M1100s mechanical issues

[amcloud]

So, over the past couple months, I have had quite a few mechanical issues to deal with.

1.  Starting the bike cold (and by cold I mean the 84 degree mornings of the southeast) is a huge pain in the ass...the stepper motor no longer modulates the idle.  I can take me up to 5 minutes of turning the bike on and off and cracking the throttle or trying to catch the initial fire of the engine with the throttle to get the bike going.  Once I have it going I have to hold the throttle at 2 - 2.5K until the bike warms up.  Once this happens, it runs perfectly fine and idles great.  I have been working with my local shop quite a bit to get this resolved.  The only problem is that since it is a warranty issue, they have to do what Ducati tells them.  They started with the O2 sensor, this did nothing.  Next they want to replace the wiring harness, and finally if that doesn't solve the problem, they will replace the stepper motor.  The mechanic and I both believe it is the stepper motor, but Ducati wants to be difficult. 

2.  My speedometer was started going apeshit one day.  It would read speeds from 0 to 186 or whatever it tops out at.  I could be doing 80 and it would read 15 or I could be doing 15 and it would read 150.  There seemed to be no rhyme or reason or any pattern it followed.  This went along with the check engine light being on.  The dealership reset all the fault codes and I haven't encounter that since in 1000 miles.  Still seems weird that neither the dealership nor Ducati knows what caused it.

3.  The check engine light comes on when I corner hard.  Under normal riding conditions it stays off, but there are a few nice corners on the way to work in low traffic areas I like to slingshot around.  Every time I pop up from one of these corners, the check engine light is on and stays on until I restart the bike.  It doesn't come on again until the bike is leaned way over around a turn. 

I have been dealing with these issues for a couple months now during prime riding season and its starting to really piss me off.  Any insight would help.  Maybe I can discuss some of your ideas with my local mechanic.  He's a great guy and a good mechanic, but especially the engine light around the turns seems to have him perplexed.  Any help is welcomed.  You wouldn't think a new bike would have so many problems.  The 696 I had before the 1100 never had any issues.

[Howie]

The next item to change may be your dealer.  The O₂ sensor does not function until it hits about 600^oF, so it is not your starting problem.  Both the O₂ sensor and stepper motor can also be checked as separate components.  The speedo apeshit incident may remain a mystery, but make sure the complaint is in writing.  As far as the check engine light goes, there is probably a code set in memory that can set them in the right direction.  Some of the codes can even be accessed by you, the owner.  The directions are in your owner's manual.  The directions start on page 37.

[Porsche Monkey]

Either tell your tech to grow some balls and stop listening to ducati who is hundreds of miles away or find a new dealer. Either your stepper motor is no good, the harness is no good or the ECU is no good. Could also be a grounding issue. Maybe the ground for the stepper motor is common with the ECU and its faulty. When your cornering the harness moves just enough to upset the ground to something. Now that I think about it this seems like a ground or power supply issue since you have several problems showing up. Don't let the tech, or should I say mechanic just throw parts at it blindly without spending some time to diagnose it.

[hihhs]

I hate to say it but I would start looking into the "lemon laws".

[Porsche Monkey]

I hate to say it but I would start looking into the "lemon laws".

.   

To early for that. I would be interested to know if the tech has checked power and grounds on the stepper motor.

[Scissors]

The cold start problem has been reported by many people on every Ducati forum I know of.  In most cases, adding throttle makes it worse because it's due to a lean condition.  The cause of the lean condition, however, is the mystery.

[Popeye the Sailor]

I hate to say it but I would start looking into the "lemon laws".

AFAIK, most lemon laws do not apply to motorcycles.

[amcloud]

The O2 sensor was replaced because that is what the error codes continually said..once it was cleared it would come back the same everytime.  I don't know why the ducati rep would think this would solve the stepper motor issue???, but after reading the error codes yesterday, that one hasn't popped up again in the past week and a half.  The newest error code is related to the exhaust solenoid valve and the speedometer still goes crazy when the bike is leaned over around turns.  This has happened in the past...same error code, same wacky speedometer, but the error codes were cleared and the problem disappeared for 2 months.  Now it is back.  WTF.  Grounding issue? 

[caperix]

The speedo problem only acts up when the bike is accel. out of a turn also?  The issues sound unrelated unless it is a wiring problem.  Make sure all the grounds are properly connected & tight.
The dealers at least make it sound like ducati is realy craking down on warenty claims.  When my 848 started leaking from the radiator, a know issue with the bikes.  The dealer said they had to get the bike in take pictures & send to ducati before a radiator would be released.  It sounds like BS to me but you never know with fairly low production companies.
On the idle problem if there are many of them doing it then ducati would be hesitant to release parts that likley have the same issue.  It would come down to identifing the problem & getting the supplier to fix it.  Contacting Ducati NA would be the next best step, explain how you are upset with the problem not being fixed after multiple trips to the dealer.

[CairnsDuc]

Could this be an issue similar to the 696, in that a part of the wiring loom was touching the engine, when I was working for a dealer we had a 696 present with very similar problems and when the part of the loom was located touching the vertical cylinder head (It had worn through the insulation on the cable and was shorting.
Loom replaced and re secured. customer was happy as a clam!  bike has been fine ever since.

The only difference was with her bike (it would do everything you have listed above) but it would occasionally shut down, wait about 5 mins and it would start up and it would be fine for about another hour or so, and then it would just shut down again.

[Porsche Monkey]

Could this be an issue similar to the 696, in that a part of the wiring loom was touching the engine, when I was working for a dealer we had a 696 present with very similar problems and when the part of the loom was located touching the vertical cylinder head (It had worn through the insulation on the cable and was shorting.
Loom replaced and re secured. customer was happy as a clam!  bike has been fine ever since.

The only difference was with her bike (it would do everything you have listed above) but it would occasionally shut down, wait about 5 mins and it would start up and it would be fine for about another hour or so, and then it would just shut down again.

I'm willing to bet its one problem causing several complaints. 

[amcloud]

The speedo problem only acts up when the bike is accel. out of a turn also?  The issues sound unrelated unless it is a wiring problem.  Make sure all the grounds are properly connected & tight.
The dealers at least make it sound like ducati is realy craking down on warenty claims.  When my 848 started leaking from the radiator, a know issue with the bikes.  The dealer said they had to get the bike in take pictures & send to ducati before a radiator would be released.  It sounds like BS to me but you never know with fairly low production companies.
On the idle problem if there are many of them doing it then ducati would be hesitant to release parts that likley have the same issue.  It would come down to identifing the problem & getting the supplier to fix it.  Contacting Ducati NA would be the next best step, explain how you are upset with the problem not being fixed after multiple trips to the dealer.

My mechanic said that Ducati started the crack down on warranty claims the during the middle of last summer.  He said anything under $500 was fine without prior permission, until the crack down and now everything has to go through them or they try to refuse payment.  Seems like a shitty business plan.  If the mechanics have to be Ducati trained, it seems as though Ducati would trust them to deal with minor warranty claims.  I sent DNA an email today and will have a call into them Monday morning.