right fellow ducatistis... the question is simple..if there is one single issue or fact or otherwise that puts you off ductii ownership...what is it.. my 999s is the 1st italian bike I have owned and overall I love it cosmetically but with serious reservations. my personal main issues are solely regarding engine longevity namely main journal bearing failure. I came away from a history of total reliability with japanese bikes from R1 to GSXR 1000 but wanted a change..and always yarked back to the Lavilla glory days of 999 sublimescence ( omg is that a word ) in BSB ( being a sooooo impressed spectator ). so thought...why not a 999..sooooooo bought a mint bike what I have tricked up nicely but am frankly shocked at the bearing failures that bemoan the brand.... that is the issue that plagues my ownership...I have spent thousands on bits and bling but don't want to get into the realms of engine rebuilds which is making me think is it time to reconsider... now I have thought of 1098r and 1199 (even though looks arent blown away) but the jury is out reliability wise making me look at jap 4s again... before I owned this and all the forums I was ever part of I have NEVER come across bearing failure now it is 00.40 am on 21st so please excuse spelling mistakes due to being out on the drink and encumbering pissedness but cummon.....this is on my mind and am considering getting rid and a brand new gsxr 1000 L3 what puts you off or makes you shiver over Italian (ducati) ownership
Dropping it! I knew what I was getting into before I bought one, expense and lots of random purchases I never would have made for my Honda. I'm lucky that I have been able to buy new so the worry of it going horribly wrong is taken away for at least a couple of years. Absolutely love my bike though, so even if I did have the worry of horrible wrongness I would still buy it!
Hmm, panic actions re bearing failure............................. not many fail .....................
The expense of services and the level of expertise required to do them well (not any old garage will do). Bearing failure? Really? Maybe selling my bikes on when they have got to a bit over the 30k mile mark (851, 916, 907) has spared me this. 999 is now about 25k miles. So far so good.
The stories of electrical problems that plagued Italian bikes for years. I do think about what could go wrong whenever I wheel the bike out of the garage though which is something that never even crossed my mind with my JIL4's
I am lucky that I like fixing them almost more than riding now Phil, and I think that maybe this is an attraction people one here have in common in a way - i.e. a lot of us are 'gluttons for punishment'. To answer your post - some of the prohibitively high prices that Ducati charge, sometimes for very ordinary parts and the fact that you do by necessity have to rifle through all the known electrical weaknesses on buying a 'new' bike compared to Japanese. It will be interesting to read others comments re: early bearing failure particularly from people in the trade as just as a few have said, percentage-wise I don't think it's a problem (MOO)
The complexity vs longevity issue. We should realise that Ducati is a premium brand with risk attached but whether that risk is greater than with any other brand I really don't know. I considered briefly that what we call 'character' is just an excuse for accepting less than perfection but now I don't think that at all, just think how boring perfection would be.
no I strongly disagree with that argument. there is no reason why longevity should be compromised for exclusivity. infact the opposite should possibly apply.
Don't sweat it, properly maintained (and i do stress properly maintained) italian bikes, and cars for that matter are just as reliable as their japanese counterparts. I've had my 900ss for over two years now, and the only thing i've had to do is change the starter button. i've put 5000 miles on it, including a 539 mile ride home from buying it. Italian hardware doesn't like corners being cut, so good oil, regular changes and careful warm up are a necessity. Do this and she will be absolutely fine. When I bought mine I went to Baines racing to get some advice on what to look for. He said the engines (especially the air cooled Pantah engine) are very solid. He had a 900 monster in there at the time for an engine rebuild, which in his opinion it really didn't need. The owner wanted the engine rebuilt as it had rolled over 100,000 miles. Aside from a small puff of smoke on start up (which is of no consequence) is was fit as a fiddle.
I have just done 5000 miles in 3 months on my crossplane, and only changed the tyres and put petrol in it. But I still dont like it as much as my 996 which is in bits AGAIN for yet more expensive repairs. You want superb reliabilty buy Japanese or German. You want a bit of involvement buy Italian. Or have a reliable standby bike for when the Ducati has a hissy fit. The only thing that annoys me about Ducati ownership is the length of time it takes to get spares, which is not on considering the amount of interchangability there is between models.
Just the fact that Ducati seem to be prepared to ignore some known quality problems for years before fixing them, rather than doing so as soon as possible, as most Japanese manufacturers would do (simple really). Examples from my limited knowledge, and I am sure there must be plenty more: - Leaky clutch slave cylinders - Various fuel tank leak problems - The infamous galley plug in the crankshaft None of these are difficult or expensive things to resolve - only minor redesign or different component choices needed. I've just noticed that all my examples involve leakage of fluids... and that this same criticsim could have been applied to the British manufacturers in the past.
The one thing they really persisted with which seemed to piss everyone off was the spring-up side stand. The dumped it eventually, but it was in place for easily 15 years, despite every single review of a new bike decrying it.
Oddly I didn't mind the flip-up stand on my Guzzi........in fact it was quite a relief to feel it clonk as it came up when you moved the bike upright; but it was a sod to put down when sitting on the bike because it was mounted so far forward on the frame........for a shorta*se it was impossible and it always involved getting off the bike first. I don't know if they have stopped using the flip-up now. However, with the SS I can have either stand, but I seem to have got used to the non-flip-up version although I am tempted to fit the OEM one instead, just in case I forget to look down before I move off........... I can't recall which bike it was that had a sidestand that would come up when the clutch lever was pulled in (probably something old, like a Norton Navigator......) but that could catch you out when fiddling with the bike and over it would go, because you might have been wheeling it about and forgot to put it down again. AL
As I run a 1998 748 with 35000 miles on the clock the only thing thas has caused any problem is the reg/rec, it has had all the wires upgraded with the joints soldered and has been relocated to the rear number plate to keep it cooler yet this morning it ( an 18 month old Electrex unit) has failed, over charging, so a new Shindengen unit has been ordered to hopefully resolve the issue once and for all. I do most of my own maintenance and love the bike, its a keeper. Steve
Sorry... I have to say two things - I really can't decide between the two. They are : Firstly the terrible, poor quality, badly designed wiring and electrical system. Secondly the cost of servicing. The first I can do something about ( and have ) as I have a reasonable amount of electrical knowledge and experience. The second I probably could do something about if I was prepared to spend hours and hours in the garage... The thing that bothers me about doing the servicing myself ( specifically the valves ) is the potential damage and expense if I get it wrong. Pretty much everything else I don't have a problem with... Consumables - bearings, brake pads etc - I never buy genuine Ducati : what's the point ? They buy their bearings from SKF, so I just cut out the middle-man and buy direct... Is it ever going to be as reliable as a Japanese or German bike ? No, probably not. Is it better in every other way ? Oh YES !
