DUCATI Complaints

WHEN RIDING HOME FROM WORK COULD NOT COMPLETELY DISENGAGE CLUTCH AND USING BRAKE WAS ONLY WAY TO PREVENT ENGINE FROM PROPELLING BIKE FORWARD. NEXT DAY CLUTCH DID NOT DISENGAGE WHEN CLUTCH LEVER PULLED IN. TRIED TO START BIKE IN GEAR WITH CLUTCH LEVER PULLED AND BIKE JERKED FORWARD. STARTED IN NEUTRAL WITH BIKE CLUTCH LEVER PULLED SHIFTED TO FIRST BIKE JERKED AND DIED. BIKE CLUTCH COULD NOT BE DISENGAGED. HAD TO BLEED CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER IN ORDER TO FIX. MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOLLOWED.

I WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE WHEN FUEL STARTED DRIPPING DOWN ON THE ENGINE AND MY LEGS.

WHILE RIDING MOTORCYCLE IT DEVELOPED A RADIATOR LEAK WITH COOLANT RUNNING DOWN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE LEAK WAS FOUND TO BE NEAR THE UPPER LEFT RADIATOR MOUNT. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND OTHER DUCATI MODELS WITH THE SAME RADIATOR. DUCATI REPLACED MANY IN WARRANTY AND EVEN FOR SOME TIME AFTER UNDER A "GOOD WILL" PROGRAM. NO RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THE FAULTY PART, THOUGH AN UPDATED PART WAS MANUFACTURED. DUCATI PART 548.4.074.2B TO REPLACE 548.4.0741B. THIS COULD LEAK COULD HAVE DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES ON A MOTORCYCLE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF COOLANT LEAKING ONTO THE REAR TIRE. A QUICK LOOK ON THE INTERNET WILL SHOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM.

PURCHASED MOTORCYCLE WITH 840 MILES ON ODOMETER, GAS TANK HAS SWELLING AND IS TOUCHING THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALSO HAS BLISTERING AT THE BASE OF THE TANK WERE IT MEETS THE SEAT.

I WAS APPLYING THROTTLE TO PASS A VEHICLE ON A RIGHT HAND TURN AND RESUME MY LANE POSITION AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE AND MOTORCYCLE SHUT DOWN. I HAD TO SUDDENLY CORRECT MY BODY POSITION AND BRING THE MOTORCYCLE UPRIGHT WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN CROSSING THE CENTER LINE. EMERGENCY MANEUVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROADWAY WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN BEING STRUCK FROM THE REAR BY A CAR SINCE THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER AND LIMITED BRAKING ABILITY. INSPECTION ON THE ROADWAY SHOWED A WARNING SIGNAL ON THE DASH WHICH WAS A RED WITH EXCLAMATION POINT ! (ABS!). THE BIKE WOULD NOT START. HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED. AFTER DIAGNOSIS AND THE MECHANIC AT THE DUCATI SHOP SAID IT WAS THE CANBUS FUSE WHICH WAS BLOWN. NO OTHER INFORMATION PROVIDED. DON'T KNOW IF I CAN TRUST THIS MOTORCYCLE ON THE ROAD FURTHER.

1) WHEN DRIVING THIS MOTORCYCLE IN SECOND GEAR AND APPLYING THE THROTTLE, THE BIKE HAS A 2-4 SECOND RESPONSE DELAY THAT IS FOLLOWED BY AN EXTREME ENGINE AND POWER SURGE. THIS SURGE IS VERY STRONG IN SECOND GEAR AND CAUSED THE RIDER TO MOMENTARILY LOSE CONTROL OF THE BIKE. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER. DUCATI SUGGESTED THAT I ATTEMPT TO CONTROL THE SURGES BY REDUCING THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL THAT LIMIT FRONT WHEEL RISES. THIS IS BOTH A DANGEROUS SUGGESTION AND INEFFECTIVE AS IT ONLY A PART OF THE PROBLEM. SUBSEQUENTLY I WAS TOLD TO WAIT UNTIL DUCATI ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM. NO SUCH UNDERTAKING HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED OR COMPLETED. 2) THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL ALSO CAUSED POWER SURGES THAT FORCED THE BIKE TO MOVE ERRATICALLY AND DANGEROUSLY IN AND OUT OF TURNS. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD TO TURN THE SAFETY DEVICES TO LOWEST SETTINGS OR OFF. THIS IS AN UNSAFE RIDING CONDITION AS THIS BIKE IS DESIGNED TO USE THOSE CONTROLS. 3) ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE DASH INDICATED THAT THE BIKE WAS ENGAGED IN A RUNNING GEAR WHEN IT ACTUALLY WAS IN NEUTRAL. THIS RESULTED IN A FALL AT A STOP LIGHT AND SEVERAL DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ON THE ROAD. THE GEAR INDICATOR WAS ADJUSTED BY THE DEALER BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY REPORTED ON SEVERAL MODELS IN THE DUCATI LINE AND HAS NEVER BEEN ADDRESSED. I SPOKE WITH DUCATI AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS IS A "DANGEROUS" CONDITION BUT IT HAS NEVER BEEN REPORTED TO OWNERS OR FIXED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1200 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE FRONT FORK SEALS AND REAR BRAKES BECAME INOPERABLE AND COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON EIGHT OCCASIONS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FORK SEALS WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

SAT. 5 AUG 2015 AFTER A 15,000 MILE SERVICE, RIDING ABOUT 240 MILES THE BIKE SUDDENLY STARTED ACTING STRANGE. THE DCT LIGHT FLASHED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND THE BIKE BUCKED ERRATICALLY. I STOPPED, AND SWITCHED IGNITION OFF, THEN STARTED UP AGAIN. IT STARTED NORMALLY. AFTER A FEW (50?) YARDS THE DCT AGAIN FLASHED MULTIPLE TIMES, AND THE ABS AND DCT BOTH TURNED THEMSELVES OFF. RESTARTING AGAIN, THE BIKE SEEMED NORMAL FOR A HALF MILE OR SO, THEN THE BIKE WENT INTO A SLOW DRIVING MODE AND WOULD NOT GET ANY SPEED. CALLING THE SHOP -THE TECH MANAGER ADVISED ME THEY HAD NO WAY TO PICK UP THE BIKE, AND I SHOULD RIDE IT IN (ABOUT 200 MILES). I WAS TAKING OFF FROM A STOP IN SLOW-MODE WHEN THE DCT FLASHED, AND THE SLOW MODE DISENGAGED SUDDENLY CAUSING THE BIKE TO LUNGE SUDDENLY (A LOT LIKE A TWO STROKE MIGHT DO FULL THROTTLE) - I PULLED A KNUCKLE JOINT BUT MANAGED TO HOLD ON AND CONTROL WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A FALL INTO ACCELERATING TRAFFIC FROM THE LIGHT. THEN THE 'CHECK ENGINE LAMP WAS ON UNTIL I MADE IT ANOTHER 10-20 MILES OR SO TO THE SHOP. THE SHOP SAID THAT THE RETAINING CLIP ON THE SPEED SENSOR WIRE HAD COME LOOSE (IT'S A 'C' CLAMP MADE OF NYLON) AND THE WIRE WAS RUBBING THE ROTOR, UNTIL IT SHORTED AND CONFUSED THE COMPUTER. BECAUSE THE IS A THROTTLE-BY-WIRE CONTROLLED ENGINE, THAT WIRE AND CLIP SHOULD BE BETTER SAFEGUARDED. I HAVE ADDED A ZIP-TIE TO KEEP IT IN PLACE MORE SECURELY. THIS SHOULD BE RETROFITTED TO ALL THESE MACHINES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. ALSO, ANY PROBLEM PLACING A BIKE INTO SLOW-MODE SHOULD ONLY BE RE-SET BY THE TECH AT THE SHOP. IT SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SELF-CANCEL - THAT'S POTENTIAL DEATH.

I PICKED THE MOTORCYCLE UP FROM HAVING THROTTLE CABLE REPLACED, AND RODE IT HOME ABOUT 75 MILES. I WENT OUT THE NEXT MORNING, AND WHEN I STARTED IT THE FUEL PUMP WAS MAKING A LOUD NOISE. I RAN IT A BIT AND THE FUEL PUMP WAS WHINING THE WHOLE TIME. I TOOK THE BIKE BACK TO THE DEALER, AND THEY ADVISED THE FUEL PUMP WAS "FUNCTIONING, BUT FAILING." THEY SAID THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND THE SEALS INSIDE THE TANK. I PICKED THE BIKE UP ON 8/28/15 AND RODE IT ABOUT 150 MORE MILES THROUGH 9/2/15. ON 9/2/15, THE BIKE STALLED, AND WOULDN'T START BACK UP. THEN I STARTED SMELLING GAS, I LOOK DOWN AND GAS IS LITERALLY POURING OUT FROM BENEATH THE GAS TANK. THE BIKE IS NOW BEING PICKED UP TOMORROW BY THE DEALER TO BE SERVICED FOR A SECOND TIME OF A SIMILAR ISSUE WITHIN A WEEK. THE BIKE IS NOT YET 2 MONTHS OLD, AND CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 1150 MILES.

THE MOTORCYCLE HAS A GEAR INDICATOR (TO TELL WHAT GEAR YOU ARE IN) THAT DISPLAYS ON THE DASHBOARD. TWO DIFFERENT GEAR INDICATION PROBLEMS: 1) WHILE TRAVELING IN 6TH GEAR, THE INDICATOR WILL FLASH BETWEEN 5TH AND 6TH GEAR 2) WHILE IN NEUTRAL GEAR, THE INDICATOR WILL FLASH BETWEEN 1ST AND NEUTRAL. THIS ONLY OCCURS WHEN THE BIKE IS HEAT SOAKED IN CONJUNCTION WITH AIR TEMPERATURES ABOVE 90 DEGREES. THE NEUTRAL / 1ST GEAR PROBLEM CAUSES THE BIKE'S (WHEN RUNNING IN NEUTRAL GEAR WITH THE SIDE STAND DOWN) ENGINE TO SHUT OFF BECAUSE THE BIKE HAS A SIDE STAND AND GEAR INTERLOCK CONDITION THAT WILL NOT LET THE ENGINE RUN WITH THE SIDE STAND IN THE DOWN POSITION IN ANY FORWARD GEAR WITH THE CLUTCH ENGAGED. THE 5TH / 6TH GEAR INDICATOR PROBLEM IS LITTLE MORE THAN A NUISANCE MOST OF THE TIME, BUT CAN LED TO RIDER BEING UNSTABLE IF HE/SHE BELIEVES THE BIKE IS IN 5TH, TRIES UP UPSHIFT BUT REALIZES THE GEAR PEDDLE WILL NOT ENGAGE 6TH BECAUSE THE BIKE IS ALREADY IN 6TH. THE ONLINE DUCATI FORUMS HAVE BEEN STATING THAT THE GEAR INDICATOR PROBLEM IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2012-2014 DUCATI 1199 BIKES. ALSO, DUCATI CUSTOMER SERVICE STATES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THERE IS NO KNOWN PERMANENT FIX FOR THIS CONDITION. SOME DEALERS ARE "RE-TEACHING" GEAR SECTION TO THE BIKE WHILE SOME DEALERS ARE REPLACING GEAR INDICATOR SENSORS TO NO AVAIL. MY BIKE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO ANY ATTEMPTED FIX WOULD BE ON MY DIME. ALSO THERE ARE NO KNOWN RECALLS TO DATE FOR THIS CONDITION.