Ducati Monster Forum

Hi,
New Ducati Monster 937 owner here. Sound of the bike was fine until 700km, when i noticed a rattling noise starting at 2500rpm and above. It seems to come from the left front, but it hards to tell exactly. It is not present in idle and when the clutch is pulled.
Told this to the mechanic at the 1000km inspection and he said that this is normal desmo valve sound and that i must have been present from the very beginning, but i just did not notice it. Btw, i am pretty sure that i would have noticed it in case it was there, but it was not. also i have the feeling that this is an additional rattle besides the normal demso rattle.

Please check this Video. I intentionally drove slow to show the absence of the rattle below 2500rpm and presence above.
Best part is second 40-45 (above 2500 rpm: rattle) and second 46-50 (below 2500rpm: no rattle).

https://imgur.com/a/ducati-monster-937-rattle-wo6akV3#smqzc9x


thank you for help.

Yes, there is an extra sound. To me, via internet, it sounds like a metal to metal sound... external, not engine... Maybe a loose bracket?

i would be more than happy if it really is "only" a vibrating part that rattles. maybe not easy to find but once found easy to fix.
But i have no idea how to find the issue.

Difficult...

I could be wrong, but that's almost easy to find out.

Rev engine while standing still?
Remove parts that CAN rattle?
Exhaust pipe valve shut closed/open?

i have no motorcycle stand to jack up the bike. i have the impression that rattle noise only appears when a gear is enganged. rev engine in idle makes almost no vibrations and therefore does not trigger the rattling.

I meant to rev it in neutral and/or with clutch pulled. No need for a stand. If that doesn't produce your sound, it's at least some info; more vibration is required for the sound to appear. To me, your sound sounds "light", not deep clunky like it would if it was internal. Could be wrong, but my guess is that it's not serious. Do you have a selfie stick for your phone/camera? Ride in a secure area and record several places around the bike to locate the sound?

Hello!

Thank you for your answer. Unfortunately the rattle cannot be produced in neutral. I will have the chance to jack up the bike and "drive" next week. then i will try to locate the source of the rattling.
i really hope that you are right and it is just a loose part that vibrates.
At the moment  i think that there is also a chance thast this rattling might  be normal for the testastretta engine and the monster 937. i am no expert, but if it really is the desmo valves sound and therefore normal, it would be heard in neutral too, i guess. i dont know, maybe the valves only get loud when under load.

If it really is normal, i would be really dissapointed. this is my first Ducati and i bought this bike without thinking that it could sound "bad". And as i said before, i did not have this rattle at the test drive and the first 700km. if i would have had it, it would not have bought it.

My idea was to record sound while riding.

Running the bike in gear, on a stand, is a BAD idea. The chain will move around violently, hit stuff and worst case jump a sprocket.

The fact that the sound is there only in gear tells me/suggests that the rattling frequence depends on engine load. Is the rattle gone when you let go of the throttle in 'high' revs?

This sound can be diagnosed by 'anyone' who is willing to listen. It doesn't have to be Ducati mechanics.

I made an appointment with the ducati dealer i got the bike from. i think he will jack it up. maybe he has some other kind of "station" to ride the bike in stand.
I think that it is almost impossible to check the origin of the rattle during real driving. my impression is that is from left side on the front. but this impression could be wrong.


The fact that the sound is there only in gear tells me/suggests that the rattling frequence depends on engine load. Is the rattle gone when you let go of the throttle in 'high' revs?

When i stop throttling at a high rev level, it seems that the rattle remains until revs drop below 2500rpm. The rpm drops very fast when stopping throttling, but i believe  can hear the rattle remaining for this short time the 2500 rpm level is fallen below.

here is another video. with higher revs. gopro was on helmet (not chest as before), so more wind.

https://we.tl/t-5kyetZiG6J

Can you show the video in a format which doesn't require that I download/install/accept shit?

Oh sorry. The size was too big to host it on imgur, so i used dropbox-like wetransfer.com, but i und erstand your concerns. I have compressed the 1080p to 790p, so it is not too big for imgur.
Here is the New link, Direct play,.nondownload:
https://imgur.com/a/AAY430P

Thanks  [thumbsup]

Hard to say exactly, but I think I heard "my sound" at about seconds 57, 45, 17, 6, 2 and 1. Both on and off the throttle, yes?

I still think it's an external sound, that it's not serious and probably quite easy to fix (once located).

Let us know how it develops [Dolph]

I will update here.
Worst outcome would be that this is the way a Monster 937 sounds. But as the sound was fine the first 700km, i cannot believe this.
In reality the rattle is much more prominent and makes riding the bike not that much enjoyable.

I was at the Ducati dealer today. The mechanic made a testride with me on pillion seat. This way, i had the chance to exactly tell him what rattle i mean. He once again said that the rattle i am hearing is the normal desmo valvetrain.  :(
I guess, he is probably right. I asked 2 or 3 times wether he is sure that no rattle (from loose parts for example) besides the valves exist and he said that this would sound different.
Although i have no explanation why i did not have this rattling the first 700km, i must accept this as normal Monster 937 sound. And i must say, i really dont like this mowing machine sound. Sad now to have spent so much money for a bike that i dont like anymore. Maybe a louder aftermarekt exhaust to drown out the rattle? I live in Europe with Euro 5 regulation, so probaly no exhaust loud enough to drown out the rattle is allowed.
I guess Ducati is just not for me :'( :'( :'( I really love the look of the bike and also how it performs, but this annoying sound takes too much away from the driving experience.

Ok ...

If the sound is clearly different than when I play the video, he could be right, but again, then it shouldn't suddenly change at a given load/revs. The sudden change is, probably, your best card.

The bike is under warranty so to fix it shouldn't cost them anything. However, Ducati often deny warranty claims and for the shop to "win" they have to spend time working with your case. Easier to tell you a nice story and send you away. Maybe the mechanic doesn't like to be proven wrong...

I suggest that you tell them, face to face, that you intend to send them a letter/email where you describe what has happened, their reply and what has been done/not done. Make it clear that you will not accept that they refuse this warranty claim and that you will bring it up to the next level - country/regional import company and/or Ducati head quarters in Bologna.

You'll love the bike again when it's fixed, so make sure it is. Maybe the way the dealer treats you will make it impossible to love having a Ducati, but even then the bike needs to be in good condition if you are selling it. 

Thank you for your answer.
The sound is just the way the video is showing it.
When i was at the Ducati dealer today, my last point was that i wanted that it is documented that i mentioned a rattling noise that bothers me. At first, they rejected this because "there is nothing broken, so nothing can be documented". Situation became a bit "uncomfortable", but i asked again in a polite way that even if i am wrong about this, i just want to have documented that i have these worries. They said then they will, for my peace of mind, transmit this to Ducati (headquarter i guess). The Ducati dealer and mechanic are friendly people, but it felt like they were taking things personal and i, not believing them, am an offense to them.

At this point, i regret to have bought this bike. Regardless oft whether the rattle is normal or not, it annoys me.  

The dealer should always be able to make you comfortable. If they're REALLY professional they are able to dissapoint you and still make you feel ok.

When they have informed Ducati, I still think it's ok to contact Ducati and ask them to step in. It's not like you accuse the dealer of doing something wrong, so the dealer has no reason to be offended.

In the meantime, you could ask other bikers or bike work shops (doesn't have to be Ducati) what they think. 

No worries...if this Duc doesn;t fit, buy what makes you happy.

As bike season is more or less over now, i have a bit time to think about what to do.

You gave them a lot of money.  If they take offense at not being believed, that's not your concern.  If you are not happy with their service, go to another dealer or contact Ducati directly.

Or take it to a local independent specialist if you have one and ask their opinion.  They don't care either way about offense.

+1

I could go to another (non ducati) mechanic, but i dont think i would benefit from it. The most plausible explanation is that this is really the sound a Monster 937 makes. I did not have a Ducati before and cannot compare, but maybe Ducati bikes have extremely noisy valves.
I am very frustrated and angry on myself for not doing my homework befory buying. I had no idea about the ratlling valve noise in desmodromic systems. I am not rich and the cost of the bike was hard to lift.  :( ahhh,  i just hate how things developed. strange thing remains: why the rattling noise was not present the first 700km? ducati mechanic explained it with "i was not paying attention to it". hmm cannot believe. ???

Tell the dealer to get a Ducati Rep on the case>  If they don't, Call Ducati.

Anyone here with a Monster 937 who can compare the sound with my bike? I feel uncomfortable to contact Ducati directly without knowing if this rattling is normal or not.

It's normal until it suddenly changes. That's not normal.

You have quite strong consumer protection rights. It's too much money to give up.

You clearly have no idea what this bike should sound like.

Posting videos on the internet is largely useless as the sound is never the same.

The benefit of taking the bike to someone who isn't the dealership who don't want to do anything is you will get an opinion from someone who does know what it should sound like.  They may agree with the dealership.  Or they may not.

If you don't help yourself, your dealership is certainly not going to.

I will go to an independent motorcycle Mechanic for a 2nd opinion.

 [thumbsup]

Perfect!