2014 DUCATI MONSTER 1200 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

Since bike was new, rear brake has been ineffective in spite of repeated bleeding and fluid changes. Brake will start out firm, but become ineffective after several weeks.

The rear brake on the 2014 Ducati monster doesn't work, even after the dealer bleeds it, it will return to no braking power in a few weeks. Both the 2015 and 2016 Ducati years of this model have an active recall for their rear brake line, so the 2014 year should also have a recall, the model years are all identical.

I PURCHASED THE BIKE IN 2015 WITH 411 MILES ON IT FROM SOUTH SOUND MOTORCYCLES IN FIFE, WA. THE FIRST YEAR THE BRAKE WORKED FINE. THEN IT STOPPED WORKING. SOUTH SOUND BLED IT BUT IT STILL DIDNT WORK. SO THEY REPLACED EVERYTHING ON THE REAR BRAKE FROM BREMBO AS IT COMES AS A SET. IT WAS GOOD FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS THEN AGAIN NO BRAKE. I TOOK IT TO THE BELLEVUE DEALERSHIP AND THEY BLED IT AGAIN AND GOT IT TO WORK FOR 3 MONTHS. I TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND THE SAME THING. IT WORKED FOR A FEW MONTHS THEN NOTHING. I JUST TOOK THE BIKE IN FOR THE 28K MILE INSPECTION AND TOLD THEM THEY NEED TO FIX THE BACK BREAK. I CALLED AND ASKED HOW IT WAS GOING AND THEY TOLD ME THEY GOT THE BRAKE TO WORK BUT THEN IMMEDIATLY HAD ISSUES WITH IT. IVE OWENED THIS BIKE FOR 6 YEARS AND I WOULD SAY THE BACK BREAK HAS WORKED ABOUT 1-2 YEARS. WHEN SPEAKING WITH OTHER DUCATI OWNERS AND CHECKING FORUMS IT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE THAT DUCATI IS AWARE OF BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE BREAK JUST STOPPS WORKING GETS SPUNGY THEN NOTHING. MY NEXT STEP WILL BE CONTACTING DUCATI IN ITALY.

THE REAR BRAKE HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. BASICALLY, IT'S USELESS. I HAVE TURNED THE CALIPER UPSIDE DOWN SO THE BLEED NIPPLE IS FACING UPWARDS SO THAT ANY AIR IN THE LINES WILL BE REMOVED WHEN I CHANGE THE FLUID. I HAVE EVEN USED RACING BRAKE FLUID TO NO AVAIL. THE REAR BRAKE HAS TO BE PUMPED A COUPLE OF TIMES AND THEM IT MAY ENGAGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SOME DRAG AND SLOWING. THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE I'VE OWNED THE MC, WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER I'M STOPPED, IN MOTION, ON A FREEWAY OR SURFACE ROAD, THE REAR BRAKE WILL NO ENGAGE UNTIL IT HAS BEEN PUMPED UP AND THEN IT IS MARGINAL IN IT'S EFFECT. I TOLD THE DUCATI SHOP ABOUT THIS WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR THE 600 MILE AND THE 7K MILE SERVICE, AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEM. BAD BRAKE, NOT ONLY ON THIS MODEL BUT A LOT OF OTHERS.

BRAKES: SINCE PURCHASED, THE BIKE HAS HAD A ISSUE WITH A LOSS OF FRONT AND REAR BRAKING. RECCENTLY, DUCATI RELEASED A RECALL FOR THE 2015 AND 2016 MODELS TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE LINE DUE TO FAULTY CRIMPING ALLOWING AIR TO BLEED INTO THE SYSTEM. THIS ISSUE DOES NOT ONLY AFFECT THE 2015 AND 2016 MODELS, IT ALSO AFFECTS THE 2014 MODEL. THE THREE YEARS ARE EFFECTIVELY THE SAME, AS THEY HAVE THE SAME BRAKING SYSTEMS. THE ISSUE IS PERSISTENT WHILE RIDING THE BIKE, STATIONARY OR EVEN OFF. THIS CAN CAUSE EXTENDED BRAKING DISTANCE AND LEAD TO CRASH, INJURY OR DEATH. I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AS THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR RECALL. THE PART NUMBERS AFFECTED ARE EXACTLY THE SAME FOR THE THREE MODEL YEARS. THE BRAKES CAN BE BLED AND WILL WORK FOR A FEW WEEKS PRIOR TO FAILING AGAIN. THE ISSUE IS PERSISTENT IN BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR AND EVEN THE CLUTCH. HOWEVER, IT IS FRUSTRATING AS AN OWNER OF A 2014 TO BE EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL JUST BECAUSE MORE PEOPLE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE 2015 AND 2016.