Ducati Monster Forum

 The headlight on my 2012 Monster started flickering a few weeks ago.....took it to the dealer and they found that the wiring harness was partially burned and needed to be replaced or repaired......warranty covered to problem....anyone out there experience similar problems? Any suggested fixes?

I just had the same thing happen to mine, specifically at the connector. I did not bother to take it to the dealer because I had spliced a Pass2Flash garage door opener immediately upstream of the connector.

 I could not find a listing for the connector in the parts fische so I sourced a replacement one from EasternBeaver and am waiting on delivery.

My initial thought was that mine was an isolated incident. Now, reading about yours I'm beginning to wonder. Would you happen to know which circuit in the connector overheated? Mine was the ground circuit which now makes me suspect a less than optimal ground connection at the opposite end.

Very similar problem with the old SV Suzukis.

It might be a good idea for 2012 Monster owners to take a look at the lighting connector mounted on the rear of the lower triple, inboard of the fork tube. It is a light colored, four position connector. Since it is a light color, any overheating will be easily detected.

 I think it is the ground wire (mostly black w/ small yellow stripe).....my "Service Advisor" told me they are replacing it with a Honda part, that leads me to think it is a Ducati weakness......

Maybe, or most likely the connector is not available separately through Ducati, but is available from Honda. I first tried to order mine via Ducati and found it was not in their parts fische.

Another possibility is that your dealer is aware of a connector similar in size but with larger pins to carry more current. But, even though I can solder and assemble electrical parts, I suck at electrical trouble shooting.

If my replacement connector (same as stock one) shows signs of overheating at the ground pin, plan B is to abandon that wire in the loom and substitute a larger gauge ground and and run it direct to the battery negative. I'm basing that on suspicion of a dodgy connection somewhere in that loom's ground circuit.  ???

oldndumb, why are you running the larger gauge ground all the way back to the battery and not only to a good (and closer) connection on the motor or frame?

I could be wrong, but I have never thought using the ground on a bike frame was a good idea. To me, a direct ground to the battery is superior. But, if I am wrong, there are no consequences in this instance.

I guess someone could do a voltage drop comparison and that might make this old dog change his mind.  :)

However, if the replacement connector overheats that ground circuit again, it would mean that the factory ground provision is insufficient for some reason on my bike. Running a new ground wire to the factory front ground point would probably remedy that, but a ground to the battery would be somewhat more effective.

BTW, it might not be material to Ducatis, but I have greatly improved headlight effectiveness on other bikes by running new direct grounds to each socket.

You are probably right.  I can recall doing that (routing direct grounds) to improve running lights on a clapped-out Renault 5.  What do you think about using one of these to limit the clutter connecting to Battery Terminals?

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/powerhub2-fuse-block-master-ground-block-and-wiring-harness-for-motorcycles (http://www.twistedthrottle.com/powerhub2-fuse-block-master-ground-block-and-wiring-harness-for-motorcycles)
http://www.twistedthrottle.com/rowe-electronics-pdm60-power-distribution-module-with-user-programmable-cable (http://www.twistedthrottle.com/rowe-electronics-pdm60-power-distribution-module-with-user-programmable-cable)

Direct ground to  the battery is always best, but think of all the wire and how crowded the negative terminal would be.  Ground from components to engine or frame is good as long as all contacts are clean.

 It should be fairly easy to rig a ground block that has a lead direct to the battery and is centrally located to minimize the length of the cables.

The frame and engine serve that purpose.  Big gauge!

 A block enables you to make very clean solid connections. The quality of the connection is critical and the conduction of the connectors can make a big difference. For example, copper conducts far better than brass or steel, which most terminals are made of. If you make a block of copper and use copper terminals on your cables the resistance in the system can be reduced bF a hugh amount.