[Guest]

deciding between suzuki and ducati. orginally wanted a ducati but ive heard some bad things about reliability and frequent mechanic visits. what are your views, experiences and storeis. will my m800 be a bike i can ride from maryland to CA and back and trust?

 

[Guest]

Last year a 620 completed the iron butt. I'd say if taken care of your Ducati will run trouble free. If you don't want to take of your bike by a Suzuki. My first 2 bikes were abused Suzukis. ;D

 

[Uncle_Duck]

I got my m800 in July '03 and have since put over 9200 miles ;D on it with not one problem. Extremely reliable so far!!


Good luck,

Uncle_Duck

 

[Darkmonster]

I bought my 600 dark in Sept 2000. Rode it through 2 BRITISH winters, put 22,000+ miles on it till it was killed by a VW driver 19 months later.

Mechanical parts replaced....

2 x Stop/Tail lamp bulbs
1 x Headlamp bulb
1 x Rear brake pads
2 x sets fronts
1 x front tire
3 x rears
1 x DID X-ring chain
1 x set sprockets

Lots of WD40 to keep the wet out!

Hope it helps ;D

 

[Guest]

2000 900ie monster

11,856 miles

Standard service-
600 mile service
6000 mile service
change oil every 3000 miles

Problems-
-Tail light burned out once(~1000mile mark)- replaced with HD trailer type bulb, not a problem since.

-head light went out- broken wire, easy fix.

-money spent on new carbon cans, and other must have items. ;D (not really a problem but sure does sound better)

-money spent on track days ;D

Never looked back after choosing the Duc. It's mine I love it and no other bike will do, except a older style 900 Supersport superlite to give the monster a friend. Its the sound, character of the V twin and style of a Duc not to mention the way they ride.

There are many other threads on this same topic. Do a search back several months(include sv650).

 

[Bloodshot]

I have an '03 M800 myself. So far I've put 11,000 miles on it since March. Other than the normal service intervals I've never had a problem...

4x oil changes - 600, 3000, 6000, 9000
2x engine service - 600 & 6000
2x rear tires - 3500, 9000
1x front tire - 9000
2x front brakes - 3000, 9000
1x rear brakes - 6000
1x chain - 10,000

 

[AllyCat]

.Re: over all reliability survey

Mine is 11, and I am the 2nd owner, a friend of ours who is a Ducati Mechanic checked it out and said, he was so blown away at how intact and flawless the bike is. I ride it everyday, practically. I would say, making it to the East Coast would be no problem.

 

[Guest]

cant say enough about them! my last ride was a 2001 st4 rode 24k in 2 years. replaced 3 sets of tires front and rear. 4 6k services. replaced front and rear pads. replaced 1 sprocket and 3 chains. the clutch slave was replaced under warranty 3 times but the last replacement was on for 18k, there was a bulletin about this and the part was changed. other than that never let me down. currently i have a 2003 m800s with bags and im still waiting for some perf parts- flywheel,pcIII,pipes. bought this one in september now has just under 5k. i ride almost every day and not the first problem. i think the ducs get a bad rap because alot of people want to own one, and they wont if they listen to all the bad stories that float around. if you attend a suzuki site ill bet they complain about suzukis just as much as people complain about ducs. ride them both back to back if you can, then you will see what we all see. ducs rule.

 

[Guest]

I would still characterize the Ducati as an "Enthusiast's Bike"

as such it is a machine built by a company that is (was?) willing to take risks in areas of design and function....

and consequently the company's leading-edge sort of mind-set can put the owner on a sort of field-trial learning curve for the company...some things work, some don't as they innovate

Ducati is not "Italy Incorporated" in the way the industrial giants of Japan are part of the national infrastructure.

Quality control is a secondary pursuit to Ducati. It struggles to retain its culture of uniqueness with all the attendant risks that go with R&D experimentation in a world governed by Quarterly Shareholder value pressures.

If you want the joys and cache of a Ferrari you get all of what comes with that....if you want the joys and prestige of a H0nda Accord, you also get what comes with that

Are Ducati's reliable? most of the time yes...they do turn out an oinker once in a while..

if you are strictly a gas-and-oil person with zero mechanical aptitude and you're able to drive a vehicle down the road for 90 miles without stopping while wondering what the knocking noise is under the hood interfering with the music on the stereo (my son sadly)....ummm don't get a Ducati

 

[ScottRNelson]

I rode my 1997 M900 for six years and 19,600 miles with no reliability issues whatsoever and no unscheduled maintenance. I count tires and tail light bulbs as "consumables", since I replaced a few of those. The only time the bike ever stranded me was when I got a flat tire out in the hills.

They're not all as reliable as mine was, but many of them are. I visited the mechanic every 6000 miles and did my own oil changes and tire swaps in between.

I would be adding a plexiglass windshield to ride coast to coast, but I would trust the Monster as much as any other bike.

 

[Doc]

I have a 99 M900 with FCRs, DP high pipes and a K&N. Bought at auction form a hot rod shop that bought it at a repo auction. Abuse before I got it and my wif and I use it mostly as a hooligan bike (we have Superglides for the long distance stuff). Mine has only 9K of hard miles.

In addition to oil changes and regular service my has needed:

Ducati's fault
1 tail light bulb
1 rebuild of the clutch slave cylander (under $30) by my mechanic at my 6K service ( it had a very minor leak that I did not even notice when I bought it).

Combined failt of Doc, Redline and Ducati
Any turn signals and levers damaged until you get rid of the sidestand spring.

I would not hesitate to ride mine due to mechanical fears. I may hesitate to ride it or the Suzi-Q because I am 46 y/o, 6'4" 230 lbs and have a 38" inseam. I prefer a little more comfort these days.

Doc

 

[ibthegator]

Rodent that is pretty good.
Don't get me wrong I love my S4.
But since it's purchase new August '03 it had.....

Leaky battery replaced under warranty
Guages replaced under warranty
Rear cylinder had to be removed and resealed under warranty

That's it for now....
Would I buy another one, probably since I realized how these bikes can be.

On comparison I have owned jap bikes for nearly 30 years and have bought new for the last 15 years and have never ever had a warranty isuue on any of those bikes.
Would I buy another jap bike - you betcha

 

[DTMsurf]

Very well said Rodent, I just bought a 94 m900 with some pretty extensive motor mods. I took it for its first real ride the other day (265mi.) I was so worried that it would break down I practically carried a Snap-On rolling tool box with me. The bike didnt miss a beat and I beat on it pretty good the whole time. I now feel comfortable commuting the 50mi. to work everyday on it.
That said, it is not a japanese bike, and it shows. I keep an eye on all my bolts and they do work themselves loose. The fit and finish is not the same as one of the big three. Its just not. These other companies already have their standards set inplace through their automotive base. You cant expect a company whose main focus is on winning races and building bikes to win races to adhere to the same strict tolerances. The japanese build bikes that you practically ride for 50k without so much as an oil change (you would probably need tires though) I dont compare my Ducati to the Kaw or Yami that I have had, its a different bike with a different personality and it requires a little more attention. But so does my wife and I keep her around!

 

[BPR]

2003 M800 with a little over 6000 miles - no issues.

2003 Triumph TT600 with 4200 miles- oil leak, defective rear hugger, defective chain rub strip, ongoing cold starting problem (traded for a 2002 900ss).

 

[CRASH!]

At the risk of cursing myself....

'99 M900S with 12,000 mi. I bought it used with 2200 on the clock two years ago and put the rest on myself.

In addition to regularly scheduled maintenance:

1. lever brake light switch failed at 3500 mi. covered under warranty.
2. oil leak at head cylinder interface fixed during 12k service. was minor and did not justify a separate visit. Turned out to be freeze plug.
3. one headlight bulb and several tail light bulbs until I substituted an LED bulb
4. crankcase breather valve leaking at 12k. replaced with aftermarket unit.

Other than that, just my compulsuve modifications! ;D

 

[Guest]

If you are strictly a gas-and-oil person with zero mechanical aptitude and you're able to drive a vehicle down the road for 90 miles without stopping while wondering what the knocking noise is under the hood interfering with the music on the stereo (my son sadly)....ummm don't get a Ducati

UM.......Ducati's always sound like their are falling apart. The dry clutch, open air box, desmo valves and that great rumble from the pipes. The normal Joe tends to ask "what is wrong with your bike, does it always sound like that"........."yep, sounds great don't you think"

I know what you mean as they require more TLC that most bikes, just like old British Sport cars. If you are religious about your maintenance and look over the bike before an after you ride, as you always should, it will be a great bike. They don't respond well to neglect.

 

[JEFFS900S]

2001 M900s.i.e.

Approx 9,000 miles.

 

[Gman86]

2002 M620, 2000 miles No problem.

I trust it. You really need to keep an eye on it (and every other motorcycle). Anything that will fall over if left standing by itself demands extra caution!

 

[dreamse83]

www.tigerracing.net

that's everything you'll need to read on whether or not a ducati monster can go long distance w/o breaking down.

 

[georgeS4]

Hi
My first 3 bikes was suzuki (GS550E long time ago :-/GSX750F and RF900) my last bike is S4 I can't say that suz was more reliable than S4 althought suz was more comfortable for long distance rides.
I believe that most of the nowdays bikes are similar concerning the reliability so don't worry about it.
Go for what you like more (and you can afford it