Ducati North America issued a recall for certain 2015 through 2021 Monster 821, 2014 through 2021 Monster 1200 S/STD, and 2016 through 2019 Monster 1200 R models. The issue is that the rear brake hoses on affected bikes may be susceptible to heat damage, which may cause a sudden loss of rear brake function, and increase the risk of a crash.
The front and rear brake systems on these Monsters are hydraulically independent, so the front brake systems on these bikes are not affected. Only the rear brake systems on an estimated 1,312 bikes sold are believed to be affected. That’s about one percent of the population of these bikes, according to Ducati.
If a rear brake hose recall sounds familiar to you, it’s possible that you’ve already had your Monster serviced under a previous Ducati recall regarding the rear brake hoses. According to the company, this May, 2021 recall includes both vehicles originally manufactured using the new rear brake hose material, as well as vehicles that had new rear brake hoses installed under previous recalls. As of May 11, 2021, DNA has not received reports of crashes or injury related to these defects, but is recalling these vehicles out of an abundance of caution.
More Recent Recalls:
Here are the models, VIN ranges, and production dates for bikes Ducati believes could be affected by this recall. Please keep in mind that the VINs are not sequential.
- 2018 through 2021 Ducati Monster 821s produced between October 23, 2017 and January 11, 2021, non-sequential VIN range from ZDMMACLS1JB000113 to ZDMMACLS4MB009019
- 2014 through 2016 Ducati Monster 1200 S/STD produced between March 10, 2014 and July 7, 2016, non-sequential VIN range from ZDM1RBSW7EB001153 to ZDM1RBSV4GB022827
- 2017 through 2021 Ducati Monster 1200 S/STD produced between December 22, 2016 and January 20, 2021, non-sequential VIN range from ZDMMACFW0HB023780 to ZDMMACFW5MB026054
- 2015 through 2017 Ducati Monster 821 produced between July 10, 2014 and June 29, 2017, non-sequential VIN range from ZDM1RBTS7FB006592 to ZDM1RBTS9HB024742
- 2016 through 2019 Ducati Monster 1200 R produced between February 9, 2016 and April 23, 2019, non-sequential VIN range from ZDM1RBZW5GB018896 to ZDM1RBZW0KB025568
Several causes and/or contributory factors have been identified regarding this defect. The biggest one is installation and use of a rear brake hose with a lower resistance to high temperatures. When combined with the rear brake system layouts of the Monster 821 and Monster 1200, these rear brake hoses are then exposed to hot air from the exhaust manifold. Additionally, use conditions including extended warm-ups and/or dealer servicing and diagnostic times where the bike is idling on the side stand or rear box stand for long periods of time may see the negative potential effects of this defect.
Warning signs may include a loss of rear brake performance during a pre-ride inspection, but total hose failure and loss of brake fluid can be sudden and occur without warning. Ducati North America will instruct dealers to install different rear brake hoses, free of charge, on bikes affected by this recall. Remedy brake hoses have a different length of the rigid metallic section, moving the flexible plastic hose portion away from the exhaust manifold. If riders have had pre-notification repairs done to remedy this issue, Ducati will consider reimbursement on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with its general reimbursement policy.
Ducati North America will notify dealers about this recall between May 24, 2021 and May 31, 2021. Planned owner notifications will go out between June 23, 2021 and June 30, 2021. NHTSA’s official recall number is 21V-335. Concerned Ducati owners may contact Ducati customer service at 1-888-391-5446. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Source: NHTSA