Has anyone had experience of riding through deep water on a v4 multi as i would like to know what is considered "safe depth". The only reason i ask is that i was in south west ireland recently on an isolated single road "tarmac with grass in middle of road type track" called the black valley and right in the middle of storm Amy and found myself in the position of not being able to back track and only progress forward through the deep flooded track. I had no idea of how deep it was going to get and did not like the thought of being stuck there overnight so had to risk everything and plough forward. It got up to around 1ft and well over front calipers but coped fine in 1st gear , so just wandering how deep these bikes could go if really pushed ??. ps, if anyone is planning a trip on the WAW south west ireland, let me know because i found many superb and much less well known routes in this area which i can send some gpx files for
In theory you can go as deep as the air intake, it mustn't suck in water obviously, hence Land Rover green lane heroes fitting snorkels to go through small puddles, and don't roll off the throttle if the exhaust exit is under water. Everything thing else should be fine, they get washed and survive
So in theory , if the air box is just next to the ignition button ( i think ? ) , then if i feel water around my "plum line" or "crown jewels" line if sitting on the saddle , then its out with the speedos ! This would mean the whole engine is covered with water inc spark plugs and would still work ??
Deep water , 250 Honda with the air box at tank level . Das Boot. 24k of Ducati , for me , a hose pipe and a wash bucket will be closest to a water crossing , tools for the trade and all that lol
You’ll be absolutely fine. I got caught out on France a couple of years ago on my V4PP, the roads were all shut but I needed to get going, it was nearly up to my knees at one point.
Is there no schematics or service manuals showing how the air intake looks? With that would be a bit easier to work out location, and wade line height.
Doesn't the frame act as the air box? In which case I would say higher than the base of the headstock and it will cause a big problem.
Beware the bow wave , taken many a bike down to Davey Jones Locker. I feel top of the wheels no more , I would rather flood an enduro bike , way cheaper and built for it.
yes, i did have that thought originally but as it does not mention anything in the large ducati manual or in sales literature i guess ducati dont want to commit to any figures based on leaving themselves open to claims etc etc. Anyway the comments so far have suprised me with how deep the bike "possibly" go through . Hopefully i will never have to find out ! One thing for sure, when the water is above front brake caliper height , you lose all sight of where the edges of the road are and where the ditch begins , so maybe whilst the bike can take seat height water, you are more likley to unknowingy drive off the road and then you are done for.
Yeah it's all contextual isn't it. If you see flooded fields, road included, and it spans for miles, satnav shows lot's of bends, and not a single tree out there to signify the road shape, probably best not to go... Having a local spill, half meter depth, and road lined up with bushes or other significant features, why not go. If unsure the dept, you can wait for a car to go through it before you commit to anything you'd regret.
