2nd Panigale Burst into Flames. Check your bikes!!!!

Ok guys, I have posted this once but be sure that you check your bike for oil leaks, especially after the service. We have had a 2nd Panigale burst into flames. We are confirming the leak on this one and if so, please don't be the 3rd because it will really suck for you.

Here's what happens. The leak starts on the left side of the bike as you sit upon it. It runs down the oil pan to the headers. It accumulates on the headers and whala.... you have a fire.

Whoa! Not kewl. Brother this wasn't yours was it?

Who Was the Other guy?

Who was the member here who was actually riding it when the damn thing caught fire? YOu need to talk with that guy and find out what transpired with insurance and dealer afterward. Remember that if they total the bike you need to get your full system or slip on off it, or at very least the Up Map off the bike and back into the up map thumb drive gizmo before you get another one!

I still dont see how a tiny bit of oil is causing massive fire! Ducati's have leaked oil since their inception but this is unreal ! Good luck bro and keep us posted!
Someone find those pics of that other dudes bike all cooked up and put them in here. That case was brutal !

SOULRIDER said:

Whoa! Not kewl. Brother this wasn't yours was it?

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Thank god no, but here is the aftermath of the 1st one that was confirmed as a leak from the same area. I assume that it was much more severe but have no data to prove it otherwise. The mechanism is as follows:

Leak occurs on the left side of the motor as sitting, transfers down the oil pan to the exhaust cans or headers and is collected. Enough forms to create combustion and whala....FIRE!!! HOLY .... A FIRE!!!!!! Or at least that is what I would saying.

That sucks... Mine had some grease or oil stains on the exhaust cans after tracking it. Now I am wondering if mine could set on fire. The starter also blew up and now its getting fixed under warranty.

lsberrios1 said:

That sucks... Mine had some grease or oil stains on the exhaust cans after tracking it. Now I am wondering if mine could set on fire. The starter also blew up and now its getting fixed under warranty.

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My intention is not to create mass hysteria but if you feel like your leak is worse than mine (seen above) I would have my dealer address the situation. Keep it cleaned up as much as possible with a shop towel after the motor has cooled just to keep critical accumulations from occurring.

Like I said, I am not wanting mass hysteria, just extreme caution for all my fellow Panigale owners.

Gunny Fitz said:

Who was the member here who was actually riding it when the damn thing caught fire? YOu need to talk with that guy and find out what transpired with insurance and dealer afterward. Remember that if they total the bike you need to get your full system or slip on off it, or at very least the Up Map off the bike and back into the up map thumb drive gizmo before you get another one!

I still dont see how a tiny bit of oil is causing massive fire! Ducati's have leaked oil since their inception but this is unreal ! Good luck bro and keep us posted!
Someone find those pics of that other dudes bike all cooked up and put them in here. That case was brutal !

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Gunny, it was EliteSoldier357 from this forum under the thread "Very Serious Question....."

thread 42 reads:
Well from the looks of it, my dad helped me out by loading up the bike on the trailer to take it to the dealer, so we had a good hard look at what was going on. Looks like oil was coming from the area where the oil filter was. Our take on what happened... The tech probably didnt screw it on right or didnt seat the ring that is inside it and just a small hole had been leaking oil while under pressure when the engine was actually under power and more pressure than the normal idle or just sitting with the key off, causing it to drip onto the cans and in turn causing the fire. We didnt tear the fairings off, but it seems that there is oil streaks starting around where the oil filter is located and streaking towards the back of the bike. That explains why the tech, after test riding it, put it back on the stands to blow of some oil, probably tightened down the filter some more but didnt have the ring seated all the way in the first place and therefore I had a small leak that I couldnt even see unless I was up to speed. Which I cant look at the bottom of my bike while I am up to speed anyways. This is just a theory. But the evidence is there. I know Ducati is all over this case because my tech has told me I am the first Panigale owner in the world to have a major issue, and the Panigale is Ducati's "Titanic" right now... they're probably watching me sleep at night...

Based upon my bike leaking in the very same spot and having never been serviced, draws me to these types of cautionary posts. There are probably more, just like the hard start. Coincidence maybe but I don't want others to suffer if I am right about this being another very big Ducati issue with this bike.

Good Info.
From the first picture it seems that the oil is leaking from the oil filter cover.
After having the 600 mile service done, the first thing I did was to get on the floor and look under the left side fairing with a flashlight once I got home, only takes a second to see if you have a leak.

mavic said:

Ok guys, I have posted this once but be sure that you check your bike for oil leaks, especially after the service. We have had a 2nd Panigale burst into flames. We are confirming the leak on this one and if so, please don't be the 3rd because it will really suck for you.

Here's what happens. The leak starts on the left side of the bike as you sit upon it. It runs down the oil pan to the headers. It accumulates on the headers and whala.... you have a fire.

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Mavic,

What angle is that image from? I'm having a bit of time orienting myself.

Is the problem occurring only after the first service or is it more from the factory at conception?

Let me get a picture of a bike and circle the area to inspect. Sorry for the confusion. Here are a few other signs to watch for.
Oily residue collecting on the leading edge of the side stand. very noticable.
Same residue collecting around the fan and running along the bottom of the cans. Can be seen and felt.

I know it looks like dirt but put it between your fingers and you will see that it has lubricity.

The condition I caught my bike was prior to service.. aka FACTORY.... The ones that have caught fire appear to have been after service but only one has been confirmed at this time. I am trying to find out more about this most recent issue and will report back.

I would find it hard to believe that 2 different motorcycle techs did it that wrong. It could be but not probable in my eyes.

That was my bike that burst into flames while riding it. I'll tell you what I saw and what the dealer said. I saw that the oil had leaked onto something down between the exhaust pipes, probably onto the cat box. This was caused by the oil filter not being seated fully after the service. That I am sure of. Now, my dealer has said something different and I am not sure whether they are telling the truth, if they are partly right, or if they are just trying to cover their own ... for messing up the oil service... but this last week they told me that the cause of the loss of engine power in one of my cylinders was a fuel injector failure, the cause of the fire was excess fuel that had built up in the cat box. I think that the oil had cooked a wire or something of that nature, maybe the tech had accidentally messed with something he shouldnt have. I can only speculate what happened exactly. But they admitted responsibility on Ducati's behalf and are covering it under warranty and compensating me somehow for the trouble (I hope). If you ever see ANY smoke coming from anywhere other than out the exhaust pipes, SHUT YOUR BIKE OFF, CALL THE DEALER AND HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT ASAP. Obviously I am not alone in this, and if it can happen to one bike AND another, than it can happen to any of you. Oil is getting into somewhere on the bike that it shouldnt be and causing a catastrophic failure. I hope they are looking into this, and that it has Ducati's full attention. We shall see what follows, please keep us updated as to what they say happened to your bike as well. Good luck

I had scheduled the first service for last Thursday. After hanging around the dealership for 15 minutes or so, the service manager found me and informed me that a service kit(s) which had been ordered hadn't yet arrived. They had mistakenly thought that the kits were already there. No service that day for me, but it makes me wonder if there's a special oil filter needed now that this potential fire issue has popped up. He mentioned something about seals or filters specific to this kit.

Please let us know what you find out.... I wonder if the cover they ordered for my bike is also the "special" unit. [Alex Jones styled rant] Sounds like a cover up to me and Ducati knows about this issue and does not want the bad publicity of a recall and will risk a few fires between now and then time they get the fix out to the public. I guess this would be one good reason to have you bike serviced by a Ducati shop because they know about the problem and are keeping it hush hush....[End Alex Jones] For those of you who do not know who Alex Jones is....look it up, I am sure there is a black helicopter over his house right now....LOL!!!

My dealer/tech whom is 20+ years Ducati authorized said in addition to the oil filter sealing issues- Do Not overfill the oil !!!! Wait for the oil to drain from the heads, take the fairing off because otherwise you cannot see the engine oil viewing glass AT ALL, then put the bike on a rear stand so the oil level is correct to read. Otherwise oil may be added when unnecessary that will find a way out that has caused a fire. Ducati SpA has issued a bulletin regarding the overfilling. It's not a filter seal problem, just an inexperienced tech overfilling the engine case. Ask your dealer for a copy of the bulletin.

mavic said:

Let me get a picture of a bike and circle the area to inspect. Sorry for the confusion. Here are a few other signs to watch for.
Oily residue collecting on the leading edge of the side stand. very noticable.
Same residue collecting around the fan and running along the bottom of the cans. Can be seen and felt.

I know it looks like dirt but put it between your fingers and you will see that it has lubricity.

The condition I caught my bike was prior to service.. aka FACTORY.... The ones that have caught fire appear to have been after service but only one has been confirmed at this time. I am trying to find out more about this most recent issue and will report back.

I would find it hard to believe that 2 different motorcycle techs did it that wrong. It could be but not probable in my eyes.

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Ahhh... that's too bad.
Thanks for the info. !

Oil and radiator hose leak

I'm also noticing an oil leak on the left side of the bike. I also have radiator fluid dripping on an area where the oil pools. The oil is running down the left side of the bike and may be staining the underside of the cans. I have not noticed any stains on the garage floor however I noticed small amounts of oil located on wires on the left side of the bike as well. This is not a huge leak but with only 900 miles on this bike it surely will get a lot worse so I'm watching this closely and still enjoying the bike until I drag it into the dealer. I'll be grounded for a while anyways because the in-laws are coming. What are the chances that the dealer will loan me their demo 1199 while mine is being worked on?

Reggie1199 said:

I'm also noticing an oil leak on the left side of the bike. I also have radiator fluid dripping on an area where the oil pools. The oil is running down the left side of the bike and may be staining the underside of the cans. I have not noticed any stains on the garage floor however I noticed small amounts of oil located on wires on the left side of the bike as well. This is not a huge leak but with only 900 miles on this bike it surely will get a lot worse so I'm watching this closely and still enjoying the bike until I drag it into the dealer. I'll be grounded for a while anyways because the in-laws are coming. What are the chances that the dealer will loan me their demo 1199 while mine is being worked on?

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Reggie,
You are very close to the spot where Ducati is having an issue. The oil filter cover is just below the flywheel stator/gen cover. See the diagram below. My findings were that the oil is very mobile due to air flow through the fairing allowing deposits on multiple surfaces, indicating that the oil is not just pooling. The findings so far are that a small crack is developing in these covers (part#3 in the diagram and circled on the naked panigale). Under pressure of the oil pump, oil is being pressed out of the crack. I have not seen this crack but it might explain why the dealer was unable to seal my cover. Doesn't really fit to well in my eyes but neither did my fuel pump so I must accept it to some degree. See the diagram and look to see if you have a little more significant buildups in those regions. Thanks for checking and with enough pressure, we will get a fix once and for all.

leak at oil filter cover

mavic said:

Reggie,
You are very close to the spot where Ducati is having an issue. The oil filter cover is just below the flywheel stator/gen cover. See the diagram below. My findings were that the oil is very mobile due to air flow through the fairing allowing deposits on multiple surfaces, indicating that the oil is not just pooling. The findings so far are that a small crack is developing in these covers (part#3 in the diagram and circled on the naked panigale). Under pressure of the oil pump, oil is being pressed out of the crack. I have not seen this crack but it might explain why the dealer was unable to seal my cover. Doesn't really fit to well in my eyes but neither did my fuel pump so I must accept it to some degree. See the diagram and look to see if you have a little more significant buildups in those regions. Thanks for checking and with enough pressure, we will get a fix once and for all.

Click to expand...

Mavic,

Thanks for the info. Yes I do have a small amount of oil seeping from the oil filter cover. Its not dripping and hitting the ground but I imagine that under pressure its coming out and getting underneath my exhaust just like in your pics. Whats weird is I am also seeing oil above the flywheel cover on the engine directly below the radiator hose clamp. I cant confirm exactly where that oil is coming from but because the bike leans left on the side-stand, the oil slides down the flywheel cover and then hangs from underneath it. I could be wrong but I think I have two leaks, one from the oil filter cover and another somewhere above the flywheel cover.

Reggie1199 said:

Mavic,

Thanks for the info. Yes I do have a small amount of oil seeping from the oil filter cover. Its not dripping and hitting the ground but I imagine that under pressure its coming out and getting underneath my exhaust just like in your pics. Whats weird is I am also seeing oil above the flywheel cover on the engine directly below the radiator hose clamp. I cant confirm exactly where that oil is coming from but because the bike leans left on the side-stand, the oil slides down the flywheel cover and then hangs from underneath it. I could be wrong but I think I have two leaks, one from the oil filter cover and another somewhere above the flywheel cover.

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Reggie,
You may be right. The one thing that was odd to me was the oil had collected in the recess on the cover itself. That is the only place that it might develop a hairline crack due to the stress from what appears to be a mechanically stamped part. If the material is too thin initially, the press will further thin the material and apply stresses that could result in the leak. I thought the oil spread/movement was just due to the air forces in the fairing. Since I do not have a bike right now. How about you do an experiment for me..... Please....

Clean off all of the oil. Use a degreaser to ensure no residue remains on the surfaces to recombine due to heating.

Start the bike and bring it to operational temperature without riding it.
Make sure it isn't 6:30 in the morning or past 10pm at night. aka Neighbor complaints.... (See Noise Complaints Post)

Let the bike sit overnight and see where you find oil the next morning. If it is leaking from the other area, oil should appear to seep from the location and you can trace the oil trail back to the source. If you have a rear stand, that is even more beneficial as you pointed out the lean creates some abiguity.

Thanks Again,
Victor

I think when I get mine back I may go ride it around hard and take the fairings off at the end of the day every day and see if there is any leak. That way we'll know for sure if it is happening much quicker under pressure, which I imagine it would