Hi I have a 2011 848 EVO dark stealth with Termies chip and filter. I use the bike every day for work and to get to various BSB and the British MOTO GP. The bike was a treat to myself after years of old classics the last being a VFR400. I now have the most unreliable bike I have ever owned in 34 years of biking, the oil filter kept falling off oil lines leak, the gear return spring has snapped, the clutch slave and master failed, the infamous fan relay murdered a battery before I resolved the issue. My fuel tank has started to ripple for no apparent reason. The rear wheel bearings needed tightening a fault I still cannot work out why it happened. My RAC card has been the best investment on the bike. Forums have been able to provide answers to most of these until the latest problem. The Bike stopped on the way to work, I had it dropped to my local dealer who diagnosed the fuel relay, (one of the three that rot out) and then told me the bike was not charging. They swapped out the regulator but then told me it was the generator. Not having £500 to invest in the bike before Christmas they returned the bike to me with the original regulator fitted and the bike was charging. The following day the bike would not turn over and code 19.2 came up which is the starter relay. on investigation the coil had melted jamming the solenoid I did a quick fix and got the bike going again. It did not last long, I fitted a replacement but this burnt out within 48hours. With the new solenoid fitted the bike started and ran fine but it would run on for a bit when turning it off with the key or kill switch. The battery is kept fully charged on an optimate, I believe the solenoid is still getting power when the bike is running not enough to energise but enough to heat and melt the armature, it is possible that this drain was enough for the apparent lack of charge reported by my dealer. It is the ECU that energises the solenoid so my thinking is that the ECU is not getting an engine running signal If anyone has any ideas it would be appreciated. I also have the leads and software to connect to the DDS socket but no way of activating it is anyone providing codes now that the French guy has been shut down? Cheers Rob
I feel so sorry for you, you have a shite bike! what on earth is going on? the only person i have dealt with is ChrisW he is the Guru and a absolute gent on the electrics on Dukes, the relays are very cheap around £3.50 each change them then i'm sure help will be on its way from someone on the forum.:fearscream:
As above @chrisw is the man or @Derek both have great electrical knowledge, hope you get it sorted and it doesn't put you off Ducati to much. Steve
Cheers I love the bike and have dealt with each issue as it came up, even the 14K service was easy. Its just the last problem made me take stock and realise how unreliable she has been. When you read through forums it appears the 899 has similar problems so wont be buying a new duke just yet. Will use the links to ask for help
That sounds like a nightmare Rob, I feel for you. The rippling tank is probably due to the ethanol in modern fuels (95 RON). The same thing happened to my Streetfighter S and it was replaced under warranty. There's loads of stuff about it on the internet and I did read of a possible class action against Ducati in the USA about the issue. I only use non ethanol treated fuel now like Shell V-Power. I'm assuming the 848 EVO has a plastic tank like the 1098 and Streetfighter, if not, ignore above.
The tank problem could as a result of using fuel with ethanol but you have to use a hell of a lot of it going by the percentage added here in the UK. If it's anything like the problems I have experienced it is more likely to be as a result of being exposed to damp for long periods as its water that is the culprit and it's only because ethanol absorbs moisture/water from the atmosphere that the water problem occurs with this fuel. If you reckon the solenoid is still consuming power when the bike is running then you could check this with a meter for starters.
Feb 2011, it's hidden in the article. I was told by word of mouth that V-Power and most of the 98RON fuels did not have ethanol added. Time to do more research I think. Next time I'm at the fuel station with the car, I'll look out for the E0, E5 & E10 markings. Here are some articles I read at the time my SF tank was replaced under warranty. I had no hassle at all from Ducati, they just replaced it. As for being exposed to damp, the bike lives in a heated garage, so I'd be surprised if the fuel has absorbed much moisture, if any. It started to deform upwards around the RH Ducati decal from the inside. I have since been advised to store a bike with a plastic tank with little fuel in, and a bike with a metal tank with a full tank to avoid rust formation. I seem to remember at the time that Triumph had a lot of issues around this and changed to a metal tank, Ducati carried on with plastic tanks. Deformed Motorcycle Fuel Tanks Motorcycle Manufacturer Gets Sued Because of Ethanol Gas Ethanol in petrol and plastic tanks - UK Motorbike Forum
that's right Rob, Triumph also used PA6 material and so could swell and distort just like the Ducati tanks. Ducati owners in the States filed en masse a few years ago and it was a pretty nail-biting time for Ducati as many owners were asking for a total refund for the purchased motorcycle. It was covered in detail (and will still be accessible) on the ducat.ms Forum. The judge decided a tank replacement was allowable saving Ducati even more expense.
Thanks Guys I will read through and take this up with Ducati, to be fair when the rear hub became loose they were pretty helpful. I only use standard pump fuel 95RON and fill up every fortnight so moisture should not be an issue. I have emailed Ducati, they have asked me to take it back to my dealer but I need to avoid let ting them throw parts at it until it works. Having already burnt out one replacement relay at £63 I am rewinding one and intend on wiring in tails so I can attach a multimeter will let you know how i get on. Cheers Rob
I have rebuilt one of the solenoids with a home turned coil and built in test leads. The bike starts and runs the starter disengages but 12v remains on the coil whilst the bike is running. Now I need to find out why, my thought remains that something is not telling the ECU that the bike has started but then I would not expect the bike to run properly, I also do not understand why it does not keep the starter motor engaged. Any thoughts appreciated cheers Rob
The ECU controls/switches a few components and does it by switching the earth, not the positive. Components like coils, injectors, fuel pump etc. Have a permanent live feed and actuated by switching the earth. Pretty sure the starter solenoid is the same.
On my 848 the rippled tank was because the fuel breather hose was blocked and the sun caused the fuel to expand. Only place it could go was back out the top filler cap.
^ crikey, these design compromises eh?, maybe that's the same thing that happened to @RobCrox fuel tank. Water distortion is easy to confirm as tank will have become slightly bloated proportionally i.e. up to approx 5% larger plus there are often telltale water bubbles under the paint work. Filler cap aperture drains and tank breather tubes are often too small in diameter resulting in distortion or water in the tank due to the ability to become blocked too easily or inability to function adequately or quickly enough. I remember (luckily) being the first to be told of my car fuel tank venting neat fuel (syphoning) onto the ground on a very hot day. Vent was compromised and circuit not routed high enough/ no catch tank.
A Hot Day in the UK I wish! Thanks for the thoughts on the fuel tank, the breather pipe is clear something I check regularly as I have had the fairings off so often I do like to clean each time. when I first noticed the tank I thought something had been dropped on it the tank has not blown it has just rippled along its length. The first threads suggesting ethanol is the issue made sense as to why the right side of the tank was significantly worse, the bike leans to the left on the side stand so the right side of the tank has vapour most of the time even when you fill up. I have now proved that the starter motor has been running constantly since the bike failed last year. please don't judge me for not hearing this as the bike has been on a diagnostic on a bench at my dealer and the conclusion was that it was not charging and they wanted to change the generator. In fact the starter is constantly drawing power which would stop the battery receiving 14v and 3000 RPM as stated in the workshop manual. Whilst proving all the safety cut outs (they all work) with the bike running I dropped it into gear put the side stand down killing the engine, the starter was happily turning the engine over. I appreciate the advice on a constant positive from @nelly I could be looking at a simple short to earth through component or cable I will start a methodical line che. Brilliant advice thank you Cheers Rob
