DUCATI Complaints

Rear brakes have almost no stopping power at all. Have tried several suggested servicing techniques such as new pads, bleeding mrake system (multiple times). No improvement. Have owned several motorcycles and none have had such poor braking system. Front seems to work fine, rear is basically non-existent.

The rear brake has never worked--at all--since I bought this motorcycle new. The rear brake lever simply "goes to the floor" with no resistance against the foot or any application of the brake caliper. It is fundamentally useless. The front brakes work superbly. I am a mechanical engineer and am high skilled in the repair, modification, and maintenance of automobiles, airplanes and motorcycles. After a thorough bleed of the system, including the installation of additional bleed nipples on the master cylinder and the ABS unit to get ALL air out of the system, the rear brake will work for perhaps 50 miles, then it returns to mush. In addition to the added bleed nipples I have tried all manner of other equipment improvements and procedural changes including reverse bleeding from the caliper--as many other owners have done--with the same result. No rear brake. The dealer admits defeat, too.

Rear brakes won’t even work strong enough to hold the bike on a hill without being pumped several times. Brake system has been bleed with new fluid with no improvement. Stopping distance is reduced by a subpar rear brake system.

I purchased this motorcycle brand new in 2014. Since that time, the rear brake has never worked properly. It is extremely weak and does very little to slow down the motorcycle. It is available for inspection upon request. Many times I have used the rear brakes (in conjunction with the front brakes) and the rears do very little to slow down the motorcycle. In a panic stop situation, the rear brakes don't add anything significant to the stopping power. Multiple dealerships have inspected the rear brake and have told me that the weak rear brake is "normal" on all Ducatis and especially the Multistrada. Some have called the rear brakes "worthless." There were no warning messages, but the problem has persisted since the initial purchase of the motorcycle in 2014.

UNKNOWN- My 2012 Ducati Multistrada V4S is equipped with Blind Spot Warning and Adaptive Cruse Control. The systems have been approved, and are being used in many European countries without incident as the data shows. I have been informed by my US dealer that the US Department of Transportation has not approved the use these potentially life saving systems for my motorcycle. The systems were made active for the media to test and evaluate on US highways without incident. While this may not technically be a complaint against the manufacturer (Ducati), it is more of a question/complaint as to why the DOT has not approved these safety systems that would make me a safer driver and potentially save my life. I am sure there are good reasons - please help me understand.

Crank failure. Bearing surface between connecting rod and crank failed and caused a catastrophic failure of engine. Potential for internal debris/loose metal/broken parts to seize gearbox locking up the rear wheel. Part was inspected by my dealer. No warning of any type is given prior to failure. Two (2) other same model year Diavels were in my dealer (Ducati Detroit) for the same issue. There are multiple failures of others reported on various message boards and forums.

The rear brake is terrible on this model bike, even after having it bled properly by the dealership.

The rear brake of this motorcycle is a known defect, the problem is discussed and mentioned on almost all internet forums and discussion places. In my person experience the rear brake goes soft quickly and eventually does not work to stop the bike at all. After I have the bike serviced by a Ducati dealer the brake will work for a period of a few weeks and then become unusable again. Ducati has been unable or unwilling to solve this problem.

I purchased a used Ducati Monster 821 2018 in February of 2020. The rear brake pedal was very spongy. I thought it was a quirk of a Ducati Monster. I took the motorcycle for an annual inspection in May of 2021 at a non-Ducati dealer and was told that I have no rear brake. It was also mentioned that this is a known issue with Ducati Monsters and probably has a recall. I took the bike to the dealer for servicing and they acknowledged there is a recall on the rear brakes of the Ducati Monster as well as the fuel sensor which doesn't consistently display the correct amount of fuel in the gas tank. I wasn't informed of the recalls and I don't see it listed on the nhtsa recall list. In my opinion this is a dangerous failure that should be clearly communicated to owners.

The rear brake has been inadequate since new. Pedal has been inconsistent with master cylinder requiring frequent bleeding. This has been a persistent long term problem. Even so, and in consideration that this is just the rear brake and therefore of lesser power, rear braking power is minimal to virtually none and not up to the standard of the front brakes or, in my opinion, other competitive bikes. This is a well known problem with Multistradas but I did not know I could report it directly to an authority. The front brake system is very good as expected but the rear brake is bad even considering it's inherent disadvantage of being at the rear. Mine hasn't really worked for years.