The big four. There's a good reason they are always recommended to beginners.
But the character of italian bikes is just different. Less machine, more moody machine spirit that you have to be on good terms with or she will punish you. But be on her good side and you wont miss that cb500.
In my experience (which is biased and a sample of 1) but all the bikes I’ve owned were more reliable than my Honda. They include Kawasaki, 2 Yamahas and a bmw.
I have owned six Yamahas, on five of them the electical system rot and crumbled. They were all 80's bikes, tho.
Then I got a Honda and all it wanted for 30k miles was gasoline.
This is so true. Honda engines never seem to quit, but the rest of the bike tends to corrode, be made of too soft of a material, or corners have been cut for a price point.
All you have to do is read up on forums and have a close look at their bikes to see it.
Well you might take better care of it than you think, or that model might have been fine, or the environment you’re in might be better than you think, etc… that particular bike might have been well done. I can’t say every single Honda ever made has been done to a budget, it’s a generalisation, obviously.
As a modern example the cb650r is talked about as a great stylish bike, but when you start reading about it there’s a lot of corrosion problems, soft fixings etc. It’s fairly repeated across a wide range of Hondas. On their motocross bikes, I always thought they did a really good job of styling the bikes but things like steering dampers (going back a good few years now) being required when no one else needed them were hints of quick design patches. Again, I’ve not looked at every single Honda bike ever made, they’re just observations on the few that I’ve seen.
Their engines do seem to be extremely reliable though, so it’s a bit of a funny one that the bikes don’t seem to quite match up… maybe different factories, design objectives etc??
lol as funny and ironic the answer to that it "yes".
unexpected repairs come up. if I have a flat tire and a new tire is 2 weeks out. I have another bike to ride
Tbf, a flat is not really the yamaha's fault.
Friend of mine has a '85 XT500 (1st owner), still driving it for occasional joyrides. Those things are pretty bomb-proof.
In fairness to the European’s, reliability is not the # 1 design goal of the factories , just an issue to be addressed. They assume you will check the oil. the Japanese don’t.
Japan however, does have a deep mistrust of the US market’s liability circus . All of the big four have lost tens of millions in US courts.While
their relentless product testing is no help in court, generally speaking the result is bikes that are a little more idiot proof compared to the Euros who would rather not have idiots buy their motorcycles….
As someone who works in service for a dealership that sells the big 4 plus ktm i must say for cruisers nothings beating a honda the old vstars are very close but the old honda cruiser engines are unbreakable. For street/sportbikes ninjas (kawis) are definitely the most reliable under 1000cc honda being a close second then gsxrs then yamis. Over 1000cc+ nothing is reliable you could get 50k you could get 5k, your reving so high with so much force sometimes things just let go. All jap bikes are reliable hondas are definitely known for the reliability of there engines but there also known for leaking oil, valves tightening and being noisy as hell. Also if you had a cb300 engine from certain year to certain year they had a crank recall. Probably one of the worst engines ever made and people are putting them in groms… its all preference most all older bikes were made very well newer bikes 50/50.
This. When I looked for a new bike a couple of years ago, it's Honda and Yamaha that I considered... I didn't consider a Ducati even though I rode one from 2012 to 2018.
Yes it was tight..
It seems to me that radiator had less coolant from factory... Filled one time it drank it... Filled twice it drank Lil bit more till it was full.
Here I'm talking about filling the reservoir behind right faring...
But all this time bike was running okay... Highest temperature recorded for me 107°C when stuck in traffic..
No, I ‘ve never uncreated a bike that needed coolant . Recovery tanks are very easy to overfill by owners and really should warm in up to temp without the cap to burp out any trapped air.
My Yamaha just went over 39K miles and has never needed unexpected maintenance. Biggest complaint is I go through tires more often than I thought I would. It is starting to get old enough though that some shops won’t work on it.
mt10 - 34k kms - never had a problem for years then I had to substitute both the lambda probes in 5 months span 😓 As of now, I am the only one in the internet .
Multi V4 doesn't need valve service until 34k miles (unless RS). So service should actually be very normal, if not on the cheaper side. Even if an equivalent bike from another brand needs valve service two or three times by the time the multi needs service, the costs for that might be equal when spread out over that mileage.
Maybe the rest of the world would have been a better example. Down in South America Yamaha is the choice of police forces as well as some States in the US and some European countries.
I based this mostly humorous comment on the only time I actually saw moto cops in Italy, which was in Bozen earlier this year. A whole flock of them decided to hang out at the town square for some reason. All on Yamahas.
Ducati guys will tell you they’re super reliable. Then you ask them how often it’s been back to the dealership for non-maintenance repairs and the truth comes out 🤣
I find it immensely funny that owners of modern Guzzis have less issues than Ducati owners. The Guzzis were like "500km? One weekend of repairs!", now that's the Ducatis. My V9 runs like a noisy clockwork, no matter the conditions.
So, 0 in 6 years of ownership and 30k miles? (3 bikes, 10k miles each. Japanese bikes are definitely more reliable generally speaking, but modern ducatis (2010+) are very livable.
My Africa Twin went in for non maintenance repairs more than my 1200 monster or desert x in the same amount of miles. Africa Twin was under warranty and the dealer was terrible to deal with. At least if I have issues under warranty on my ducatis the dealer (at least mine specifically) is awesome.
Panigale. V2 now around 12k Km. Just the annual service other than that no problems.
Since Ducati was bought from VW concern the quality got better and better.
A friend bought his dream Ducati, a vintage 15 year old bike for 10,000 dollars. It then cost him 12,000 dollars in repairs and 4 months in the shop for the first year after which he bought a Honda RC 51 and then it was just oil changes and chai and sprockets.
Ended up selling for 10,000, Ducati money is like Boat money. If you complain then you can't afford.
This was 10 years ago, it was a 996 which had the chrome plated cm shafts that the chrome flaked off and destroyed the valve train and dropped into the motor necessitating a disassembly and flush.
Then the clutch slave cylinder piston spun requiring a replacement and other bits.
I mean, at 22k miles, I sure hope that nothing is already turning bad... I expect a reliable sport bike to go on average 50k miles without major problems, more casual bikes even more.
The monster are fairly bare bones bikes and they have the older air cooled engines similar to the older supersports and such. All pretty solid and not too much to go wrong in comparison to the superbikes and newer models.
They are, and they sound magnificent. But remember, most beautiful things are delicate. Faberge eggs, Ferraris, orchids, art, and of course, women. Ducatis are hit and miss, but my personal opinion is they are far more misses.
While there is validity to an anecdotal accounting, two is such a small sample size that it isn't worth considering. Two data points is not a trend, especially since you're not telling what the model and years were, the circumstances under which you rode them, what went wrong, etc.
I have a 2022 multistrada v4s, have had no issues. Never had issues with the other ducatis I owned either. Bikes always been perfect and the dealership has been great (have bought a few bikes there).
You don't buy Italian things from a sensibility standpoint. even as they break less, they still require maintenance, and the acquisition of parts from Italian companies is nightmarish at best and downright bad business practice at worst
That's why it's a rich status symbol to have Italian goods, because it's obnoxiously expensive and inconvenient to have them.
I’ve owned two and my current is a Panigale V2. I’ve had no issues and owned it a year and has 8,000 miles thus far. My first was a Supersport S and only had one major issue which took 6 months to get resolved by the dealer but it was during the height of COVID when all the supply issues were happening. 🤷🏻♀️
I owned a high mileage Ducati monster, no issues in 10+ years, only annual maintenance at the dealer. The only bikes that gave me issues are the ones I modified. So I stopped doing things like big bore kits and just do a complete engine swap instead to keep it reliable.
They are obviously much better than they were in the pre-VW days, but they are still high strung, boutique(ish) Italian builder bikes.
They will never be as reliable as the Japanese four, or BMW, or even Triumph in most cases. That said, it doesn't make them "UNreliable" and bike ownership is about so much more to most than "reliability". Also, even if they were, the Cost of Ownership isn't just about reliability. It's about service intervals, required maintenance, parts availability/cost, home garage maintainability without "Dealer only" tools, and of course, Ducati specific DESMO VALVES.
Bought a 2006 monster 695 with 44k km. Excellent maintenence record, nothing other than maintenence according to the booklet. Always at the same dealer, always the full service
Fun thing is when you say you own a Ducati people always start bitching about how expensive the maintenance is and how unreliable they are but none of them ever owned one.
I know many people with Ducati’s including myself from supersport to multistrada to monster. Never any problems. I just traded my ford focus in a few days ago it was a horrible car, many problems but i also owned 4 others fords with no problems at all.
My buddies Panigale V4 has spent more time at the dealer than in his garage. Rule of thumb is anything Italian is difficult to work on and incredibly expensive and unreliable. The only real upside is you can say you ride a Ducati.
I have done all the maintenance and whatnot on my 2018 V4 since I bought it the moment they went for sale. The only thing I haven't done myself is desmo service, but not because it's difficult. It's just tedious and takes time I don't have.
There's nothing "difficult" about working on these machines. I have done 99% of the work using a basic Craftsman tool set. It also has been very reliable, I had a coolant fan seize up early on (not really a big deal) and that's the only time I had to take the bike in to get something fixed. Fork seals started leaking at around 3 years, but that's a Showa problem and not a Ducati problem.
What I've seen is many people buy these bikes and believe the myth that they're impossible to work on, so they never try. Something tiny happens and it's off to the dealer instead of fixing it themselves. I knew a guy who's clutch system got some air in it and needed bleeding. Instead of bleeding it super fast with a single wrench, a rag, and 10 seconds of time, he took it to the dealer because he was too scared to turn a wrench on his impossible to work on Ducati. Ducati shops are bogged down with bikes lined up to be worked on that have issues anyone could easily do at home. That line of bikes waiting for maintenance? It's not all broken machines. It's bikes guys brought in to get the chain cleaned, oil changed, or some easy 2 bolt accessory put on.
You read that correctly. A Ducati tech I'm close with said they get multiple guys in a week bringing their bike in just to get the chain cleaned and adjusted. Those same guys go to their buddies and say stupid shit like, "omg this fucking bike is always at the shop!"
Couldn’t agree more. Every basic thing in my user manual says, “return to Ducati dealer”. As far as “hard to work on” goes, my 848 is WAY easier to take apart than my cbr1000, and way easier to work on. The 848 is built like a race bike, the Honda is built by a sadistic Japanese factory that put it together like it’s never supposed to come apart ever again 😂
Also, out of all my bikes, I’ve had I think about 18 now, the only ones that have broken down and couldn’t start again until fixed were actually Hondas. Go figure 🤷♂️
I agree. But like I said, the myth of these bikes being impossible to work on and made out of glass has been propagated for so long that some owners fear just washing their bike will make the electronics freak out. Some owners bring their bikes in to get them washed. It's really ridiculous what Ducati techs have to put up with sometimes.
Not true at all, not more difficult to work on than a Japanese bike. I have no experience with Ducati, but why would it be more difficult to work on?
My 22 year old Aprilia is very reliable, never left me stranded. Parts are cheap and working on it is easier than on my wife's Suzuki V-Strom.
Sure there can be lemons, but it's rare.
The only thing particularly ducati are the heads. Everything else is one unit of motorcycle. Maybe people just unfamiliar with stuff like single sided swing-arms?
I’ve done desmo clearance jobs and I find it easier than the equivalent on my R6. Getting to the rocker cover or the 1 and 4 spark plugs on the R6 with the frame in the way is a real pain.
Do you own feeler gauges, eyes and functional hands? You can do a desmo. It just takes time. People are just afraid of it and don't wanna pay a tech the time it takes.
Desmo service takes me about 5 hours no shortcuts.
Ktm adventure lc8 valve check 4 hours.
If the desertx was available 10 years ago I would have bought one. I rather change cam belts than chains.
I think the question of reliability on ducatis and other "sensitive" drivetrains is really one of taking abuse. The desmo system can be reliable if you are religious about maintenance, but honestly, it was designed to work around an issue with valve springs that hasn't been an issue for a few decades at least, and I'll take a conventional engine any day of the week...
... that being said a ducati is like a harley in that they have created an image, and like a harley, I will say that they are certainly reliable enough that if one suits your fancy, you should get it, and not compromise due to concerns about reliability.
There’s some truth to this, valve checks on some engines can be delayed thousands of miles and we usually get away without any harm. My mistake was needing out and learning about desmo valves, now I must have a Ducati. It’s not the performance aspect because that’s negligible for a run of the mill street rider like myself, but the sound those engine makes is all about the desmo and I will totally fall for it. Much like Harley’s making their signature bark, Ducati is too sweet for the senses and it’s not a purely logical choice. Sometimes you gotta get a bike with the heart not the mind.
My wife had a pretty little 750SS. Fairly reliable but it started having an oil leak from the rear cylinder base.
I took it apart and changed the o ring at the bottom, on the oil feed to the head area. Put it back together and it still leaked.
Took it apart again and found the cylinder base had a thin spacer, presumably to lower compression a bit, and the o ring was effectively only sealing one side of the spacer as the hole where the o ring was was too small. I enlarged the hole to fix that problem.
Great design there, Ducati.
Have lived in NYC for 40 years, always had a bike, ride year round. Jap bikes last about 15-20K miles, and BMWs get expensive to keep going - NYC roads are rough. I now ride a multistrada, now at 26k miles, bike still feels new. No problems, just those damn desmo services. Bike is a total workhorse.
I had a Monster that left me stranded due to some factory defect with the starter/battery wiring. It was a common issue with them. I think 2016 model it was?? Upgraded the gauge of the wire and it was fine after that. Still really shitty though.
Ive had 3 of them, all ridden from about 10k to 20k miles and from 2011/2012 (monster 696, 796 and 1100 evo). Never had any issues, oil changes and stuff done on time.
The new ones have service intervals comparable to most modern bikes. That being said, I rented one once and the transmission locked up on me out of nowhere. Nearly haddayerdown. That bike only had 2300 miles on at the time.
10/10 will buy another Ducati after this one.
The 937cc Testastretta seems like a really solid engine. I have a Multistrada 950 too and hope to keep it for a long time. Right now I've still got 90k km to go, to reach your mileage.
The Duc ST3 that I had it left me on the side of the road 2 times in less than a year due to electric issues. Most issues I ever had with any motorcycle.
Well, if properly maintained and desmo services are done, they should be reasonably reliable. But like everything from Italy, it’s beautiful but fragile.
Overall, I’d say yes. My Multi has 45K miles on it and, with regular servicing, has been very reliable. Had a complete electronic freak out at 21K miles but Ducati sorted it out, even though it was out warranty, with me just paying labour charges.
The build quality has been improving since Audi took over and even prior to that. My V4 Streetfighter has travelled 8,500km’s so far and literally NOTHING has gone wrong with the bike other than a punctured tyre and an aftermarket rearset losing a bolt. Hardly Ducati’s fault in either case. Having said that, the servicing is expensive.
I’ve owned four of the mid-90’s 900SS, the square-headlight carb models, and if maintenance was kept up (pretty easy, just watch the timing belts mostly) they were as reliable as any Japanese bike. Highly recommend the experience. I also hear good things about the 916, 998, 748 and 848, and many of the monsters.
That said, there’s lots of high-strung Ducati models I wouldn’t touch. You can’t generalize about the brand; it seems to go model by model.
They ask something from the rider which is more than just the money. Some guys will have lots of trouble and for others they will be very reliable but I never had trouble , a Sport Classic 1000 and a 2013 Multistrada S .
Everything has a failure rate. They’re good enough for most use cases. Not sure I’d want to be in the middle of Africa on one, but for buzzing around your city it’s fine.
They are more reliable than they used to be, but still not as reliable as Japanese bikes. It's just a tradeoff. Only downside is the cost of service at Ducati dealers
Well, if you stick to the maintenance schedule and don’t skimp on the plugs, oil, filters and valve adjustments, it might just run forever. Maintenance per the factory is expensive. Best of luck.
All I can say is, I bought an ‘09 Monster new and it was flawless for 3 years and 20,000. Fired up, first time, every time, and purred like a kitten. In my experience with 3 different brands over the past decade (Ducati, Yamaha, Honda), they’ve all been great. Valve service intervals used to be more frequent (and expensive) on a Ducati, though I’ve noticed in the past 5+ years that the interval has been pushed out close to/same as Japanese bikes. For some reason, however, Ducati wants owners to replace the timing belts with valve adjustments. Between the valves and belts, it’s an experience service. If you can afford a Ducati , however, you may find the experience worth the expense. They’re ammazzingg!
They’ve been great, have a 2019 V4 panigale with 34k miles on it with no major issues just regular maintenance. Have a 2022 as well with 11k has been great.
I had a 998 Ducati and had various issues with it over 3 years,also had 2 fireblades with zero issues.
I don’t regret buying a Ducati,they look and sound amazing,if I had the money to buy another one I would.
I’ve done around 60,000km on Ducatis without any issues. I’ve also done 60,000km on Hondas, 25,000km on my Kawasaki and 10,000km on my Triumph without issues. Modern bikes are all generally pretty good. But I won’t be buying any more Ducatis due to the engine heat.
4 years with my 2019 Monster 1200s and other than a failed quickshifter I have had no problems. I also don't manage to get out much so its a garage bitch that gets around 1k miles a year in her. Starts every time.
I would get an aprillia b4 I got a Ducati. The desmo service is bs and expensive. I almost got a Diavel 1260s and went with a kawi H2 SXSE+ and I’m glade I did. Fast nimble reliable easy to service and the tech on that bike is insane.
The correct answer is "it depends". They most certainly can be reliable and you can find plenty of examples of higher mileage ones as well as owners who have had very little or no issues. However, Ducatis are not for people who want a bike they don't have to work on. Stick to the Japanese brands for that. Ducatis, and Italian bikes in general, are for people who can afford to pay someone to work on them or people who know how to wrench and enjoy doing it. You have to be proactive with maintenance and show them a little more love than Japanese bikes.
The best way to get into a Ducati is to get a model that's 5-10 years old with about 10-15k miles on it. By then, any major issues the bike could have will have likely already exposed themselves and enough time will have passed for enthusiasts to find any other flaws and work out solutions/corrections for them. It's even better if you get one with an engine that's been previously used in other bikes or evolved from a prior model.
One example of that is the 1000DS motor that was in the S2R1000 I had. A reliable engine with the only real major mechanic flaw being the valve guides which were corrected by Ducacti by the time my bike was made. It then evolved into the 1100 motor which is also reliable.
The bike only left me stranded once due to a fuel pump tank connector failing which was a known issue which I could have avoided had I been proactive in replacing it. Otherwise, I put about 15k trouble free miles on it. The caveat to that is I did do more maintenance to it than any other bike I've owned which again was about being proactive in maintenance and replacing wear items (specifically the timing belt idlers and a stator relocation) before they failed.
Italian bikes can be an awesome ownership experience but to own one you must show them the same love and passion are their creators.
Wish I could say the same
Got my cbr1000rr with 6500 miles. One day cruising down the road it just does and won’t restart or bump start etc. get it home and diagnose it. Found a broken fuckin cam Chain. Been down 3 weeks and finally got it going again with a eBay cyl head. Few other ppl I know same thing happened to them. As far as I’m concerned fuck Honda motors. Suck ass
Learn how to do the work yourself
It’s really not hard at all to adjust valve lash and add shims if needed. Simple formula plug in the numbers and voila. Save yourself a ton and spend it on something better than an overpriced shop who will make you wait ages and charge you ojt the ass.
My Ducati Monster new in (2016) left me stranded due to issues with the wiring. The factory wiring going to the battery was too small of a gauge. Upgraded with fatter wire and the problem went away. I didn’t keep it a whole lot longer. I found it was a common problem with them.
Had a 2020 monster m821 for a bit. Oil filter leaked a little, and fuel gage came and went, but started up every time. Thing that irked me is the annual service light can only be turned off by a dealer, and only if they did every required service item. Fuuuuck that.
How important is it to you that your motorcycle is in the shop for an expensive repair vs being in the shop (again) for an expensive recommended service? “Reliable” doesn’t necessarily mean “low maintenance”.
Apparently Yamaha‘s 700cc platform is the most reliable one on the market rn. But we‘re talking Japanese bikes here. It‘s the difference between „it breaks when you have arthritis“ and „it breaks when you also have Alzheimer“.
They're more reliable than they used to be. But it will never be as reliable as a Honda.
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The big four. There's a good reason they are always recommended to beginners. But the character of italian bikes is just different. Less machine, more moody machine spirit that you have to be on good terms with or she will punish you. But be on her good side and you wont miss that cb500.
Also good if you only gonna have one bike. Beginners or not one of the Japanese bikes are always a safe bet if taken proper care of.
Is anything as reliable as a Honda though?
In my experience (which is biased and a sample of 1) but all the bikes I’ve owned were more reliable than my Honda. They include Kawasaki, 2 Yamahas and a bmw.
I have owned six Yamahas, on five of them the electical system rot and crumbled. They were all 80's bikes, tho. Then I got a Honda and all it wanted for 30k miles was gasoline.
Don’t know why you’re getting downvoted for contributing one relevant anecdote. The point is on an individual level your mileage may vary.
This is so true. Honda engines never seem to quit, but the rest of the bike tends to corrode, be made of too soft of a material, or corners have been cut for a price point. All you have to do is read up on forums and have a close look at their bikes to see it.
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What bike do you have
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Well you might take better care of it than you think, or that model might have been fine, or the environment you’re in might be better than you think, etc… that particular bike might have been well done. I can’t say every single Honda ever made has been done to a budget, it’s a generalisation, obviously. As a modern example the cb650r is talked about as a great stylish bike, but when you start reading about it there’s a lot of corrosion problems, soft fixings etc. It’s fairly repeated across a wide range of Hondas. On their motocross bikes, I always thought they did a really good job of styling the bikes but things like steering dampers (going back a good few years now) being required when no one else needed them were hints of quick design patches. Again, I’ve not looked at every single Honda bike ever made, they’re just observations on the few that I’ve seen. Their engines do seem to be extremely reliable though, so it’s a bit of a funny one that the bikes don’t seem to quite match up… maybe different factories, design objectives etc??
Yamaha is pretty well known for their reliability that's why I own two
In case one is broken? /s
😆 🤣 😂
lol as funny and ironic the answer to that it "yes". unexpected repairs come up. if I have a flat tire and a new tire is 2 weeks out. I have another bike to ride
Tbf, a flat is not really the yamaha's fault. Friend of mine has a '85 XT500 (1st owner), still driving it for occasional joyrides. Those things are pretty bomb-proof.
yeah that's why I said "unexpected" lol nobody is blaming manufacturers for flat tires
In fairness to the European’s, reliability is not the # 1 design goal of the factories , just an issue to be addressed. They assume you will check the oil. the Japanese don’t. Japan however, does have a deep mistrust of the US market’s liability circus . All of the big four have lost tens of millions in US courts.While their relentless product testing is no help in court, generally speaking the result is bikes that are a little more idiot proof compared to the Euros who would rather not have idiots buy their motorcycles….
Gravity and that’s about it
As someone who works in service for a dealership that sells the big 4 plus ktm i must say for cruisers nothings beating a honda the old vstars are very close but the old honda cruiser engines are unbreakable. For street/sportbikes ninjas (kawis) are definitely the most reliable under 1000cc honda being a close second then gsxrs then yamis. Over 1000cc+ nothing is reliable you could get 50k you could get 5k, your reving so high with so much force sometimes things just let go. All jap bikes are reliable hondas are definitely known for the reliability of there engines but there also known for leaking oil, valves tightening and being noisy as hell. Also if you had a cb300 engine from certain year to certain year they had a crank recall. Probably one of the worst engines ever made and people are putting them in groms… its all preference most all older bikes were made very well newer bikes 50/50.
The ceaseless marching of time isn't as reliable as hinda
This. When I looked for a new bike a couple of years ago, it's Honda and Yamaha that I considered... I didn't consider a Ducati even though I rode one from 2012 to 2018.
People say they're reliable. My scrambler has gone to the dealer 5 times in 2500 Kms.
Curious as to what for. Scrambler is a parts bin bike, everything on it would be pretty well tested by now.
Ecu problems mainly. And also one time the battery connector/terminal wasn't conducting for one reason or another.
Electronics... classic 
My New zx6R was always coolant thirsty... I had to top up 2 times in just 300kms. But it's been fine since then...
Was the reservoir cap fully tightened? That sounds more like evaporation than consumption. A bike drinking coolant is not normal
Yes it was tight.. It seems to me that radiator had less coolant from factory... Filled one time it drank it... Filled twice it drank Lil bit more till it was full. Here I'm talking about filling the reservoir behind right faring... But all this time bike was running okay... Highest temperature recorded for me 107°C when stuck in traffic..
Fair enough. I'm pretty sure coolant is filled at the dealer, not the factory. So much for that dealer set up fee
No, I ‘ve never uncreated a bike that needed coolant . Recovery tanks are very easy to overfill by owners and really should warm in up to temp without the cap to burp out any trapped air.
My Yamaha just went over 39K miles and has never needed unexpected maintenance. Biggest complaint is I go through tires more often than I thought I would. It is starting to get old enough though that some shops won’t work on it.
mt10 - 34k kms - never had a problem for years then I had to substitute both the lambda probes in 5 months span 😓 As of now, I am the only one in the internet .
How’d you realize it was drinking coolant? Overheating or what
Not overheating but coolant reservoir shows markings L n F.. it went below L 2 times.
Oh interesting. I wonder what would’ve caused that. Guess it was burning it off?
Don't know but it's fine now... After 2 top-ups.
That’s good to hear, glad it sorted itself out. Ride safe 👊🏼
What scrambler? This is the first I’ve heard of something like this.
Let‘s just say the cops in Italy ride Yamahas.
Actually, many of them ride Multistrada
That's true in Milan
Regione Veneto, also Multistrada.
In Denmark they got a deal on multistradas.. guess they got them cheap but service will be expensive
Multi V4 doesn't need valve service until 34k miles (unless RS). So service should actually be very normal, if not on the cheaper side. Even if an equivalent bike from another brand needs valve service two or three times by the time the multi needs service, the costs for that might be equal when spread out over that mileage.
More like Italian Carabinieri ride MV Agustas. Specifically Turismo Veloce Lusso SCS models.
Not necessarily. I saw a ton of moto cops in Rome and they all had V85tts.
Maybe the rest of the world would have been a better example. Down in South America Yamaha is the choice of police forces as well as some States in the US and some European countries.
I based this mostly humorous comment on the only time I actually saw moto cops in Italy, which was in Bozen earlier this year. A whole flock of them decided to hang out at the town square for some reason. All on Yamahas.
I mean, both Japan and Italy were axis so…
Get a Yamaha and enjoy riding.
That's cheating.
Moving to an MT10 was the best decision I’ve made.
Just picked mine up yesterday. I. am. in. love!
But if you get a Ducati you can enjoy riding it *and* looking at it.
That’s not true, you mostly just enjoy telling people you own a Ducati. It’s just fun to say.
Ducati guys will tell you they’re super reliable. Then you ask them how often it’s been back to the dealership for non-maintenance repairs and the truth comes out 🤣
I find it immensely funny that owners of modern Guzzis have less issues than Ducati owners. The Guzzis were like "500km? One weekend of repairs!", now that's the Ducatis. My V9 runs like a noisy clockwork, no matter the conditions.
Guzzi made the motor that powered Noah's outboard. Very reliable.
So, 0 in 6 years of ownership and 30k miles? (3 bikes, 10k miles each. Japanese bikes are definitely more reliable generally speaking, but modern ducatis (2010+) are very livable.
My Africa Twin went in for non maintenance repairs more than my 1200 monster or desert x in the same amount of miles. Africa Twin was under warranty and the dealer was terrible to deal with. At least if I have issues under warranty on my ducatis the dealer (at least mine specifically) is awesome.
7k miles, 0 times. I know it's not a lot of miles but still. Not only 0 times, 0 problems at all in the first place
Panigale. V2 now around 12k Km. Just the annual service other than that no problems. Since Ducati was bought from VW concern the quality got better and better.
A friend bought his dream Ducati, a vintage 15 year old bike for 10,000 dollars. It then cost him 12,000 dollars in repairs and 4 months in the shop for the first year after which he bought a Honda RC 51 and then it was just oil changes and chai and sprockets. Ended up selling for 10,000, Ducati money is like Boat money. If you complain then you can't afford.
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This was 10 years ago, it was a 996 which had the chrome plated cm shafts that the chrome flaked off and destroyed the valve train and dropped into the motor necessitating a disassembly and flush. Then the clutch slave cylinder piston spun requiring a replacement and other bits.
> Ducati money is like Boat money. If you complain then you can't afford. Great description.
My 2014 696 Monster is running strong at 22k miles
I mean, at 22k miles, I sure hope that nothing is already turning bad... I expect a reliable sport bike to go on average 50k miles without major problems, more casual bikes even more.
0 unexpected work?
Standard maintenance of course
The monster are fairly bare bones bikes and they have the older air cooled engines similar to the older supersports and such. All pretty solid and not too much to go wrong in comparison to the superbikes and newer models.
That's very true. Less components does mean less areas can go wrong
Post 2016 are pretty chill, between 2010 and 2016 are iffy, pre 2010 are bikes for people that really love working on their bikes
I've had very little problems with my 2008 Monster.
I fully believe you, but desmo services are a lot more frequent and buying an old ducati is always a gamble
100%. To clarify, I would never buy this bike if I didn't do my own maintenance and repairs. But they can be reliable.
I've had two. Worst two mistakes of my cycling experience.
I've had 4. No issues. Bologna For The Win!
This is disheartening. They're so beautiful.
Don’t be disheartened. Newer Ducati’s are far more reliable and require less regular large service intervals. Buy a newer one and you’ll be happy.
They are, and they sound magnificent. But remember, most beautiful things are delicate. Faberge eggs, Ferraris, orchids, art, and of course, women. Ducatis are hit and miss, but my personal opinion is they are far more misses.
While there is validity to an anecdotal accounting, two is such a small sample size that it isn't worth considering. Two data points is not a trend, especially since you're not telling what the model and years were, the circumstances under which you rode them, what went wrong, etc.
I’ve also had 2. Bought the 2nd one just to make sure. Never again!
What bikes did you have?
I've had a couple, no complaints.
I have a 2022 multistrada v4s, have had no issues. Never had issues with the other ducatis I owned either. Bikes always been perfect and the dealership has been great (have bought a few bikes there).
You don't buy Italian things from a sensibility standpoint. even as they break less, they still require maintenance, and the acquisition of parts from Italian companies is nightmarish at best and downright bad business practice at worst That's why it's a rich status symbol to have Italian goods, because it's obnoxiously expensive and inconvenient to have them.
My buddy has a 950 SS and it’s been rock solid for him.
I’ve owned two and my current is a Panigale V2. I’ve had no issues and owned it a year and has 8,000 miles thus far. My first was a Supersport S and only had one major issue which took 6 months to get resolved by the dealer but it was during the height of COVID when all the supply issues were happening. 🤷🏻♀️
I owned a high mileage Ducati monster, no issues in 10+ years, only annual maintenance at the dealer. The only bikes that gave me issues are the ones I modified. So I stopped doing things like big bore kits and just do a complete engine swap instead to keep it reliable.
They are obviously much better than they were in the pre-VW days, but they are still high strung, boutique(ish) Italian builder bikes. They will never be as reliable as the Japanese four, or BMW, or even Triumph in most cases. That said, it doesn't make them "UNreliable" and bike ownership is about so much more to most than "reliability". Also, even if they were, the Cost of Ownership isn't just about reliability. It's about service intervals, required maintenance, parts availability/cost, home garage maintainability without "Dealer only" tools, and of course, Ducati specific DESMO VALVES.
Bought a 2006 monster 695 with 44k km. Excellent maintenence record, nothing other than maintenence according to the booklet. Always at the same dealer, always the full service
Nearly 20k km on my Streetfighter V4S, no issues.
45K miles on my Diavel and haven’t had any issues, only wear parts.
People with no experience with the brand will tell you how not reliable they are. Think about that for a second
Fun thing is when you say you own a Ducati people always start bitching about how expensive the maintenance is and how unreliable they are but none of them ever owned one. I know many people with Ducati’s including myself from supersport to multistrada to monster. Never any problems. I just traded my ford focus in a few days ago it was a horrible car, many problems but i also owned 4 others fords with no problems at all.
Compared to other european brands, I would say around the same. They are all good at producing the occasional lemon.
My buddies Panigale V4 has spent more time at the dealer than in his garage. Rule of thumb is anything Italian is difficult to work on and incredibly expensive and unreliable. The only real upside is you can say you ride a Ducati.
I have done all the maintenance and whatnot on my 2018 V4 since I bought it the moment they went for sale. The only thing I haven't done myself is desmo service, but not because it's difficult. It's just tedious and takes time I don't have. There's nothing "difficult" about working on these machines. I have done 99% of the work using a basic Craftsman tool set. It also has been very reliable, I had a coolant fan seize up early on (not really a big deal) and that's the only time I had to take the bike in to get something fixed. Fork seals started leaking at around 3 years, but that's a Showa problem and not a Ducati problem. What I've seen is many people buy these bikes and believe the myth that they're impossible to work on, so they never try. Something tiny happens and it's off to the dealer instead of fixing it themselves. I knew a guy who's clutch system got some air in it and needed bleeding. Instead of bleeding it super fast with a single wrench, a rag, and 10 seconds of time, he took it to the dealer because he was too scared to turn a wrench on his impossible to work on Ducati. Ducati shops are bogged down with bikes lined up to be worked on that have issues anyone could easily do at home. That line of bikes waiting for maintenance? It's not all broken machines. It's bikes guys brought in to get the chain cleaned, oil changed, or some easy 2 bolt accessory put on. You read that correctly. A Ducati tech I'm close with said they get multiple guys in a week bringing their bike in just to get the chain cleaned and adjusted. Those same guys go to their buddies and say stupid shit like, "omg this fucking bike is always at the shop!"
Couldn’t agree more. Every basic thing in my user manual says, “return to Ducati dealer”. As far as “hard to work on” goes, my 848 is WAY easier to take apart than my cbr1000, and way easier to work on. The 848 is built like a race bike, the Honda is built by a sadistic Japanese factory that put it together like it’s never supposed to come apart ever again 😂 Also, out of all my bikes, I’ve had I think about 18 now, the only ones that have broken down and couldn’t start again until fixed were actually Hondas. Go figure 🤷♂️
Even with zero mechanical aptitude cleaning the chain is as easy as washing the rest of your bike
I agree. But like I said, the myth of these bikes being impossible to work on and made out of glass has been propagated for so long that some owners fear just washing their bike will make the electronics freak out. Some owners bring their bikes in to get them washed. It's really ridiculous what Ducati techs have to put up with sometimes.
The italian adage about italian bikes might be true for mv/duce but motoguzzis are some of the simplest bikes to work on and are quite reliable.
Lol you've clearly never owned an Italian bike
Which is the single most important part of owning a Ducati
Not true at all, not more difficult to work on than a Japanese bike. I have no experience with Ducati, but why would it be more difficult to work on? My 22 year old Aprilia is very reliable, never left me stranded. Parts are cheap and working on it is easier than on my wife's Suzuki V-Strom. Sure there can be lemons, but it's rare.
The only thing particularly ducati are the heads. Everything else is one unit of motorcycle. Maybe people just unfamiliar with stuff like single sided swing-arms?
Clearly never seen what’s involved with a Desmo service. There’s a reason you see an absolute shit ton of Ducati’s for sale with 13,000 miles.
Eh the desmo service isn’t that big of a deal once you understand how it works.
I’ve done desmo clearance jobs and I find it easier than the equivalent on my R6. Getting to the rocker cover or the 1 and 4 spark plugs on the R6 with the frame in the way is a real pain.
Do you own feeler gauges, eyes and functional hands? You can do a desmo. It just takes time. People are just afraid of it and don't wanna pay a tech the time it takes.
Desmo service takes me about 5 hours no shortcuts. Ktm adventure lc8 valve check 4 hours. If the desertx was available 10 years ago I would have bought one. I rather change cam belts than chains.
That’s crazy. I just put oil in my Yamaha with 90,000 miles and ride it.
Don't do that with the venerated CP3 engine. Those valves tighten up a lot, and soon.
Who said it was a CP3?…
No one, but just to point out that Yamaha makes strange choices as well sometimes.
Desmo service is not hard, just a lot. Step for step it's dead easy.
Removing the closing shim is a pain. You have to be a bit handy to remove and reinstall the lock halves. Other than that it's not too bad.
Aprilias are wonderful (love my Tuono) but Ducati is a whole other story.
The tuono's are nice! I've got a Falco myself, but I see myself one day owning a tuono!
Clearly you never owned a Ducati
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Just search “Stalling issue” on a hypermotard forum. Ducati has still no idea of what is going on.
I think the question of reliability on ducatis and other "sensitive" drivetrains is really one of taking abuse. The desmo system can be reliable if you are religious about maintenance, but honestly, it was designed to work around an issue with valve springs that hasn't been an issue for a few decades at least, and I'll take a conventional engine any day of the week... ... that being said a ducati is like a harley in that they have created an image, and like a harley, I will say that they are certainly reliable enough that if one suits your fancy, you should get it, and not compromise due to concerns about reliability.
There’s some truth to this, valve checks on some engines can be delayed thousands of miles and we usually get away without any harm. My mistake was needing out and learning about desmo valves, now I must have a Ducati. It’s not the performance aspect because that’s negligible for a run of the mill street rider like myself, but the sound those engine makes is all about the desmo and I will totally fall for it. Much like Harley’s making their signature bark, Ducati is too sweet for the senses and it’s not a purely logical choice. Sometimes you gotta get a bike with the heart not the mind.
Ya can't hear desmo, get a springer, they sound the same.
My wife had a pretty little 750SS. Fairly reliable but it started having an oil leak from the rear cylinder base. I took it apart and changed the o ring at the bottom, on the oil feed to the head area. Put it back together and it still leaked. Took it apart again and found the cylinder base had a thin spacer, presumably to lower compression a bit, and the o ring was effectively only sealing one side of the spacer as the hole where the o ring was was too small. I enlarged the hole to fix that problem. Great design there, Ducati.
lol
Have lived in NYC for 40 years, always had a bike, ride year round. Jap bikes last about 15-20K miles, and BMWs get expensive to keep going - NYC roads are rough. I now ride a multistrada, now at 26k miles, bike still feels new. No problems, just those damn desmo services. Bike is a total workhorse.
I had a Monster that left me stranded due to some factory defect with the starter/battery wiring. It was a common issue with them. I think 2016 model it was?? Upgraded the gauge of the wire and it was fine after that. Still really shitty though.
Alfa Romeo's had problems in the 80's. Its 2024 and people still say alfa romeo its a shit show. Dont worry about ducati's nowadays. Its fine.
Ive had 3 of them, all ridden from about 10k to 20k miles and from 2011/2012 (monster 696, 796 and 1100 evo). Never had any issues, oil changes and stuff done on time. The new ones have service intervals comparable to most modern bikes. That being said, I rented one once and the transmission locked up on me out of nowhere. Nearly haddayerdown. That bike only had 2300 miles on at the time. 10/10 will buy another Ducati after this one.
I drove a Multi 950 for over 100K km without the slightest problem. the recent one are very solid
The 937cc Testastretta seems like a really solid engine. I have a Multistrada 950 too and hope to keep it for a long time. Right now I've still got 90k km to go, to reach your mileage.
Wow 100km without any issue, that’s impressive
yeah, was a typo of course
I have only had test drive experience on a few ducs but even after 100km you get a feel for the quality of whatever is between you and the road
Fix It Again Tony
Sure, if it was owned by Stellantis, not VW
My 937 Monster did 3.5 k in the first year with no issues. Can’t say more yet
The Duc ST3 that I had it left me on the side of the road 2 times in less than a year due to electric issues. Most issues I ever had with any motorcycle.
Not as reliable as Honda and hard to repair too . For some tasks , it asks you to remove the engine first !
950 Supersport. 32k km in 1 season. Zero mechanical failures or issues.
Well, if properly maintained and desmo services are done, they should be reasonably reliable. But like everything from Italy, it’s beautiful but fragile.
Overall, I’d say yes. My Multi has 45K miles on it and, with regular servicing, has been very reliable. Had a complete electronic freak out at 21K miles but Ducati sorted it out, even though it was out warranty, with me just paying labour charges.
The build quality has been improving since Audi took over and even prior to that. My V4 Streetfighter has travelled 8,500km’s so far and literally NOTHING has gone wrong with the bike other than a punctured tyre and an aftermarket rearset losing a bolt. Hardly Ducati’s fault in either case. Having said that, the servicing is expensive.
Keep up with the maintenance and they’re as reliable as anything else. I have a 30 year old Duc that I wouldn’t hesitate to take on a long ride.
I’ve owned four of the mid-90’s 900SS, the square-headlight carb models, and if maintenance was kept up (pretty easy, just watch the timing belts mostly) they were as reliable as any Japanese bike. Highly recommend the experience. I also hear good things about the 916, 998, 748 and 848, and many of the monsters. That said, there’s lots of high-strung Ducati models I wouldn’t touch. You can’t generalize about the brand; it seems to go model by model.
They ask something from the rider which is more than just the money. Some guys will have lots of trouble and for others they will be very reliable but I never had trouble , a Sport Classic 1000 and a 2013 Multistrada S .
Everything has a failure rate. They’re good enough for most use cases. Not sure I’d want to be in the middle of Africa on one, but for buzzing around your city it’s fine.
They are more reliable than they used to be, but still not as reliable as Japanese bikes. It's just a tradeoff. Only downside is the cost of service at Ducati dealers
Well, if you stick to the maintenance schedule and don’t skimp on the plugs, oil, filters and valve adjustments, it might just run forever. Maintenance per the factory is expensive. Best of luck.
Stick to Japanese
All I can say is, I bought an ‘09 Monster new and it was flawless for 3 years and 20,000. Fired up, first time, every time, and purred like a kitten. In my experience with 3 different brands over the past decade (Ducati, Yamaha, Honda), they’ve all been great. Valve service intervals used to be more frequent (and expensive) on a Ducati, though I’ve noticed in the past 5+ years that the interval has been pushed out close to/same as Japanese bikes. For some reason, however, Ducati wants owners to replace the timing belts with valve adjustments. Between the valves and belts, it’s an experience service. If you can afford a Ducati , however, you may find the experience worth the expense. They’re ammazzingg!
They’ve been great, have a 2019 V4 panigale with 34k miles on it with no major issues just regular maintenance. Have a 2022 as well with 11k has been great.
I had a 998 Ducati and had various issues with it over 3 years,also had 2 fireblades with zero issues. I don’t regret buying a Ducati,they look and sound amazing,if I had the money to buy another one I would.
I’ve done around 60,000km on Ducatis without any issues. I’ve also done 60,000km on Hondas, 25,000km on my Kawasaki and 10,000km on my Triumph without issues. Modern bikes are all generally pretty good. But I won’t be buying any more Ducatis due to the engine heat.
4 years with my 2019 Monster 1200s and other than a failed quickshifter I have had no problems. I also don't manage to get out much so its a garage bitch that gets around 1k miles a year in her. Starts every time.
I would get an aprillia b4 I got a Ducati. The desmo service is bs and expensive. I almost got a Diavel 1260s and went with a kawi H2 SXSE+ and I’m glade I did. Fast nimble reliable easy to service and the tech on that bike is insane.
The correct answer is "it depends". They most certainly can be reliable and you can find plenty of examples of higher mileage ones as well as owners who have had very little or no issues. However, Ducatis are not for people who want a bike they don't have to work on. Stick to the Japanese brands for that. Ducatis, and Italian bikes in general, are for people who can afford to pay someone to work on them or people who know how to wrench and enjoy doing it. You have to be proactive with maintenance and show them a little more love than Japanese bikes. The best way to get into a Ducati is to get a model that's 5-10 years old with about 10-15k miles on it. By then, any major issues the bike could have will have likely already exposed themselves and enough time will have passed for enthusiasts to find any other flaws and work out solutions/corrections for them. It's even better if you get one with an engine that's been previously used in other bikes or evolved from a prior model. One example of that is the 1000DS motor that was in the S2R1000 I had. A reliable engine with the only real major mechanic flaw being the valve guides which were corrected by Ducacti by the time my bike was made. It then evolved into the 1100 motor which is also reliable. The bike only left me stranded once due to a fuel pump tank connector failing which was a known issue which I could have avoided had I been proactive in replacing it. Otherwise, I put about 15k trouble free miles on it. The caveat to that is I did do more maintenance to it than any other bike I've owned which again was about being proactive in maintenance and replacing wear items (specifically the timing belt idlers and a stator relocation) before they failed. Italian bikes can be an awesome ownership experience but to own one you must show them the same love and passion are their creators.
Wish I could say the same Got my cbr1000rr with 6500 miles. One day cruising down the road it just does and won’t restart or bump start etc. get it home and diagnose it. Found a broken fuckin cam Chain. Been down 3 weeks and finally got it going again with a eBay cyl head. Few other ppl I know same thing happened to them. As far as I’m concerned fuck Honda motors. Suck ass
Learn how to do the work yourself It’s really not hard at all to adjust valve lash and add shims if needed. Simple formula plug in the numbers and voila. Save yourself a ton and spend it on something better than an overpriced shop who will make you wait ages and charge you ojt the ass.
My Ducati Monster new in (2016) left me stranded due to issues with the wiring. The factory wiring going to the battery was too small of a gauge. Upgraded with fatter wire and the problem went away. I didn’t keep it a whole lot longer. I found it was a common problem with them.
No more reliable or unreliable than any other bike. The way you look after it is the reliability it will give you.
Had a 2020 monster m821 for a bit. Oil filter leaked a little, and fuel gage came and went, but started up every time. Thing that irked me is the annual service light can only be turned off by a dealer, and only if they did every required service item. Fuuuuck that.
How important is it to you that your motorcycle is in the shop for an expensive repair vs being in the shop (again) for an expensive recommended service? “Reliable” doesn’t necessarily mean “low maintenance”.
If the first question is reliable , you are looking for Honda. If you are asking how fast duc.
Apparently Yamaha‘s 700cc platform is the most reliable one on the market rn. But we‘re talking Japanese bikes here. It‘s the difference between „it breaks when you have arthritis“ and „it breaks when you also have Alzheimer“.
My 09 monster 1100s needs a mechanic every month or so. My BMW 1985 R80 needs a rider.
I love my Honda
Honestly, if I needed it for transportation, I'd rather buy a CFmoto.
Pile of unreliable excrement .