On March 16, 2023, Ducati North America submitted a safety recall report for certain Ducati Performance DesertX soft side bag kits. This official Ducati Performance accessory is available to fit the 2023 Ducati DesertX, and in some cases, may have been installed by dealers on bikes that were sold to customers. The potential issue involves the right bag of this soft side bags kit, which could contact the exhaust during normal motorcycle operation. This, in turn, could potentially cause damage and/or a crash. 

According to Ducati’s chronology, the company began investigating a report of a right-side bag from this kit coming into contact with an exhaust in January, 2023. The bag in this incident was reported to be partially melted but did not catch fire. Further investigation revealed a total of five cases of similar instances out in the field worldwide, including one in the US. Ducati adds that none of these instances caused crashes or injuries. 

Further investigation by Ducati revealed two things. The first, Ducati says, is that the instructions for the installation of this kit on the DesertX were not written correctly. As a result, it is issuing a new set of instructions, with clearer details to indicate the risks that can occur if the side bag kit is incorrectly installed. The second part, according to Ducati, will involve a redesigned right side pannier support subframe, which will be sent to affected parties free of charge to replace the previous version. 

Ducati will notify its dealer network about this issue between the dates of March 22 and March 29, 2023. According to the official Ducati Safety Recall Campaign SRV-RCL-23-001, because this is a worldwide recall, Ducati dealers worldwide will contact the customers who have purchased this kit from them to notify them about the recall. The expected owner notification dates are between April 13 and April 19, 2023. 

This recall will occur in two steps. The interim step will happen soonest, with Ducati dealers supplying the updated, corrected instructions for installation to owners of the affected side bag kits. Ducati notes that the reinforced right-side pannier subframe assembly should be available in around 90 days (or three months). Once parts are available, Ducati dealers will install the more robust right-side bag frame, free of charge. Repairs will be performed free of charge as well.  

Owners in North America may contact Ducati customer service at 1-888-391-5446. Ducati’s campaign number for this recall is SRV-RCL-23-001. Additionally, owners may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov. NHTSA’s number for this campaign is 23E-021. 

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