Brakes, fuel system and gear shift issues among the top complaints from motorcycle owners
The Ducati Panigale is a sport family of bikes that have been produced since 2011. It derives its name from Borgo Panigale, a small manufacturing town. What’s unique about this bike is the monocoque frame instead of the conventional trellis frame that Ducati is known for. The manufacturer claims that some of these bikes come with a “Racing Attitude,” but owners haven’t been impressed. It appears that many of them are dealing with faulty brakes, a leaky engine and poor visibility
While the fuel system in a motorcycle isn’t nearly as intricate as an automobile, there is still a lot that can go wrong if it’s not adequately constructed. That’s exactly what happens with the Ducati Supersport model.
Just look at this one question posed on the Ducati SuperSport forum. “Just wondering if anyone else has been having gas leak out the gas cap when it’s filled up. Mine comes up through real bad and sprays up in my face and gets all over the tank and even on my display.”
That is just downright dangerous and should never occur. What’s more alarming is the recall that was issued for these vehicles. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V371000 illustrates how the hoses near the exhaust manifold might melt and cause a fire because of leaking fuel. It turns out the overfill hoses are routed too closely to the manifold, thereby exposing them to intense heat. The dealers must re-route the hoses to remedy the situation. Apparently, the energy of sport is so powerful that it is enough to create fire.
The powertrain of a motorcycle contains the engine, transmission, chain, sprockets and other vital components. When one aspect doesn’t operate the way it should, the bike becomes virtually worthless to the owner.
One such example is illustrated by this review left on the Ducati SuperSport forum. “My shift lever peg fell out while riding to my first service. Not impressed. Managed to find it and tap it partly back in with a piece of wood that I found by the side of the road. They tapped it all the way in and said ‘see how you go’. Well, I’ve been tapping it in with a rubber mallet every second fuel fill since. When I brought it in for the second service it was in so they ‘couldn’t see the problem’ and wouldn’t let on that I wasn’t the only one.”
It turns out that this part is also part of a recall on the Ducati bikes. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V835000 talks about how the gear shift knob might detach. If this occurs, the rider won’t be able to shift gears, which could create an incident. This lever was incorrectly manufactured, according to Ducati. In order to create the energy of sport wherever it goes, it first has to move, which seems to be an issue for the SS.
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Nothing is better than getting on the back of a Ducati and watching the world pass by. The only time the view gets distorted is when there is something amiss with the mirrors, which is exactly what SuperSport riders find.
One NHTSA complaint states, “The rearview mirrors were replaced for NHTSA campaign ID NO. 18V-793 recall. The recall did not fix the problem. The mirror problems still persist and there was no change in the problem. They perform the same as before the recall replacement.”
The recall being referenced was to increase rearward visibility to prevent a crash. It turns out that the vibrations from riding distorted the images, which reduced the visibility. As is illustrated by the complaint above, it’s clear to see that the new engineering did nothing to remedy the situation. Owners might have the energy of sport, but they can’t see what’s behind them along the way.
One of the most critical components on a sportbike is the brakes. After all, it does no good to have blazing fast speeds if it’s impossible to stop. It seems that owners aren’t fond of the way this system works either.
Just review this NHTSA complaint. “The contact owns a 2018 Ducati Supersport. The contact stated that he had to bleed the rear brakes three times within the past year. The contact researched the failure online and found that the brake line ran too close to the catalytic converter. The contact stated that the rear brake cable had hydraulic fluid in it, which became hot and caused air to enter. The failure caused the rear brakes to malfunction. AZ Motorcycles serviced the brakes, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer stated that there was no failure and suggested that the contact continue to bring the vehicle in for service. The failure mileage was 1,386.”
What this shows is that the engineers only focused on creating “the energy of sport wherever it goes,” while neglecting to think about how it would stop. Overall, the construction and design leave a lot to be desired, leaving many consumers very disappointed.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Ducati pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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