DUCATI Complaints

1. REGULAR USE ON THE STREET OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS 12000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND A GOVERNOR TO PREVENT REDLINING. 2. THE FAILURE APPEARS TO BE WIDESPREAD ON DUCATIS MADE BEFORE 2006. THERE IS EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION OF THE PROBLEM AND DUCATI NORTH AMERICA APPEARS TO BE ARBITRARY IN ITS ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. DUCATI NORTH AMERICA HAS A LIST OF "POTENTIALLY EFFECTED ENGINE NUMBERS". FAILURE OF THE VALVE GUIDES CAN CAUSE THE PISTON TO BE FORCIBLY EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE OR CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE DURING REGULAR USE CAUSING CRASHES. DUCATI HAS REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON MY BIKE BECAUSE I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THE BIKE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY DUCATI. I WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WILL FAIL AS A RESULT OF THIS PARTS DEFECT. 3. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. *TR

I AM WRITING TO YOU REGARDING A DANGEROUS RUNNING CONDITION OF MY DUCATI MOTORCYCLE, A 2006 DUCATI 800SS . THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE FUEL TANK IS RUSTING AWAY INTERNALLY EVEN THOUGH IT IS ALWAYS PARKED WITH A FULL TANK OF FUEL. THE RUSTING FUEL TANK KEEPS CLOGGING THE FUEL FILTER AND RENDERS THE BIKE UNSAFE TO RIDE. IT WILL RUN NORMALLY AND THEN WHEN IT CLOGS, IT WILL LOSE POWER WHICH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS ON THE ROAD. THE FILTER HAS BEEN CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES. IN THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY ON PAGES 85-87 IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL IT STATES THAT THE FUEL TANK IS PART OF THE EMISSIONS EQUIPMENT AND IS WARRANTED FOR A PERIOD OF 5 YEARS AND/OR 30,000 KMS. MY BIKE HAS ONLY 3000 MILES ON IT AND IS PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND STORED. DUCATI NORTH AMERICA HAS REFUSED WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE GAS TANK, STATING THAT A RUSTING TANK DOES NOT CAUSE EMISSIONS PROBLEMS, IGNORING THE FACT THAT IT IS CAUSING A HAZARDOUS RIDING CONDITION BY CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER. BUT THE TANK IS PART OF THE EMISSIONS EQUIPMENT, AND IT IS FAILING, AND SOON ENOUGH WHEN THERE IS ENOUGH RUST IT WILL LEAK. THIS WILL ALSO RESULT IN THE POSSIBILITY OF A FIRE AND AN ACCIDENT SHOULD THIS HAPPEN. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ARE REFUSING THE WARRANTY AS IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY AND EMISSIONS ISSUE AND I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THEIR DECISION. I APPRECIATE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ME IN THIS SITUATION. P.S. THE BIKE SELECTED IN YOUR DROP DOWN MENU, SPORT CLASSIC, IS NOT MY BIKE. MY BIKE IS A SUPERSPORT BUT THAT WAS NOT OFFERED AS A CHOICE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DUCATI 1098S TRICOLOR. ALMOST EVERYTIME THE CONTACT ACCELERATES FROM A STOP, THE MOTORCYCLE STALLS. HE MUST RESTART THE ENGINE FOR THE VEHICLE TO PROPERLY ACCELERATE. THE MOST RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE RIDING 5 MPH. THE FAILURE HAS NOT CAUSED ANY CRASHES, BUT A FEW CLOSE CALLS HAVE OCCURRED FROM VEHICLES ALMOST REAR ENDING HIM DUE TO NOT TAKING OFF AT LIGHTS. THE CONTACT IS ALSO VERY CONCERNED ABOUT AN ENGINE OIL LEAKAGE. THE ENGINE OIL WAS SUCKED INTO THE AIRBOX THROUGH THE BREATHER OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS SO MUCH OIL IN THE ENGINE THAT IT BEGAN TO LEAK OUT OF THE AIRBOX, DIRECTLY BENEATH THE VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR WHEN THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE IS ALSO EXPERIENCING BRAKE ROTOR FAILURE. THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE RUBBING AGAINST THE BRAKE DISCS, WHICH CAUSED A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND WORE OUT THE BRAKE PADS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, BUT THE ONLY REPAIR THAT WAS PERFORMED WAS THE CLEANING OF THE AIRBOX. THE DEALER CLEANED OUT ALL OF THE OIL, BUT THE LEAK CONTINUED. THE AIRBOX WAS REFILLED WITH OIL. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER TO OBTAIN RECALL INFORMATION AND WAS INFORMED THAT NONE WERE AVAILABLE FOR HIS VEHICLE. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, HE DISCOVERED THREE RECALLS ON THE SAME MODEL VEHICLE. HE ALSO LEARNED THAT NUMEROUS PEOPLE WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURES, IN WHICH SOME LED TO DEATH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE IS EXPERIENCING OTHER FAILURES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN RECALLED, BUT SHOULD BE RECALLED. THE RECALL NUMBERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,200. UPDATED 06/25/08 *BF

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DUCATI MH900. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RIGHT KNUCKLE ON THE HANDLE BAR WAS CRACKED AND FAILED. THE CONTACT REFERRED TO THE FAILURE AS A "STRESS FRACTURE" AND DUE TO POOR DESIGN. THE CONTACT HAD THE OTHER SIDE TESTED BECAUSE IT WAS BEGINNING TO WEAR HEAVILY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY EMAILED THE REPRESENTATIVES. HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER TESTED THE OTHER SIDE. THE REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT IT APPEARED AS IF HE NEEDED ANOTHER HANDLE BAR. NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE PURCHASE DATE, ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 6,526.

VEHICLE: '06 DUCATI 749 SUPERBIKE. PURCHASED NEW. THIS PAST SUMMER, WITH APPROX. 9,500 ON THIS VEHICLE, THE CLUTCHED SLIPPED TWICE; ONCE WHEN THE TEMP. WAS 115, ONCE WHEN IT WAS 85. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE OR SINCE. BUT OBVIOUSLY, IF THE BIKE WON'T "GO", I AM VERY MUCH AT-RISK FOR GETTING BUMPED INTO OVER RUN-OVER BY OTHER VEHICLES. DUCATI HAS SAID THIS IS NORMAL WEAR! (?). ALSO, I RECENTLY TOOK THE BIKE IN AT 11,200 MI. TO DEL AMO MOTORSPORTS IN REDONDO BEACH, CA DUE TO STALLING AT IDLE ISSUES. THOUGH THEY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 3 WEEKS, I TOOK IT OUT Y'DAY 2/10, AND IT STALLED AGAIN. AS WITH THE CLUTCH, THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE, AS AT AN INTERSECTION, I AM VERY MUCH AT-RISK FROM BEING HIT FROM BEHIND BY A CLOSELY-FOLLOWING CAR, TRUCK, OR BUS. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2007 DUCATI GT1000 MOTORCYCLE IN LONGWOOD, FLORIDA IN JULY 2006. SINCE THAT TIME IT HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE TO FIX AN ENGINE IDLE PROBLEM; THE VEHICLE WILL NOT IDLE CORRECTLY AND DIES WHEN STOPPING AT STOP SIGNS AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS, FORCING A RE-START. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR THIS ISSUE WAS APRIL 2007 FOR THREE (3) WEEKS. AT THAT TIME, THE SHOP REPLACED THE "STEPPER" MOTOR AND IT RAN ADEQUATELY FOR A FEW MONTHS. IN SEPTEMBER, THE SYMPTOMS RETURNED AND WORSENED. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON NOVEMBER 9. IT IS NOW FOUR WEEKS LATER. IN THE INTERIM, THE SHOP ORDERED AND REPLACED TWO ECU UNITS (A EURO VERSION WAS SAID TO HAVE WORKED FINE, BUT WAS NOT TO BE USED IN THE USA AND SO WAS RETURNED), A SECOND "STEPPER" MOTOR WHICH WAS KNOWN TO BE GOOD, AND TODAY I WAS INFORMED THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE "THROTTLE BODIES" WHICH HAVE TO BE ORDERED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR MANUFACTURING ISSUE, AND IT HAS BEEN REPORTED ON VARIOUS WEBSITES THAT THE ONLY REAL WAY TO "CURE" THE PROBLEM IS TO PURCHASE AN AFTER-MARKET EXHAUST SYSTEM WITH A NEW "OPEN CIRCUIT" ECU THAT CAN TWEAKED. THE FACTORY ECU IS SUPPOSEDLY A "CLOSED CIRCUIT" ECU AND NOT AMENABLE TO ADJUSTMENT. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND A LIFE THREATENING HAZARD. DUCATI SHOULD EITHER PROVIDE AN IMMEDIATE FIX AND EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP, OR DO A FULL RE-PURCHASE. *TR

2007 DUCAT 1098 MOTORCYCLE WITH STALLING PROBLEMS. CONSUMER SAYS HIS MOTORCYCLE WILL STALL AT LEAST ONCE EVERYTIME HE RIDES IT. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED HIS MOTORCYCLE WOULD STALL WHILE SITTING IN NEUTRAL AND ALSO WHILE ROLLING IN FIRST GEAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DUCATI 996BIP. WHILE RIDING 80 MPH, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT PULLED IN THE CLUTCH AND DRIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO A SERVICE STATION. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE SERVICE STATION MECHANIC ADVISED HIM TO HAVE THE FUSES CHECKED. THE FUSES WERE INTACT. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THERE WERE OIL RELATED FAILURES AND THAT THE OIL WAS NOT THE PROPER OIL HE SHOULD BE USING. THE MANAGER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 6,400.

SPRING SAG IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION CAUSES A DROP IN STEERING ANGLE AS A RESULT THE BIKE BECOMES UNSTABLE AT NORMAL ROAD SPEEDS, VERY UNSTABLE IN WINDY CONDITIONS. THE SAG IN SUSPENSION IS APPROX 50% OF NORMAL SUSPENSION TRAVEL. *JB

2007 DUCATI 1098 MOTORCYCLE CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE MOTORCYCLE JUST CUTS OFF AT ANYTIME**CC THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN FIRST PURCHASING THE BIKE THE SALESMAN INFORMED HIM OF THE THE CUTTING OFF DEFECT PRIOR OWNERS HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING. AFTER THE FIRST 620 MILES THE CONSUMER STATED EXPERIENCE THE DEFECT SEVERAL OCCASIONS. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT THE CONSUMER NOTIFIED THE DEALER WHO INFORMED HIM THAT THE ECU WOULD JUST NEED TO BE REMAPPED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALERS ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR