Very serious question

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If your dealer wont do anything I'm pretty sure that Fire Insurance will cover that damage. I asked my insurance broker when I added Fire and Theft insurance on my bike if the garage I store the bike in caught on fire would I be covered. She said no thats house insurance. I said so the bike has to catch itself on fire without being in an accident...like just sitting there alone and bursting into flames...she kind of paused and then said yes. I started laughing and said how would that happen???...

Now I see how!!!...Sorry bro about your issue...nothings worse than a new toy all messed up...Hope you get it sorted!!!
 
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...
 
elitesoldier357 said:
Ok. Here is what happened.

I went and had my first service yesterday. Oil service, no big deal... right? Unless someone ..... it up. Which is exactly what happened. Took it to the dealer, had the first service done. They did the oil and stuff, did their checks, took it for a test ride. Came back, put it back on the stands????????? I said "Why you guys putting it back on the stands?" He said, "Oh, I think he spilled a little oil on the pipes and stuff and he's blowing it off" I asked "Should I be concerned?" He said, "No, He'll have you out of here in just a minute"... Rode 50 miles to my house, let the bike sit overnight, noticed a little bit of smoke coming up from underneath the bike, no biggie, probably just a little oil still burning. Took it out today to go meet my friend to go for a ride, was coming through the backroads back up to my house when I noticed I lost half my engine power after a little while of riding, pulled over, bike was smoking from underneath and it sounded like only one cylinder was firing. So we were attempting to take it back to his house which was a much shorter distance away and just go easy on it. He rode the bike because he is a motorcycle tech and wanted to check a few things out, we came to a stop, I noticed a lot of smoke coming up from underneath now, I told him to pull over to the corner. He got off the bike and left it running and thats when my bike burst flames up from underneath where the two exhausts meet. I told him "SHUT IT OFF, SHUT IT OFF!!!" The fire was gradually getting larger, we threw dirt on it because neither of us had water, we got some water from people nearby shortly after my fairing caught fire. Luckily we put it out before the plastic started to go up, that would have made it very difficult to put out. We called the police and had them make a report. Got my bike towed to a place nearby. Now I have to take it back over to the dealer to look at to see what the problem was. Even though I believe I already know what the problem was but I need a mechanic to tell me logically how this works... The oil that spilled underneath my bike onto whatever it got on, stayed there, and the smoke I started seeing gradually growing over each time I stopped was actually the oil that was pilled on whatever... anyways, the oil that was burning underneath intensified enough to heat up a gasket or some other material to cause damage to the internal lower cylinder, from there it got even hotter and eventually caught fire. I am almost 100% sure this is exactly what happened. Whatever oil they got it on near the oil filter caused smoke, enough so that when they did their test ride, it caused them to come back and try to blow some of it off. Possibly a crossthreaded oil filter? Either way, when I stopped there was no oil leak, but riding the oil pressure increased and the heat from what it was still on caused the fire as well. Please help with any advice! I am sure that it was a mistake that was made during the oil service, there is no way it was a coincidence that it just so happened to have an oil fire the DAY AFTER THE SERVICE. I want the Tech's ... fired. This could have been much worse... especially if it had happened going down the highway with 70 mph winds igniting the flames. Bike is covered under warranty, but I want more than just them fixing or replacing the bike. I AM FURIOUS AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE. Not sure exactly what to do but maybe take it over to the other Ducati dealer and get a second opinion and statement on what happened, cause the other dealer really doesnt give a .... about the other one, so if they find it was the Tech's fault, they're gonna make a report and have him fired for sure. These guys could easily be looking at a lawsuit. Neglect for proper maintenance resulting in damage to the machine and almost causing mine or my friends injury. What would you do if this happened to you? Is the big question.
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Firstly. I would learn to use paragraphs. That would make it much easier for the intended audience to read.

Second. I would have a chat to dealer and attempt to ascertain the facts, before ranting on a public forum with speculation and assumptions.

Third. This would depend on what the dealerships response was.

Seriously dude, if you were truly an "elite soldier" as your handle suggests, you would know to gather as much information as possible before formulating a conclusion or solution.

I feel bad for you that this has happend and whilst I would be both disturbed and upset if this were my pride and joy. I would have definitely approached the dealership first before ranting on a public forum.
It doesn't really matter how it happened or who's fault it is, so long as a suitable solution is found. Just remember... To err is to be human.

PS. Being the clever troopers that you guys are, I do like the following line..

"we threw dirt on it because neither of us had water, we got some water from people nearby shortly after my fairing caught fire"

Since when was it a good idea to put out an oil or petrol fire with water??:eek::eek:
J/ks I guess in the "heat" of the moment you weren't really thinking straight.
 
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^^ Is it just me or is this guy a complete .........? ^^
I'll post what I want. Shut the .... up and mind your own business. And the water worked btw, shows how much you know about something as simple as putting out a fire. Its called SMOTHERING a fire, you can smother almost any fire if you have enough water, imagine throwing a burnt tire into a lake and shoving it under water, CEM 101 ........ And I can make assumptions because my oil filter WAS installed wrong. Which leads me to believe that the OIL FIRE may have been caused by a ...... install of an OIL FILTER. Wise one...
 
Let me ask you something... What would you think if you saw a tech blowing off oil off your bike before he gave it back to you after he did his test ride, then the next day you had an oil fire? Would that not raise suspicion? And after the fire happened you noticed that your filter is not installed properly... how bout that?
 
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Well I hope this comes with a better ending than this blog is heading...

** To all owners: Don't forget, everyone received 100% Ducati towing with your warranty. My dealer reminded me that I should put the number in my cell phone.

Also not to stress you out more than you already are, but you did bring it to a forum and ask for help from the Ducatistas. So for this remember you're going to get responses from every angle, even those you aren't going to agree with. Take a moment and start reading from the top in a third persons point of view and you'll see nobody here is attacking you. There is no one here that is happy of what you are going through.
Good luck.
 
gman74 said:
Well I hope this comes with a better ending than this blog is heading...

** To all owners: Don't forget, everyone received 100% Ducati towing with your warranty. My dealer reminded me that I should put the number in my cell phone.

Also not to stress you out more than you already are, but you did bring it to a forum and ask for help from the Ducatistas. So for this remember you're going to get responses from every angle, even those you aren't going to agree with. Take a moment and start reading from the top in a third persons point of view and you'll see nobody here is attacking you. There is no one here that is happy of what you are going through.
Good luck.
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Least someone understands. Took getting shot at and blown up overseas to earn the almost $20,000 to pay for this bike. It's more than just a bike to me.
 
littlejohn said:
Firstly. I would learn to use paragraphs. That would make it much easier for the intended audience to read.

Second. I would have a chat to dealer and attempt to ascertain the facts, before ranting on a public forum with speculation and assumptions.

Third. This would depend on what the dealerships response was.

Seriously dude, if you were truly an "elite soldier" as your handle suggests, you would know to gather as much information as possible before formulating a conclusion or solution.

I feel bad for you that this has happend and whilst I would be both disturbed and upset if this were my pride and joy. I would have definitely approached the dealership first before ranting on a public forum.
It doesn't really matter how it happened or who's fault it is, so long as a suitable solution is found. Just remember... To err is to be human.

PS. Being the clever troopers that you guys are, I do like the following line..

"we threw dirt on it because neither of us had water, we got some water from people nearby shortly after my fairing caught fire"

Since when was it a good idea to put out an oil or petrol fire with water??:eek::eek:
J/ks I guess in the "heat" of the moment you weren't really thinking straight.
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Sorry to say but i completely agree with him. It would seem your first response is to sue the person instead of finding out what might of happened.

I also loved the fact you said you let your friend ride the bike due to him having more mechanical knowledge. Mmmm pretty sure anyone that see's smoke coming from the bike is going to stop and call the dealer not continue to ride the thing till it catches on fire.

I do feel sorry for you as well and imagine how pissed you are but your first response shouldn't be OMG fire the tech!
 
Oh Im sorry, I forgot that a bike catching fire while you are riding it isn't a big deal... Especially if It would have happened earlier that day riding down the highway with 70 mph winds. I could have easily been killed or had major burns. Luck was the only factor that kept me or him alive that day. This is kind of a big deal. And it didnt happen as slowly as it may seem, there was a lot of smoke, seconds later there was a fire, that fast. This is a very serious incident people. And I will treat it as such, also... since I forked over $20,000 cash and I have had only two weeks with the bike, I have every right to be pissed. If you had an oil change in your car and the next day you put all your kids in it, went in the store to pick up your prescription or whatever and came back out to find your car and kids inside on fire, who would you be asking the immediate questions to? The tech who did your oil change? Or would you think of it as a coincidence? This is the most extreme of circumstances, but this HAS happened in real life before, and may give you some insight on how serious this could have been. I'll give you facts: I took it in to have the oil service done and after his test ride the tech put the bike back on the stands to "blow off some oil", 50 to 60 miles later I had an oil fire that definitely originated from the oil filter that was not entirely sealed. Sum things up for you? You can look at it and judge it whatever way you want, but these are the facts. End of discussion.
 
EDWARDS_FIRE_1-full.jpg
 
RSR racer said:
With all due respect, this being my first post response here; I noted your previous thread "this thing is stupid fast".... That's a lot of "street racing" as you claimed. Might all of that racing prior to first oil change and during brake in period which is not to exceed 6000 rpms bave had an impact on the function of your bike regardless of the oil spill? You may have grenades that cylinder for all you know... I'd not let the dealership know of your special activities prior to first oil change. Loss of compression may have been occurring progressively and the dealer may bave finalized any structural damage in his test ride, thus the need for a oil clean up.

Just another angle of thought on this.

Hope everything works out.
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RSR racer said:
If The ECU records any data at all, such as revs and oil pressure, the read outs will probably confirm this if it turns out to be the case. might want to look into this prior to going in and accusing the tech of any wrong doing.
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This method is garbage and will likely lead to poorly sealed rings (ie the smoking issue, never had it as the bike is being broken in properly), and would not have led to this unless there was a manufacturing fault. The ECU etc does NOT record data. I verified this at my dealer and at Boulder Motosports during my first service with their diagnostic computer. It does get hot enough in there, looks like sloppy service which led to the fire. I would recommend that in the future unless you're doing warranty work, don't take it to the dealer. Hit up your local Ducati race or specialty shop; or do it yourself. I simply brought it in because I didn't have filters and I don't have the diagnostic computer. Those guys actually care and want to see that you are taken care of. My guys even let me walk around the shop, touch stuff, ask questions, AND work on the bike with him.

On a side note, please stop throwing around that you serve in order to try and gain credibility. "Silent professional" really does mean something, and you're not doing myself or any other service members any favors. Regardless, thank you for serving as well.
 
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TransNone13 said:
This method is garbage and will likely lead to poorly sealed rings (ie the smoking issue, never had it as the bike is being broken in properly), and would not have led to this unless there was a manufacturing fault. The ECU etc does NOT record data. I verified this at my dealer and at Boulder Motosports during my first service with their diagnostic computer. It does get hot enough in there, looks like sloppy service which led to the fire. I would recommend that in the future unless you're doing warranty work, don't take it to the dealer. Hit up your local Ducati race or specialty shop; or do it yourself. I simply brought it in because I didn't have filters and I don't have the diagnostic computer. Those guys actually care and want to see that you are taken care of. My guys even let me walk around the shop, touch stuff, ask questions, AND work on the bike with him.

On a side note, please stop throwing around that you serve in order to try and gain credibility. "Silent professional" really does mean something, and you're not doing myself or any other service members any favors. Regardless, thank you for serving as well.
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You and I both know that earning money working stateside at a regular job is nothing like being overseas and getting shot at and watching your friends lose limbs and others their life. So yeah, considering most of my money from my deployment went into this bike, it is more sentimental to me than anything. I dont do it to gain credibility. I say that we both were in the military and avoided the fire situation well because we are both used to danger, read between the lines brother.

On a side note, please stop throwing around that you have a better dealer than anyone else in order to gain credibility. I wouldn't go around saying the dealers name and that you can go walking around their maintenance bay as you please. After all "Loose lips, sink ships" you're not doing myself or any other riders any favors. Thank you for riding as well.
 
I'm just going to make a few corrections and give into your forum trolling. I did happen to omit the dealer's name. Boulder Motorsports is a race shop that sponsors Ducati Race teams. I was merely trying to assert politely that no one really cares what you did or saw, it's not comprehensible and we shouldn't be there anyway. I also wanted to point out third party shops are vastly superior in quality and customer service 9 out of 10 ten times. You should have taken some of that money you saved to learn about motorcycles and riding. You could have serviced it yourself, taken it to a reputable dealer, or simply QA/QC'd it after your service. I'm sure you are like 90% of military sportbike riders and squid it out and really know nothing about riding or motorcycle maintenance. Soldier's bikes are often the most poorly maintained bikes on the road. I cringe at the time for POV inspections on my soldiers' bikes.
 
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Hey man, when fired upon... fire back. You shot first. Second, I did my research on bikes and I know a little bit about mechanics from working on $1.6 million weapon systems. In turn, thats why I chose Ducati in the first place as my first and second bike. They're more mechanically sound (except in the case where someone screws up your oil change resulting in a fire), they've dominated 60% of the races in the SBK since 1988, they are narrow and suit my body style. Probably the #1 reason. And given that only one guy has touched me on my Panigale so far, I would take you up on a race any day of the week. Why dont you worry more about the way you ride, than the way others ride. I'm not a squid, and you're the one trolling on the forum. Have a nice day!
 

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