NHTSA Complaint #10211027 — 2007 DUCATI SPORT CLASSIC

I PURCHASED A NEW 2007 DUCATI GT1000 MOTORCYCLE IN LONGWOOD, FLORIDA IN JULY 2006. SINCE THAT TIME IT HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE TO FIX AN ENGINE IDLE PROBLEM; THE VEHICLE WILL NOT IDLE CORRECTLY AND DIES WHEN STOPPING AT STOP SIGNS AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS, FORCING A RE-START. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR THIS ISSUE WAS APRIL 2007 FOR THREE (3) WEEKS. AT THAT TIME, THE SHOP REPLACED THE "STEPPER" MOTOR AND IT RAN ADEQUATELY FOR A FEW MONTHS. IN SEPTEMBER, THE SYMPTOMS RETURNED AND WORSENED. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON NOVEMBER 9. IT IS NOW FOUR WEEKS LATER. IN THE INTERIM, THE SHOP ORDERED AND REPLACED TWO ECU UNITS (A EURO VERSION WAS SAID TO HAVE WORKED FINE, BUT WAS NOT TO BE USED IN THE USA AND SO WAS RETURNED), A SECOND "STEPPER" MOTOR WHICH WAS KNOWN TO BE GOOD, AND TODAY I WAS INFORMED THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE "THROTTLE BODIES" WHICH HAVE TO BE ORDERED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR MANUFACTURING ISSUE, AND IT HAS BEEN REPORTED ON VARIOUS WEBSITES THAT THE ONLY REAL WAY TO "CURE" THE PROBLEM IS TO PURCHASE AN AFTER-MARKET EXHAUST SYSTEM WITH A NEW "OPEN CIRCUIT" ECU THAT CAN TWEAKED. THE FACTORY ECU IS SUPPOSEDLY A "CLOSED CIRCUIT" ECU AND NOT AMENABLE TO ADJUSTMENT. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND A LIFE THREATENING HAZARD. DUCATI SHOULD EITHER PROVIDE AN IMMEDIATE FIX AND EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP, OR DO A FULL RE-PURCHASE. *TR