1299 Cataclysmic Thermostat Failure - Anyone Seen Anything Like This Before ?

I can imagine the manufacturer would be interested in seeing that

 

The poor quality of that plastic is akin to the crap Citroen used to produce in the 90’s

 

Probably made by the same company that made the plastic coolant manifolds that used to fail on the early RSV4s.

 

This happened to me recently! Exactly the same thing! Rediculous design! As you say the part has been superseded!

 

Looking at the design, the pin is what keeps the t stat seated. using a plastic housing with no load bearing surface.
this was just waiting to happen.
Unless Ducati have modified the original design, this will happen again.
Take it to a dealer, and E mail Ducati UK, there may have been a recall for this fault.
Also might be worth asking for a new housing as a goodwill gesture, for a crap piece of design.

 

yes, crazy - a "before" shot below.

 

Yeah seems quite strange they decided to have the pin rest on thin plastic like that. I might enquire to find out what changes were made to the updated thermostat! It’s interesting this happened on a recent track day where the temps were very warm. And the bike was running at 102c. It never went above that though. And it appears that as it gets hotter the thermostat extends as designed to close off the passage to allow all the coolant to run through the radiator fully. My theory is when it gets too hot the thermostat just keeps applying more pressure where that pin is seated and just pushes through the casing. When I boiled the thermostat in hot water to test it near 100c it actually shot the pin out!

 

Yep, mine did that as well. Ducati UK were gracious enough to cover the cost of the part itself, but I had to cover Labour costs.. (£400)

 

Jesus £400 labour!!?? I replaced mine with a second hand one off eBay for £50. Only took me an hour to do. It’s all fine now. But seeing as the part number has been superseded I may buy the newer upgraded item to hopefully prevent it again and fit it some time in the future!

 

Yeah, it wasn't cheap. I'm not overtly mechanical minded. I can do the minor things like changing the battery, brake pads etc. But big jobs like that, I'm useless at.

 

I suppose it’s a bit of a faff taking the fairings off but you can remove that unit without removing the airbox/frame. I’d imagine it would take 2.0 hours max labour including refilling the cooling system afterwards. I don’t miss ducati service costs since I decided to track my bike full time and do all the servicing! There’s even very good diagnostic software for them these days!

 

In all honesty, I was so SO close to trading the 1299 in for the new S1000RR, but after a few weekends riding it, it reminded me why I love it so much & put up with its little issues/quirks. I think more than anything, this bike has taught me more about maintenance and care than my previous Kawasaki.

 

Yeah if they are looked after they are reliable! I think the engine is very strong tbh! I’ve had quite few track miles on mine (17000+) and with regular maintenance like valve inspections they are reliable!

 

I've had a coolant leak for a few weeks while being stood in the garage. Saw this thread and had a proper look.
Exact same issue! Surely this must be a manufacturing fault. My bike has only done 5000 miles and can't be classed as wear and tear.

 

It's worth an email to Ducati, asking about recall, replacement part no, etc

 

Ducati do use plastic items for stuff that imo shouldn’t be plastic.

i remember having the engine covers off of mine and seeing the plastic cogs

 

This is an obvious potential cause for concern, if your bike is at risk.
Does anyone have the original part number? If its 55320121A , it appears to have been fitted to a number of other Panigale models! Also, it would be useful to know the revised part number if one has been issued?
Thanks in advance, and I think Ducati should consider helping with the repair cost of bikes affected by what appears to be a clear design weakness.

Edit:
I've found this part number for a "Squirter Unit" that is fitted to a number of Panigales: 55320122A, but no details of the changes made so far.

 

Has anyone asked their dealer about recall notices, substitute part, etc? Seems like a big enough issue to me.