If you are the lucky owner of a Ducati 1299 Superleggera, then you should pay attention to this recall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as it pertains to all 97 of these bikes that are in the USA.
The recall comes from an issue with the brake pads, which may see the brake pad’s friction material detaching from the brake pad’s back plate. This can happen specifically, but not exclusively, for motorcycles that have been operated in corrosive environments.
According to the recall documents, if this occurs, the distance between the braking plate and brake disk cannot be balanced with a single action on the brake master cylinder, rendering the brake pad ineffective and defective. Accordingly, potentially defective pads can increase vehicle stopping distances.
The brake pad manufacturer has advised that the root cause is linked to the following factors: (i) a high concentration of Nickel in the compound does not favor the sintering process on the backing plate, and consequently causes a reduction of the adhesive area percentage; (ii) a high porosity of the compound that allows infiltration of salt and water at the interface between the compound and backing plate; and (iii) micro-fractures on the backing plate copper surface, which promotes the penetration of salt and water.
As a result, the level of corrosion of front brake pads is higher than the maximum acceptable standard. This may result in high corrosion of the front brake pads and as a consequence, the detachment from the backing plate during vehicle use, specifically in corrosive environment.
It should be noted that no defect reports have been submitted to Ducati, either from the customer network or internally from the factory. Also, Ducati has never received customer complaints, reports of crashes, or reports of injuries. Instead, this recall comes on advisement from Brembo, the maker of the brake pads.
To remedy the issue, Ducati will notify affected owners, and Ducati dealers will replace the front brake pads, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin June 20, 2020.
Concerned Ducati 1299 Superleggera owners may contact Ducati customer service at 1-888-391-5446. Ducati’s number for this recall is SRV-RCL-20-001. As always, the NHTSA is also available at 1-888-327-4236 and safercar.gov.
Source: NHTSA
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