIDING AT SPEED THE REAR WHEEL COULD HAVE LOCKED UP. A TEMPORARY BOLT WAS INSTALLED BY THE OWNER TO PREVENT ANY SAFETY ISSUES.

I PURCHASED A PUIG AFTERMARKET WINDSCREEN FOR MY XDIAVEL. IT CAME TO ME WITH BOLTS TO REPLACE THE OEM BOLTS THAT HOLD THE HANDLEBARS ON TO THE BIKE. THE BOLTS THAT PUIG SUPPLIES WITH THEIR WINDSCREEN ARE FAR TOO SHORT TO BE SAFE. I NOTIFIED THE SELLER, THEY REFERRED ME TO PUIG HI-TECH OF USA. PUIG TOLD ME TO GO BACK TO THE RESELLER, WHO REFUSES TO SEND BOLTS, AND I DON'T BLAME THEM. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED, APPROVED, AND THE RESELLER IS NOT AN ENGINEER TO KNOW WHICH BOLTS ARE SAFE. THESE ARE THE BOLTS THAT FASTEN THE HANDLEBARS TO THE MOTORCYCLE! IF THEY FAIL, THE RIDER LOSES ALL STEERING, THROTTLE, BRAKING, EVEN THE ON/OFF CAPABILITY OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS COULD EASILY RESULT IN SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH. FORTUNATELY, I AM AN ENGIINEER, AND SAW RIGHT AWAY THAT THE BOLTS WERE VERY UNSAFE, AND I DID NOT ATTEMPT TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. I REMOVED THE AFTERMARKET WINDSCREEN AND REINSTALLED THE OEM BOLTS.

FUEL TANK LEAK DUE TO TANK DISTORTING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME REPLACING TANK. DUCATI NEVER FIXED THIS PROBLEM. THE PLASTIC TANKS CANNOT HANDEL THE ETHANOL GAS IN THE US.

DURING NORMAL OPERATION, DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN THE STREET AT ABOUT 40MPH, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. WHEN I PULLED TO THE SIDE, AND TURNED THE IGNITION BACK ON, FUEL POURED FROM UNDER THE TANK. WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS THAT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE FUEL LINE AND THE PUMP HAD DISCONNECTED. WHEN I TURNED THE IGNITION BACK ON, THE FUEL PUMP PRIMED, SPEWING THE GASOLINE DOWN THE SIDE OF THE BIKE, OVER THE ENGINE. THE PART DID NOT APPEAR BROKEN, BUT WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET TO IT, I COULD RECONNECT IT, BUT IT WOULD COME BACK APART VERY EASILY. IT SEEMED TO BE A FAULTY PART. THE BIKE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER. IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 120 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, BRAND NEW. THE ATTACHED IMAGE SHOWS THE PART DISCONNECTED. I HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM REPORTED BY ABOUT 6 OTHER PEOPLE ON A DUCATI SCRAMBLER FORUM.

INCIDENT DESCRIBED IN UPLOADED PHOTO. JUST PICKED BIKE UP FROM DEALER FROM RECALL THROTTLE PROBLEM. DAMAGE RESULTED. CONTACT INFO.