DUCATI Complaints

I HAD BEEN RIDING DOWN THE FREEWAY FOR AROUND 50 MIN AND THE MOTORCYCLE HAD BEEN ALL OK. I TRIED TO APPLY THE FRONT BRAKES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I MANAGED TO SOMEHOW STOP WITHOUT INCIDENT USING THE REAR BRAKE. WHEN I PULLED OVER I FOUND THE FROM BRAKE LINE HAD COMPLETELY FAILED ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.

MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT HAD 350 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET I FELT A LIQUID SPLASH ONTO MY LEFT FOOT AND LEG. AT THIS SAME TIME I NOTICED THE ENGINE CUT OFF AND I WAS COASTING WITHOUT POWER. I QUICKLY AVOIDED TRAFFIC AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS I WAS UNSURE WHAT LIQUID WAS ON MY FOOT AND LEG, I SHUT OFF THE IGNITION KEY AND TURNED IT BACK ON TO WITNESS THE SYSTEM TRYING TO PRIME THE FUEL INJECTION WHICH CAUSED GASOLINE TO POUR OUT THE LEFT SIDE, FROM UNDERNEATH THE GAS TANK AND ONTO THE HOT ENGINE. I AM GLAD THE HOT ENGINE DID NOT IGNITE THE GASOLINE AND CAUSE A FIRE.

THE MULTISTRADA HAS A USELESS REAR BRAKE. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED IT GOES TO THE BOTTOM OF ITS TRAVEL WITH LITTLE TO NO BRAKING ACTION TAKING PLACE. THE BRAKE BECOMES TEMPORALITY FUNCTIONAL AFTER IT IS BLED, BUT AFTER 1-2K MILES OR SITTING OVER THE WINTER THE BRAKE AGAIN FAILS TO SAFELY STOP THE MOTORCYCLE. WHILE RIDING DOWN MY DRIVEWAY THE OTHER DAY THE REAR BRAKE FAIL TO STOP THE BIKE I WAS ABLE THE STOP THE BIKE WITH THE FRONT BRAKE, BUT USING THE FRONT BRAKE IS NOT DESIRABLE ON A LOOSE GRAVEL DRIVEWAY AND STREET. AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES SOME BRAKE FUNCTION RETURNED, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO SAFLEY SUPPLEMENT THE FRONT BRAKES. MY DEALER USER ICE AND SALES TEAM ARE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE MULTISTRADA, BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SOLUTION THE THE PROBLEM FROM DUCATI. THE ONLY REMEDY IS CONSTANT BLEEDING OF THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. I DON'T FIND THAT A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION TO SUCH A SAFETY PROBLEM. MY MOTORCYCLE CURRENTLY HAS 2K MILES ON IT AND THE REAR BRAKES HAVE BEEN BLED TWICE ALREADY AND I'M PREPARING TO DO IT A THIRD TIME. THE FLUID IS ABSOLUTELY BLACK JUST FROM SITTING IN A TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED GARAGE FOR 10 MONTHS(NO RIDING).

THE REAR BRAKE ON THIS BIKE SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK. IT CREATES A SERIOUS HAZARD WHILE OPERATING THE MACHINE. I AM A MOTORCYCLE MECHANIC AND HAVE PROPERLY BLED THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM WITH VERY LITTLE SUCCESS. AFTER THE BLEED PROCEDURE, I CAN FEEL A VERY SLIGHT DRAG WHEN THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED TO ITS MAXIMUM. NO WHERE NEAR ENOUGH PRESSURE TO STOP THE MOTORCYCLE ON A STEEP INCLINE FROM A STOP. WHICH IS WHERE IT'S NEEDED MOST. FROM A STOP, ON A HILL I REPLY ON THE REAR BRAKE AND NOW I AM FORCED INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION OF MODULATING THE FRONT BRAKES AND OPERATING THE THROTTLE TOGETHER WITH THE SAME HAND. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AMOUNG ALL OWNERS OF THIS MODEL AS A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH WILL PROVE. PLEASE HELP US!!

REFERENCE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V638000 2009 DUCATI 1098R BAYLISS LE ORIGINAL DELIVERY DATE, 05/22/2009, 0 MILES, $43,618.65 FIRST OCCURRENCE ON 11/12/2011, 11,400 MILES, LOSS OF LIGHTING SYSTEMS, ENGINE STALLING AND OCCURRED DURING OPERATION ON A STREET. DEALER REPLACED FAULTY VOLTAGE REGULATOR UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY POLICY. SECOND OCCURRENCE ON 05/28/2016, 20,648 MILES, LOSS OF LIGHTING SYSTEMS, EXPLODED BATTERY, BURNT ALTERNATOR WIRING, BURNT TRACTION/STABILITY CONTROL COMPUTER AS A RESULT OF THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR FAILING AND ALLOWING 18.2 VOLTS THROUGH THE WHOLE SYSTEM. THIS OCCURRENCE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND/OR VEHICLE FIRE. DUCATI IS REFUSING TO RECOGNIZE OR HONOR THE SUBJECT NHTSA RECALL, CLAIMING THE VIN NUMBER IS OUTSIDE THE RANGE OF THE CAMPAIGN AND THAT THE UPDATED VOLTAGE REGULATOR IS NOT FAULTY. THIS IS A BASIC DESIGN FLAW ON THIS SERIES OF MOTORCYCLES DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR ADJACENT TO THE FRONT EXHAUST HEADER PIPE ON THE LOWER LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY AND EXPOSED TO EXTREME HEAT (REFERENCE ATTACHED DIAGRAM, 2009 DUCATI 1098R REGULATOR POSITION.JPG). THE ESTIMATE FOR THIS REPAIR IS $2062 AND AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, DUCATI IS REFUSING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REPAIR COSTS (REFERENCE ATTACHED DOCUMENT, REPAIR ORDER.PDF) EVEN WITH THE INSISTENCE OF THE LOCAL DUCATI INDIANAPOLIS OWNER. THIS MOTORCYCLE HAD NUMEROUS FAILURES DURING ITS FIRST 2 YEARS, BEING AT THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY A CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF SIX MONTHS OUT OF THE FIRST 24 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. THIS IS A REOCCURRING ISSUE THAT DUCATI IS WELL AWARE OF WITH THE REDESIGN OF THE NEXT GENERATION MODEL, 1199 PANIGALE IN 2012 BY RELOCATING THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR TO THE UPPER LEFT FAIRING AREA, ABOVE THE ENGINE, WITH NO ADJACENT HEAT SOURCE AND ADEQUATE AIR FLOW (REFERENCE ATTACHED DIAGRAM 2012 DUCATI 1199 PANIGALE REGULATOR POSTION.JPG).

THERE ARE MANY, MANY PEOPLE WITH FAULTY RADIATORS ON THE EARLY 848/1098/1198 SERIES BIKES. THE RADIATOR FAILS IN THE TOP LEFT HAND CORNER BRACKET, CAUSING COOLANT TO COME OUT OF THE LEFT HAND SIDE FAIRING. EVERYONE'S SEEMS TO FAIL IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE. DUCATI CHANGED THE RADIATOR TO A NEW VERSION IN 2010 AND THAT HAS RESOLVED THE ISSUE. I WOULD BE HAPPY WITH A REPLACEMENT RADIATOR THAT DOES NOT HAVE THIS FLAW. IT IS NOT SAFE TO LOSE COOLANT AND COULD GET ON THE TIRES OR BRAKES AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THANK YOU *TR

IN 2015 I PURCHASED A 2013 DUCATI STREETFIGHTER 848 DEALER DEMONSTRATION MODEL AS "NEW", AND THEREFORE THE FIRST REGISTERED OWNER. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 4,500 MILES, I AM EXPERIENCING THE FUEL TANK DEFORMING AND EXPANDING. FURTHER RESEARCH REVEALS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT, AND THAT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WAS FILED IN 2010 BETWEEN JONAS SUGARMAN (AND CLASS) AND DUCATI NORTH AMERICA (CALIFORNIA). THIS SITUATION INTRODUCES A SAFETY ISSUE ON MANY LEVELS, INCLUDING FUEL LEAKAGE AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE HAZARD, STEERING LIMITATION WHERE THE TANK WILL COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE HANDLEBAR, AND SUDDEN SHIFTING OF THE WEIGHT OF A FULL FUEL TANK. THIS IS A WELL-DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WHEREIN THE MANUFACTURER AS WELL AS THE DEALER KNOWINGLY SOLD DEFECTIVE VEHICLES.

THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK ON THIS AND OTHER DUCATI MOTORCYCLES EXPAND WITH GENERALLY AVAILABLE NORTH AMERICAN GASOLINE, SUCH THAT THE TANK CANNOT BE ATTACHED TO THE FRONT ATTACHMENT AT THE IGNITION KEY AREA, NEAR THE HANDLE BARS. THIS MAKES THE FUEL TANK NOT SECURED TO THE FORWARD PART OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS LEAVES ONLY ONE ATTACHMENT, AT THE REAR HINGE, SO IF THE MOTORCYCLE CRASHES OR IS DROPPED THE FORWARD PART OF THE FUEL TANK WILL POP AWAY FROM THE FRAME, PROBABLY LEAKING AND SUSCEPTIBLE TO RUPTURE BEING PLASTIC. DUCATI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND REPLACED THESE DEFECTIVE TANKS (INCLUDING MINE) PURSUANT TO A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY DUCATI USED OTHER ALSO DEFECTIVE TANKS (SAME EXPANSION DEFECT WITH NO WARNING OF FUEL NOT TO USE - IF THAT IS THE PROBLEM) TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE EXPANDED TANKS. DUCATI REFUSED MY REQUEST IT RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. MY MOTORCYCLE IS NOW DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE, A FIRE HAZARD, NOT SUITABLE FOR USE AND WOULD FAIL A SAFETY INSPECTION MAKING IT UNLAWFUL TO OPERATE ON HAWAII ROADS.

THE FUEL TANK IS SWELLING. AND DEFORMING. THE PART THAT IS SWELLING IS RUBBING AGAINST A FRAME PIECE. DUCATI IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE DEALER AND THEY CALLED DUCATI, THE CLAIM WAS DENIED DUE TO LENGTH OF TIME. FUEL TANK ISSUES SHOULD NOT BE CAPPED. THIS COULD HAVE A POTENTIAL OF RUPTURE OR FIRE. HERE IS THE LINK FOR THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HTTP://WWW.GIRARDGIBBS.COM/DOCS/CASES/67_DUCATI-CLASS-NOTICE.PDF

I'VE HAD MY ORIGINAL FUEL TANK REPLACED DUE TO DEFORMATION. NOW THE REPLACEMENT FUEL TANK IS ALSO DEFORMING.