DUCATI Complaints

THE REAR BRAKE ON THIS BIKE NEVER PERFORMED UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS FROM THE FIRST TIME I RODE IT FROM THE DEALERSHIP, ESPECIALLY FOR A 150 HORSEPOWER SPORTY MOTORCYCLE. AT ABOUT 1,500 MILES THE REAR BRAKE WOULD ONLY WORK IF YOU PUMPED THE PEDAL TWICE TO GET ANY BRAKING ACTION AT ALL. AT 2,200 MILES I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THESE MODEL BIKES, AND DUCATI HAS NOT COME UP WITH A FIX THAT ACTUALLY CORRECTS THIS PROBLEM. THEY HAD A RECALL ON 2010-2012 MODELS REPLACING THE MASTER CYLINDER AND SOME OTHER PARTS, BUT THE DEALER REPORTS THAT THE REPAIRED BIKES STILL HAD A BRAKE THAT FAILED, AND THAT 2013 BIKES CAME FROM THE FACTORY WITH THE "UPDATED" PARTS, AND MINE STARTED FAILING ALMOST FROM THE DAY I TOOK DELIVERY. I PICKED MY BIKE UP FROM THE DEALER LAST WEEK AND BY THE TIME I MADE IT HOME THE REAR BRAKE WOULD NOT LOCK THE REAR WHEEL OR ENGAGE THE ABS WHEN I TRIED TO. IN 20 MILES THE BRAKE FEEL WENT FROM WEAK TO ALMOST NON-EXISTENT. THIS IS A PITIFUL SITUATION AND THE DEALER HAS NO SOLUTION FOR A BLATANT SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THIS BIKE. CHECK THE DUCATI FORUMS, THIS EXISTS ON DUCATI BIKES ALL AROUND THE WORLD. I PAID $24,000 FOR THIS (PREMIUM) BIKE AND NOW I'M SCARED TO RIDE IT BECAUSE IN AN EMERGENCY STOP SITUATION I KNOW THAT I AM WORKING WITH A 30% REDUCTION IN AVAILABLE BRAKING POWER (THE FRONT BRAKE PROVIDES 70% OF ALL BRAKING AND THE FRONT LUCKILY WORKS VERY WELL). AS LONG AS THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON WITHOUT RESOLUTION MAKES ME THINK SOMEONE IS GOING TO NEED TO DIE FIRST BEFORE DUCATI GETS SERIOUS ABOUT FIXING THIS PROBLEM. REALLY?

I WENT INTO MY GARAGE AND I SMELLED A FAINT GASOLINE SMELL NEAR MY 2012 DUCATI 848 EVO. I WAS CLEANING IT, GOING OVER IT TO SEE IF I COULD IDENTIFY THE SOURCE. I NEVER FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL BUT I DID FIND A WAVE AND A BUBBLE ON THE TOP OF THE TANK. THIS IS THE BEGINNING STAGE OF GAS TANK EXPANSION. NEEDLESS TO SAY I DID NOT RIDE THE MOTORCYCLE AFTER MY DISCOVERY. FAULTY OR DEFECTIVE GAS TANK. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL (GOOGLE), AS IT HAS A PLASTIC FUEL TANK AND NOT AN ALUMINUM TANK. *JS

THE ENGINE CASE HAS 2 SEVERE CRACKED IN THE PLACE WHERE THE FRAME MOUNTS TO THE ENGINE. THIS IS COMMON WITH THE S2R AND ST3 BECAUSE OF A DESIGN FLAW IN FRAME DESIGN ADDING INCREASED PRESSURE TO THAT PART OF THE ENGINE CASE. *TR

FUEL TANK HAS SHIFTED AND EXPANDED TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS AFFECTING THE IGNITION SWITCH AND PRESSURING THE FASTENERS THAT HOLD THE TANK DOWN. *TR

WHILE PREPARING TO REMOVING THE FRONT WHEEL FROM MY 2011 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1200ST, I NOTICED THE LOWER PORTION OF RIGHT FRONT FORK LEG THAT PINCHES THE WHEEL AXLE WAS BROKEN. THIS CONCERNED ME VERY MUCH AS THIS HOLDS THE FRONT WHEEL AXLE TIGHT SO THAT IT DOES NOT COME LOOSE. I WAS PREPARING TO TAKE A THREE DAY, 1100 MILE TRIP. I LOOKED AT THE DUCATI FORUM (HTTP://WWW.DUCATI.MS/FORUMS/44-MULTISTRADA/342081-2010-11-1200S-TSB-RECALL-RIGHT-FORK-LOWERS.HTML) AND FOUND INFORMATION REFERRING TO A DUCATI TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TSB 14-002 (FULL TSB CAN BE FOUND HERE: HTTP://WWW.MTS1200.INFO/MTS12_FAQ/MTS1200_DOCS/DUCATI/MTS1200_OHLINS_RIGHT_FORK_DUCATI_SERVICE_BULLETIN_888.PDF ). THE TSB STATES, "THIS ISSUE HAS NO IMPACT ON RIDER SAFETY..." THOUGH IT MAY BE SAFE TO RIDE ACROSS TOWN TO GET IT REPAIRED, MY ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE TELLS ME THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE TO RIDE ANY DISTANCE BEFORE THE REPAIR CAN BE PERFORMED. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND SHOULD BECOME A FULL SAFETY RECALL. I DON'T FEEL THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS ON MY OWN ACCORD AND HAVING TO DO MY OWN INTERNET RESEARCH. ALL SUSCEPTIBLE CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE CONTACTED BY DUCATI FOR WARRANTY REPAIR SERVICE. PICTURES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. *TR

THE DUCATI 1198 AND PREVIOUS MODELS WERE RECALLED DUE TO FAULTY MOUNTING OF VOLTAGE REGULATOR (IT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL HEAT SHIELDING). I NEVER RECEIVED RCL-08-005 (NHTSA NUMBER 08V-638). I WAS DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT AND THE HEADLIGHTS, DASH LIGHTS, AND ALL OTHER MARKER LIGHTS WENT OUT. I WAS STRUCK FROM SIDE BY A DRIVER WHO DID NOT SEE ME, BUT LEFT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT IMMEDIATELY. I WAS UNABLE TO CATCH THE DRIVER AND MY LEG WAS CRUSHED BETWEEN THE CAR AND MY MOTORCYCLE. DUCATI IS UNWILLING TO PERFORM ANY REPAIRS ON MY VEHICLE, THE DEALER IS UNAWARE OF THE RECALL AND DUCATI S.P.A. STATED CLEARLY THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR MY VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. RCL-08-005 MAKES CLEAR THAT OWNERS ARE IN DANGER SHOULD THEY EXPERIENCE THIS FAILURE, EXACTLY THE FAILURE I EXPERIENCED. GIVEN THAT MY MODEL IS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, I FULLY EXPECT DUCATI TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE AT THEIR COST AND PAY DAMAGES AND MEDICAL EXPENSES EXPERIENCED AS A RESULT OF THIS KNOWN MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *TR

2008 DUCATI MONSTER S4RS VOLTAGE RECTIFIER/REGULATOR OVER HEATS AND CATCHES FIRE. MELTS AND DESTROYS OTHER COMPONENTS SURROUNDING THE UNIT, SUCH AS THE OIL BREATHER TANK AND THE SEAT. THIS PROBLEM IS IDENTIFIED IN THE NHTSA DATABASE FOR OTHER DUCATI MODELS. THE VOLTAGE RECTIFIER IS USED ON MANY DUCATI MODELS AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, IN PARTICULAR THE 2007 TO 2008 S4RS MODELS WHICH HAVE IDENTICAL PARTS. THIS ISSUE IS WIDELY KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY. AS PROOF, AFTERMARKET PARTS AND RELOCATION KITS ARE AVAILABLE. FOR EXAMPLE, HTTPS://TPOPARTS.COM/CAT093/INDEX.PHP?ROUTE=PRODUCT/PRODUCT&PRODUCT_ID=165 HTTP://WWW.ELECTROSPORT.COM/STREET-BIKES/DUCATI/MONSTER-696-2.HTML NOTE TO NHTSA: DROP DOWN MENU IN COMPLAINT FORM DOES NOT HAVE THE 2008 S4RS AS A SELECTION ITEM, THUS I SELECTED THE 2007 S4RS. *TR

THE GAS TANK ON MY 2007, DUCATI 1098 MOTORCYCLE CANNOT BE SECURED TO THE BRACKET LOCATED ON THE FRAME OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE GAS TANK ON THIS MODEL MOTORCYCLE IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND EXPANDS DUE TO THE ETHANOL IN THE FUEL. THIS MAKES THE MOTORCYCLE UNSAFE TO RIDE. I CONTACTED DUCATI NORTH AMERICA TO TRY AND GET THE TANK REPLACED AND WAS INFORMED EXTENDED WARRANTY ON TANK REPLACEMENTS WERE LIMITED TO 72 MONTHS FROM DATE OF PURCHASE AND MY MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED 82 MONTHS AGO. THE LIMITS WERE SET BY THE COURTS AFTER A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF THIS TIME LIMIT BY DUCATI OR THE COURTS. NOW I HAVE TO PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT AND THE TANK IS OVER $2000. ISN'T THERE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO HOLD DUCATI RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TANK? A RECALL? THANK YOU. *TR

SINCE PURCHASING MY 2009 DUCATI 1198 I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL TANK THREE TIMES. THE FUEL TANK IS EXPANDING TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAS BEGUN LEAKING ONTO THE MOTOR AND EXHAUST SYSTEM. ALSO THE HANDLE BARS ARE HITTING THE TANK CAUSING ISSUES WITH DRIVABILITY. *TR

I CURRENTLY HAVE A ENGINE LEAK ON MY DUCATI MOTORCYCLE. I WAS RIDING AND NOTICED A BURNT OIL SMELL. I PULLED OVER AND NOTICED A LEAK ON LEFT SIDE CASING. I TOOK TO DUCATI TO REPORT AND REPAIR. DUCATI IS STILL TAKING ALOT OF TIME TO MAKE A CHOICE ON WHAT TO DO. STILL ISN'T REPAIRED AND NOW LEAK HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND GOT ON MY TIRES AND ALMOST CRASHED. IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUY DUCATI AND STILL NOT MAKING ANY ATTEMPT TO FIX IN A SPEEDY MANOR. I AM WORRIED THAT IS A NEWER RIDER WITHOUT MY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE GETS SAME ISSUE IT COULD BE A MAJOR INCIDENT. MY DISPLAY WHICH TELLS ENGINE TEMP, SPEED AND RPM'S IS INOP AND FALLING APART. IT NOT ONLY IS UNSAFE TO RIDE BUT UNABLE TO MAINTAIN AND RIDE WITH PROPER ROAD SPEEDS. THIS AGAIN IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH DUCATI. THIS DISPLAY ISSUE WILL NOW BE MY FOURTH DISPLAY. THE FORKS FAILED ON MY BIKE AND ALMOST CRASHED BECAUSE THE DAMPENING PORTION OF THE FORKS FAILED AND WAS ALMOST UNABLE TO CONTROL. AGAIN THE ONLY REASON FOR NOT CRASHING AND GETTING INJURED WAS MY YEARS OF RIDING EXPERIENCE. THESE ARE NOT THE ONLY ISSUES WITH THIS BIKE, BUT ISSUES THAT TO ME ARE A HUGE SAFETY MATTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONCERN INTO THESE MATTERS. *TR