I mean maybe im exaggerating, but it was so hot that a small flame was coming out the exhaust. I was freaking out when i wrote it, hopefully it aint as bad i i make it out to be, fingers crossed
As above, someone else on a different thread has had a similar issue recently but I don't know if there was a resolution. Thing with bikes is they do like to be used, just sitting there year after year isn't ideal as much as everyone loves low millage. About 50mls once a month is peachy.
As Creamy said above, its probably down to lack of use and a coincidence with these two faults. The first one did sound, to me, as though it was simply an underpowered battery which hopefully now has been identified and once on the Optimate won't occur again. As an aside, how far is it to your Mum's? Is it 'just around the corner?'. This may sound a bit far fetched but perhaps, the continual cranking of it without it firing put a load of unburnt fuel into the exhaust system. This evaporated, leaving a sticky gummy residue on the inside of the pipes at their lowest point which then ignited with the heat. Just a suggestion. If it were my bike I'd run it again and see what happens.
I had a look but impossible to find exact posts Paul, and the one I did find were a bit alarmist/full of speculation and no solid conclusion. If you Google "Ducati exhaust on fire" you will see what I mean.
Thinking about what you said to start with, if bike was that low on power then probably dropped a cylinder which would explain the likely possibility of unburnt fuel in the exhaust.
If you try to start a ducati with a less than strong battery, there is a conflict for the electric and the easier route is to the starter that jumping across a spark plug. So it doesn't start but you are now compounding the issue as it keeps chucking fuel in making the plug wet and even harder for a spark. Your issue/s needs to be investigated correctly and sorted rather than just riding it and scraping it home.
It started on the way home, so i didnt ride it like this. I will be gettinf it picked up and taken back to Ducati specialist at silverstone again (got it back 1 month ago) I thought ktm = keep taking money but Ducati is the one draining my bank
The bike is 10 years old and with less than 2K miles has spent most of its life ignored in a garage I would strip it down and check it over for perished seals etc and also look out for rodent damage, they do like to nibble wiring build nests in air boxes etc
How long was your ride when the bike took fire? If your rectifier is broken, the battery would not charge while riding, and the entire electronics (ECU, O2 sensors, injectors, fuel pump, etc) would be powered only by the battery. You can ride with a broken rectifier until the battery discharges (about ~30 minutes?), then the engine will start loosing power, and it will quickly die (it happened to me when I mounted a lithium battery which fried my rectifier in a few weeks). If the ignition (the sparks) dies off before fuel injection, you get plenty of unburned fuel in the exhaust, which can explain the fire. Did you measure the battery voltage when that happen? Did your dash light up (orange led + error code)? Is your ECU original or re-flashed? Your video sounds to me like if the engine were too rich (too high compression caused by excess fuel, shy firing). I would recommend **not** to turn the throttle at all (the ECU measures its opening angle and injects more fuel) -just leave the throttle at minimum until the engine starts. Also, make sure your tank is not too full (as stated in the manual): there should be some space left between the fuel level and the white plastic part (don't underestimate that). If you still want to go for a new battery (which I do not think you need), check this post first: https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/dud-battery-recommendations.67226/
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Coming late to this but I've had a quick scan of the posts. First for me is the original video of the bike cranking showed it to be a little slow but not overly depending on when it had last been started and the ambient. Usually on first start of the "summer" I find my 1098 can be pretty hesitant, but it usally catches on 3rd start at the latest. Next you are hopefully aware that the immobilizer has a prasitic drain on the battery, if it's been left for months at a time, it will not do the battery any good and also could well make the bike harder to start and slowly kill the battery as well; I think you need to separate if you have a charging problem Vs an ignition or fuelling problem. If you can get the bike to start, let it warm a little then give it some revs to see if the voltage at the battery terminals are rising (at a push you could use the dash, but I never really trust it too much). Are there any other signs of reg/rec problems like flickering lights or the dash flickering or going blank for a short period? The incident when it came close to going on fire, sounds to me like it lost spark and unburnt fuel was getting thrown into the exhaust. These bikes run very hot anyway and I've seen videos of the end cans glowing red on the inside. It would take much for that to ignite fuel lying in there. You also reported the loss of power, which sounds like you lost a cylinder, possibly coil or plugs but until you can ascertain if the charging system is good, I wouldn't go too far down that route. All this has been suggested by others I'm just sorta saying where I see it and from a low mileage 1098S owner (cicrca 6k in my case) Good luck with it John
Probably me! They think the bike had been sat a while so water/ condensation in the fuel had made the injectors rusty/ sticky. https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/1198-exhaust-burned-out.74056/
yes, already tagged Cam to it, maybe you missed the post? I wondered if they showed you a removed injector or you have pictures/anything different externally visually.
