NHTSA Complaint #10368749 — 2006 DUCATI 999

ON 9/14/2006 I PURCHASED A NEW 2006 DUCATI 999R MOTORCYCLE FROM MUNROE MOTORS AND WAS RIDING HOME FROM THEIR STORE. I HAD ONLY RIDDEN 1/4 MILE FROM THEIR STORE WHEN THE ENGINE DIED AT A STOP SIGN. I TOOK THE BIKE BACK TO THEM 9/17/2006 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. SINCE THEN, I HAVE RETURNED THE MOTORCYCLE BACK TO THEM NUMEROUS TIMES TO CORRECT THE STALLING ISSUE BUT IT HAS NEVER BEEN ALLEVIATED. THEIR TYPICAL REASON FOR STALLING IS "IT'S A RACE MOTORCYCLE AND IT WILL HAVE A TENDENCY TO OCCASIONALLY STALL." I HAVE ENCOUNTERED STALLING WHILE EXITING FREEWAYS WHILE APPROACHING A STOP AND ALSO WHILE SITTING A STOP. I'VE HAD A FEW CLOSE MOMENTS WHERE THE BIKE STALLED WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN AND THE DRIVER IN BACK EXPECTS ME TO GO, AND OTHER TIMES WHILE SLOWING DOWN OFF FREEWAY OFF RAMPS AND CARS ARE STILL MOVING BEHIND ME. I FEEL I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE STALLING. THIS SUMMER I WENT FOR A RIDE AND IT STALLED 12 TIMES. AS A RESULT, I HAD MUNROE MOTORS ALONG WITH DUCATI NORTH AMERICA WORK ON MY BIKE FOR 5 WEEKS AND THEY WERE STILL UNSUCCESSFUL IN ALLEVIATING THE PROBLEM. I HAVE NOTICED OTHER DUCATI OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS AND ARE UNABLE TO RESOLVE IT. GOOGLE "DUCATI STALLING" AND YOU'LL FIND PAGES OF OWNERS EXPRESSING THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH STALLING. THESE INCLUDE BIKES OLDER AND NEWER THAN MINE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE AS IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. THANK YOU, MARK KATAOKA