NHTSA Complaint #10355859 — 1992 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN

MY 1992 DUCATI 900 SS MOTORCYCLE HAS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT CAUSED THE STEERING TO LOCK UP AND THE MOTORCYCLE TO CRASH. ON THE TOP TRIPLE CLAMP IS LOCATED THE IGNITION SWITCH / STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY. IT IS ATTACHED WITH TWO STRANGE LOOKING CONE HEAD TAMPER PROOF BOLTS. THESE BOLTS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE BOLTS AT ALL AND THERE IS NO OBVIOUS WAY TO LOOSEN OR TIGHTEN THEM. THEY ARE MADE TO BE TAMPER RESISTANT. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN ONE OF THESE "BOLTS" CAME LOOSE UNBEKNOWNST TO ME AND DROPPED INTO THE ALUMINUM WEBBING OF THE LOWER TRIPLE CLAMP. IT BECAME LODGED BETWEEN THE STEERING STOP OF THE FRAME AND THE TRIPLE CLAMP EFFECTIVELY LOCKING THE STEERING IN ONE DIRECTION. ONLY MINUTES BEFORE I WAS DOING 75 MPH ON THE FREEWAY. THE STEERING LOCKED ON THE ROAD TO MY HOUSE. NOT BEING ABLE TO STEER THE BIKE IT CRASHED. I WAS IN DISBELIEF AS I HAD NO IDEA WHY I COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING AS THIS WAS A VERY UNUSUAL AND UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE, ONE THAT I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED IN ALL MY 40 YEARS OF MOTORCYCLE RIDING. UPON LIFTING UP THE BIKE AND CLOSE EXAMINATION I FOUND THIS ODD LOOKING CONE HEAD BOLT SMASHED AND STILL LODGED IN BETWEEN THE STEERING STOPS. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY DOING ABOUT 15 MPH WHEN I CRASHED. I FIRST INFORMED DUCATI VIA THEIR WEBSITE. EVENTUALLY THEY TOLD ME TO INFORM THE LOCAL DUCATI DEALER (ERICO) ABOUT THIS SERIOUS DEFECT. THE DEALER TOLD DUCATI NORTH AMERICA WHO'S RESPONSE WAS "TOO BAD THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO." THIS IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS FLAW IN THE BIKE. MANY THOUSANDS OF THESE BIKES WERE MANUFACTURED AND IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME IF THIS COULD OR HAS HAPPEN TO ANOTHER BIKE. THE CRASH COULD BE MUCH MORE SERIOUS. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED IN DUCATI'S RESPONSE AS IT SHOWED NO CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. THE DEALER TELLS ME THERE IS NO SAFETY OR SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS ISSUE. MY BIKE SUFFERED OVER $1000 IN DAMAGE FROM THIS DESIGN FLAW THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN. LUCKILY IT HAPPENED AT 15 MPH AND I WAS NOT SERIOUSLY HURT. *TR