DUCATI Complaints

EVERY TIME I HIT A BUMP WHILE RIDING MY 2004 DUCATI MONSTER S4R, THE SEAT COMES LOOSE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS THING TO HAVE HAPPEN WHILE RIDING A MOTORCYCLE. *LA

I HAVE A 2004 DUCATI DS1000 MOTORCYCLE. THE BIKE EXHIBITS A STRONG SHUDDERING BEHAVIOR WHEN MAKING MEDIUM-STRENGTH STOPS STARTING FROM 15-20 MPH. THE WHOLE FRONT END OF THE BIKE SHAKES VIOLENTLY. ALTHOUGH THIS HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT YET I FEAR THAT AN ACCIDENT COULD BE CAUSED, ESPECIALLY IF I NEED TO MAKE ANY STEERING INPUT WHILE THIS SHAKING OCCURS. THIS SHAKING IS HIGHLY REPEATABLE AND WAS CONFIRMED BY THE LOCAL DUCATI DEALER, MUNROE MOTORS, DURING MY 600 MILE SERVICE YESTERDAY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE BIKE'S GEOMETRY AND THAT DUCATI MAY OR MAY NOT BE LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM. THERE IS NO PROMISED FIX. *AK

AFTER PARKING THE MOTORCYCLE THE CONSUMER TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, BUT THE STARTER WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN. CONSUMER HAD TO RESTART THE IGNITION, AND REMOVE THE GROUND WIRE FROM THE BATTERY. CONSUMER FOUND FRAYED WIRES IN THE EXAMINATION OF THE STARTER. THE WIRES WERE REPAIRED, AND MOTORCYCLE WAS WORKING PROPERLY. *AK

I HAVE A 2002 DUCATI MONSTER S4. FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE BATTERY HAS DEVELOPED A LEAK, AND SPILLED BATTERY ACID DOWN THE ENGINE AND SPLATTERED THE SURROUNDING AREAS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DUCATI OWNERS WHO ARE SUFFERING THE SAME PROBLEMS, WITH THE SAME RESPONSE FROM DUCATI (IN ESSENCE, REPLACING THE BATTERY, WITHOUT ADMITTING AND FIXING THE CAUSE). BECAUSE I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SATISFACTORY RESPONSE FROM THE DUCATI, I HAVE CONTACTED THE BATTERY MANUFACTURER (FIAMM-GS), WHOSE EMAILS I HAVE INCLUDED BELOW. ALSO, AT THE VERY BOTTOM, PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK TO A INTERNET CHAT GROUP WHERE A NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (DUCATI OWNERS) ARE SUFFERING FROM THIS SAFETY ISSUE. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (JULY 03, 2003 09:00) HI TOM . AM STILL INVESTIGATING. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW IS THAT, FROM A FIRST STUDY WE HAVE DONE, THERE SEEMS TO BE TWO PROBLEMS ON THE S4 MOUNTED BATTERIES:*AK MOUNTING OF THE BATTERY (SIDE MOUNTING) ASSOCIATED WITH ITS LOCATION RIGHT BY THE BIKE HEATING SOURCE. IT SEEMS THAT THIS LEAKING PROBLEM IS DUE TO THE "MOUNTING DESIGN" OF THE BATTERY RATHER THAN ITS QUALITY. IF OUR THEORY IS CORRECT, ALL BATTERIES WOULD HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM IF INSTALLED ON THAT S4 BIKE MODEL. THE DUCATI DEALER WILL BE ABLE TO CONFIRM THIS, AS I AM SURE HE HAS BEEN CHANGING SEVERAL BATTERIES ON HE S4 BIKE AND PROBABLY HAS BEEN USING SEVERAL BRANDS. THE HEATING GENERATED NEAR THE BATTERY GETS VERY HIGH AND THIS PROBABLY IS THE CAUSE FOR THE BATTERY TO LEAK. AS YOU HAVE SAID, THERE ARE NO CRACKS ON THE BATTERY SO IT'S NOT THAT THE BATTERY IS DAMAGED OR BROKEN. INTERESTING ENOUGH, WE HAVE NOT HAD QUALITY OR WARRANTY ISSUES WITH DUCATI, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE DUCATI IS AWARE OF THE DESIGN PROBLEM. WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ASAP. THANK YOU MARINO CAVAGGION HTTP://WWW.DUCATIMONSTER.ORG/CGI-BIN/YABB/YABB.CGI?BOARD=FORUM1;ACTION=DISPLAY;NUM=1056238019 DUCATI S4 MONSTER) *SC *JB

WHILE COMING TO A STOP, A LOUD BAG WAS HEARD AND SHORTLY AFTER A HYDROGEN SULFIDE SMELL WAS OVERWHELMING, THE RIDER WAS FORCED TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND GET OFF THE BIKE. ONCE THE BIKE WAS STOPPED THE RIDER NOTICED BATTERY ACID ALL OVER THE ENGINE FRAME AND ON HIS LEGS. THE CAUSE OF THE BATTERY FAILURE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE BIKE IS AT THE DEALER. *AK *NLM *JB

MY 2001 748 WITH 2,400 MILES..WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY A "ROD BEARING FAILURE" CAUSED ENGINE DAMAGE. BASICALLY ONE PISTON STOPPED WORKING. AS I WAS PULLING OFF THE FREEWAY THE ENGINE STALLED AND SIEZED.. I LATER LEARNED THAT SHREDDED METAL FLAKES HAD CLOGGED THE OIL PUMP AND BOTH PISTONS WERE BROKEN..WAS TOWED TO SHOP..DUCATI DID START WARRANTY WORK, HOWEVER IT TOOK THEM ALMOST 8 MONTHS TO GET THE PART,S SO I HAD NO VEH FOR 8 MONTHS..I SUED DUCATI UNDERTHE CALIFORNIA LEMON LAW..THEY SETTLED OUT OF COURT FOR $18,500..*AK

WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE AT 50MPH THE ROAD BEARING BROKE INSIDE THE ENGINE, AS RESULT OF A BROKEN ENGINE LOST THE CONTROL. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY BATTERY ACID LEAKS OUT, CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE NOT TO START. *AK

I OWN A DUCATI MONSTER S4 - YEAR MODEL 2001. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON THE MOTORCYCLE INCLUDES A GS BRAND BATTERY - MODEL #GT12B-4. LAST YEAR, ON A HIGHWAY, MY MOTORCYCLE WAS SPILLING GAS ONTO THE ROAD CAUSING MY BACK WHEEL TO SLIP. WITH NO SHOULDER PRESENT, I HAD TO WAIT TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY BEFORE I COULD STOP. UPON DOING SO, I FOUND THAT MY BATTERY HAD LEAKED AND COMPROMISED THE GAS LINE CAUSING THE LEAK. THE BATTERY ACID DAMAGED PARTS OF THE ENGINE AS WELL. THE BATTERY WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY AND THE ENGINE IS STILL AWAITING PARTS FROM THE MANUFACTURER. I BELONG TO A CHAT GROUP FOCUSED ON THIS TYPE AND MANUFACTURER OF MOTORCYCLE AND HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A LENGTHY DISCUSSION REVOLVING AROUND THIS COMMON ISSUE. AS MANY AS 13 PEOPLE IN THE DISCUSSION ALONE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE. LUCKILY, NO ONE HAS BEEN HURT BY IT YET - TO OUR KNOWLEDGE. IT SEEMS THAT THE MOTORCYCLE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER. BECAUSE THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE, REPLACEMENT OF SAID BATTERY IS NOT A SOLUTION. DAMAGE TO OTHER BIKES INCLUDES BUT IS NOT CONFINED TO FUEL LINES, DAMAGE/RUPTURE TO GAS TANK, ELECTRICAL WIRING, AND COMPROMISE OF ENGINE INTEGRITY. ANY NUMBER OF THESE THINGS, IN A NORMAL RIDING SITUATION, CAN BE HAZARDOUS AND/OR LETHAL TO THE MOTORCYCLE RIDER OR OTHER MOTORISTS IN THE VICINITY. AS A SAFTEY CONCERN TO MOTORCYCLE RIDERS AND OTHERS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DUCATI OF NORTH AMERICA CALLED TO RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CONSUMER AND SUPPORTERS OF THEIR PRODUCTS.*AK

COMPLAINT IS WITH DUCATI NORTH AMERICA AND GS BATTERY. I HAVE A DUCATI MONSTER, 900 MODEL YEAR 2000. BATTERY WAS PURCHASED FROM DUCATI DEALER AS A SEALED BATTERY. BATTERY SPITS ACID OUT AND HAS DAMAGED MY CYLINDER HEADS, AND FRAME.*AK THE BATTERY IN QUESTION IS A GS BATTERY, MADE ACTUALLY BY JAPAN BATTERY, THE GS NUMBER IS GT-12-B4 DAMAGE TO FRAME IF IT HAD GONE UNNOTICED COULD RESULT IN CATOSTRAPHIC FAILURE. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER REPORTS THAT THIS BATTERY HAS EXPLODED, OR LEAKED ONTO WIRING HARNESSES CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THESE BATTERIES NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THEY KILL SOMEONE.