Ducati 999 - Owner Report

FJR is a nice bike. That $500 down to get one in August has to go. I don't know where Yamaha came up with that crap.

Here's my owner report:



2004 Ducati ST3. Two missed shifts in 4000 miles. End of my problems with the bike.

I've had better luck myself, ('98 748 - owned two years with no problems, '04 S4R - owned 6 months and no problems yet), but let's not forget that Ducati isn't the only bike manufacturer that lets you down. I don't consider them to be as reliable as an average Japanese scoot, but I had a recent conversation with the owner of a new ZX-10 - he told me that he liked the bike, but he was nervous every time he rode it due to the front rim recall (he'd been advised not to ride it at all before receiving a replacement, but it had been a couple of months and he was tired of waiting). I also seem to recall '96 GSXR 750s with "piston to head clearance problems" due to faulty base or head gaskets. I'm willing to take a chance as a Ducati owner - what's life without risk? I just don't agree that all Japanese products are perfect.

Re: Another great truth espoused by the great KPaul is validated

no, you can have the whole bottle if you'll leave me alone.

Two missed shifts in 4k miles, Sounds like you need a new transmission.

Better have kpail's dad sue 'em for you.

Re: Another great truth espoused by the great KPaul is validated

Sounds like a deal.

Missed the best one

"I have a cousin in Orange County who is as tenuous as an attorney..."

I bet he is as "tenuous" as KPaul is. LOL

I think mental midget meant "tenacious", but of course stepped on his **** one more time trying to look smart.

Re: Another great truth espoused by the great KPaul is validated

I did that on purpose to see who was reading. ;} What fun.

Re: Another great truth espoused by the great KPaul is validated

Hey us Blue ice engineers are really important.... Go back to your SQL script coder.

Re: Another great truth espoused by the great KPaul is validated

Cool

Re: Ducati 999s reliability

Agreed... Leave it to the Italians to make somebody happy to have the opportunity...

I subscribed to Motorcycle Consumer News for a year. Every issue they publish a list of recalls from motorcycle manufacturers. I didn't see Ducati listed once.



I'm not saying Ducati is better or worse in the reliability department but I think they are certainly as good as any other manufacturer.

I believe he can only claim an eyedropper and a test tube as parents.

And they had to get the eyedropper drunk first! VWW

I live in Belair, MD. I always rode hondas for their reliability and feared Ducatis for maintenance costs. I had a VFR800FI. Put 38,000mi on it. 2 times to Daytona and 3 dozen track days. Replaced suspension, transmission and ended ownership when it caught on fire. Loved the bike, but in the end it was "too smooth."

Now have a ST4S 996. At 13,000 mi. 1 time to Daytona and 3 track days. It had a rough clutch, hard to shift, replaced under warranty. Other odds and ends broke all fixed under warranty. 2 year warranty, pretty nice. Is it as smooth as a Honda? Of course not. It's a race bike with blinkers. Love it. Does it cost more to maintain? Yes, get over it. Reliability a problem? Not for me but if the dealer won't help you, find one that will. I bought mine from Speedscycle.com and got more help than any Honda dealer I've ever done business with. Is a Ferrari as reliable as a Chevy? Talk about apples and oranges. Hope you're problems are over. Cheers.

Re: Ducati 999 - Another Owner Report

Yet another Ducati owners report:

My Monster's gas tank leaked when fairly new and was replaced under warranty with no questions. The bike stopped running once 2,000 miles ago. I replaced the (filthy) fuel filter. That was it, it now runs fine. It has had no other problems in three years and 12,000 miles of ownership.

I recently switched from a 2003 Wing to a wonderful, lovely, and sexy little ST3. I had my Wing for two years (bought it in the fall of 2002) and only put 25,000 miles on it. It never left me anywhere, but the two recalls did have me worried a bit. For those who might not know the new Wings overheated if you rode them at about 15MPH. At first I figured that would be no problem for me I'll just ride faster. During one of my tours I had to follow several pilot vehicles in construction zones. Guess what the speed was. The other recall was to repair the possibility of the frame breaking.



Ducati's aren't perfect by any stretch, but if think about what you're purchasing the pluses outweight the minuses. At least it does for a lot of Ducati owners.

Regarding the sad tale of the gentleman from Europe with the defective 999S, I am at 3000 miles on a 2004 Ducati ST3. Like my prior 900SS and Monster 750, it has been completely reliable. ST3 is a pretty fabulous ride. Super comfy with great seat, accessory outlet and fabulous bags. My only problem is that it makes you ride crazy due to its sporty nature. Maybe something's wrong with the 999 line.

Harley****inDavidson..."You want one? get in line"