NHTSA Complaint #10247495 — 2008 DUCATI 1098S

DUCATI 1098S 2008 BIKE WAS PURCHASED 29 OCT 2008, RODE HOME FIRST NIGHT WITH NO ISSUES. ON THE SECOND DAY OF RIDING THE BIKE STALLED AS I WAS APPROACHING A LIGHT, I SQUEEZED THE CLUTCH LEVER AND WAS PRESSING BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES AT THE TIME AS I WAS DOWNSHIFTING FROM THIRD INTO SECOND GEAR, WAS ANNOYED BUT WASN'T CONCERNED AT FIRST BECAUSE IT HAPPENED AS I WAS STOPPING AT A LIGHT. IT HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES IN A VERY SIMILAR MANNER AS THE FIRST BUT IN A LESS IDEAL SITUATION DUE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC. THEN ON 1 NOVEMBER 2008 IT HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN ONE DAY. LAST INCIDENT HAPPENED IN A MIDDLE OF A RIGHT HAND TURN, A TAXI CUT ME OFF CAUSING ME TO BRAKE AND SWERVE OUT OF THE WAY, I WAS STILL LEANED OVER WHEN THE BIKE STALLED AS I SQUEEZED THE CLUTCH LEVER TO DOWN SHIFT. I ALMOST CRASHED WHEN THE BIKE STALLED WITH CARS BEHIND ME BRAKING RAPIDLY TO AVOID BOTH THE TAXI THAT CUT ME OFF AND MY BIKE WHICH STALLED IN THE INTERSECTION. I RODE THE BIKE ON 2 NOV 2008 WITHOUT INCIDENT, THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE INTERMITTENT AND FROM MY EXPERIENCE I'M NOT SURE WHAT IS ACTUALLY CAUSING IT. I'VE RODE MOTORCYCLES SINCE 1994 AND HAVE OWNED AND RODE NUMEROUS MOTORCYCLES OVER THE YEARS AND NEVER ONCE HAVE I EXPERIENCED A MOTORCYCLE THAT STALLS WHEN YOU HOLD THE CLUTCH LEVER. *TR