Does Ducati Suck?

A

ashhhxD

New member
Here is a letter I just composed to my dealer and to the Ducati help desk. I want to add that everyone has been polite, and we have all been nice to each other. But to be frank, Im getting sick of Dealing with this crap. Ducati has nixed my dealers ability to even short term fix the issues that I am having. Enjoy my letternames have been changed for generic purposes)

Hi Ducati NA,

It’s a holiday weekend, and its beautiful out and there is nothing more than I would like than to be out with my friends riding through the beautiful roads of Upstate NY. However, Im being ridiculed (by friends and family), for spending too much money on a brand new bike that doesn’t work. A brand new bike that I cannot ride. A bike that is only a few months old and has few miles on it.

Even my girlfriend on her $3500 Ninja 250, is out riding, while I am alone and depressed on my sofa left to watch the Yankees get beat again, and my $13,600 Ducati is in a garage. All my friends are out riding their Japanese bikes, that are not brand new, with no worries other than the unsuspecting critter that might wobble out into the road.

To make matters worse, the Indy GP is only 16 days away, and Ducati doesn’t have a radiator for my bike. My dealer has gone out of his way to get my bike going, so I can ride but to only be nixed by Ducati. Im sure Ducati has valid reasons for making the decisions they do, however, I just want to ride. And I cannot. I have special tickets to the Indy GP, Project Mugello, yet its looking like Im going to have to go two up on a Ninja 250. How depressing.

So far, I have had two warranty issues. First the TAC/Speedo, reported on July 17th 2008, and still has not been fixed. And now, the radiator, which started leaking on 8/22/08, and was dropped off to the dealer on 8/27/08 – should I expect to wait for a resolution as long on the radiator as I have the TAC/Speedo issue? Frankly, I would like to see a plan of action from Ducati NA. A plan that is going to put me on any Ducati superbike, so I can attend the Indy GP in style. Its only 16 days away.

Ducati USA, I am not a happy guy with you. Im really regretting purchasing the pearl white 848. Im the laughing stock of all my fellow riders. Im going to look like a tool rolling into Project Mugello Parking, two up on a Ninja 250.

Please fix my bike, give me a new bike, do anything, so I can ride.

Its Labor Day weekend, and the fruits of my labor cannot even be enjoyed.

Depressingly your favorite muse of comedic genius,
MotoHero


PS. To Quote my girlfriend, “You would have been better off buying a gixxer, haha!” – Seriously Ducati NA, I really don’t know how much more of this abuse I can take. Please make it stop.

PSS. I am willing to swap, even up, my 848 for the 1098s, my dealer has on its floor.
 
Wow. Not sure what the tach/speedo is? As for the radiator leak, yep I've been reading on this issue. You surely expect with a brand new design/redesign some issues. Add to that Ducati closes all month long in August (why not close for a month or so b/w Nov-Feb when most of us cannot ride due to inclement weather? Weird.

As for trading up even for a 1098, good luck with that. I'm sure many a 848 would trade even up for a 1098. It seems the 848 is showing its fledgling woe's like the 07' 1098 is. Not to say the 08' 1098 is 100%, but it seems to experience less issues from my take.

My buddies 848 has only had a weird horn issue, one day no work, next day works.

GL with it and hope you update us on the solution. Keep in mind, Ducati opens back up from the month long recess on Monday!
 
Cat3, I haven't verified this via part numbers, but it certainly appears that the radiators on both the 1098 and 848 are the same. 1098 owners may want to pay attention to this as much as the 848 owners.

My guess is that this is a bad batch of radiators. I think they are sourced from KTM of all places. Rumor I read online. In one of the threads someone had a good idea to check all affected bikes' serial numbers to see if there is a trend. I think it would be better if we could check the serial numbers on the radiators themselves if that's possible. If it's true that Ducati outsources them, the VIN number of the bikes may not point to a trend.

Looks like defective construction on the radiator. Most likely along a seam on the back of the units. Someone at the radiator shop didn't have their coffee that morning.

I feel for motohero. I'm in the same boat. I'm trying to take a more optimistic approach to the situation. But that's easy for me because I have a GSXR 750 sitting in my garage ready for a track day on 9/8. Track days quell the street ride addiction.

When your Jap riding buddies make fun of you, take it in stride. There's always the whole parking lot scene where everyone gathers around your bike and don't pay a second glance at your friends'. There's also the benefit of your bike being totally sick compared to theirs. Full Brembo brakes, Marchesini, 120rwhp, data logging, etc... I ride Jap bikes. I made fun of Ducati and still do. But these new superbikes are a step up. No middle weight has anything on the 848 and the GSXR 750 has very little on it.

Take it on the chin this weekend. Know that when it comes back to you it will be the better bike. And perhaps... pick up an SV650s just in case this happens again.
 
Ducati is closed for the month of August, however, the warehouse is operating. They do not have any radiators in the warehouse. They are being made currently, but dont have a date for when they will be available. Nor does Ducati suggest that my radiators will be made and put in my bike before I leave for Indy on 9-10.

It is 80 and sunny out here in upstate NY. I loathe Ducati right now.
 
A friend of mine owned a Jaguar years ago and he told me a joke about Jaguars. He said you had to own two.. one to drive while the other one is in the shop. Seems to apply to Ducati as well.
 
Not wanting to hijack the thread, but last night I read through the owner's manual of my new Sport 1000.
If the code key is lost, the owner has to buy new instruments, computer and ignition switch - what a joke! It's not just a design issue, it's the way it's presented as a threat to the owner - lose a key and we'll make you pay thousands of dollars!
Hardly good customer relations IMHO
 
Motohero, I am sure the radiators are the same as well. I was wondering if there is a contact point where affected rad's are leaking, maybe something specific to the 848 component placement, or if its as your thinking as well, batch of bad rad's? I keep an eye on my 1098 after reading both forums complaints, sprockets, rearset bolts loose, rad leaking etc...
 
I hope you have better luck gettin a radaitor than I did. I waited 4 months on one for my 1098s. Dealer kept jerking me around, when I contacted DNA they had a radiator in 9 days. Same thing happened when the dealer did not torque the plugs when installing the termis on my 1098r, burnt the carbon belly pan, waited 3 months until DNA got involved, it arrived overnight. These were different dealers.
 
Simply grap your rad, go to a good radiator shop. Preferably one famaliar with bikes. Plenty on line to choose from, check out dirt bike forums.. Those guy's alway get a rad punched through or wadded up & repaired.. Been there done that on my Yamaha WR, sent it to a guy in Utah, it came back as new..


Or.... Wait while the good weather disapears

RC
 
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