[GHUG]

This morning on my way to work I pushed my bike out of the garage and let it warm up without incident. Almost as soon as I started moving I noticed something strange in the steering. The bars felt like they didn't want to move from left to right and once they did they didn't want to move back to center without a decent amount of effort. It was bad enough I pulled over immediately and checked fork compression, tire pressure and turned the bars from side to side several times. The only thing that looked/felt strange was turning the bars side to side, was more difficult than normal.

The best way I can relate it is similar to a bad bicycle headset when the bearings are indexed, so the bar stop at weird locations because the balls fall into a groove.

I continued on to work and was just very cautious anytime I needed to turn the bars at low speed. When I parked the bike and went to put the bar lock on, the key would not turn past the off position. I wiggled the bars back and forth, jiggled the key, pushed/pulled, everything I could think of and eventually just left it without locking.

It seems to me they must be related. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Unfortunately the dealer is closed today so I can't get any support. Is it safe to drive home?

If it matters, this is on a garage kept '15 Classic with just over 2000 miles.

Thanks!

 

[Armo]

This morning on my way to work I pushed my bike out of the garage and let it warm up without incident. Almost as soon as I started moving I noticed something strange in the steering. The bars felt like they didn't want to move from left to right and once they did they didn't want to move back to center without a decent amount of effort. It was bad enough I pulled over immediately and checked fork compression, tire pressure and turned the bars from side to side several times. The only thing that looked/felt strange was turning the bars side to side, was more difficult than normal.

The best way I can relate it is similar to a bad bicycle headset when the bearings are indexed, so the bar stop at weird locations because the balls fall into a groove.

I continued on to work and was just very cautious anytime I needed to turn the bars at low speed. When I parked the bike and went to put the bar lock on, the key would not turn past the off position. I wiggled the bars back and forth, jiggled the key, pushed/pulled, everything I could think of and eventually just left it without locking.

It seems to me they must be related. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Unfortunately the dealer is closed today so I can't get any support. Is it safe to drive home?

If it matters, this is on a garage kept '15 Classic with just over 2000 miles.

Thanks!

I'm sure joooosh had the same issue last year. Any others had issues with their ignition barrel?

 

[AJS]

It's just a thought but I think you may have already got it ,but the peg on the back of the ignition lock that is extended out when you lock your steering is catching on the lug that is welded to the frame behind the lock take a look see if the lug is scratched

 

[greer]

You make it home OK, Ghug? Post back and let us know, please. Our steering locks are evidently junk.

Sarah

 

[moonlighter]

You make it home OK, Ghug? Post back and let us know, please. Our steering locks are evidently junk.

Sarah

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Jackson]

Definitely good info here, will never use steering lock. Hopefully it can't happen if you don't use it.

 

[vincelp]

Hello

I'm using my steering lock every day, lots of time per day and I have no problem with it.
Maybe, when you don't use frequently, you may encounter problems when you do

 

[GHUG]

Sorry I stopped getting notified of new posts. Got the bike towed to my dealer last week. They found that the lock flange was somehow bent out of place and hitting the housing of the lock pin. The feeling I was getting was the metal build up of the scraping, and then the pin couldn't pop out due to the misalignment.

They think they fixed it by bending the flange back in place (they'll test drive it tomorrow). They have no clue how it happened, but bike is garage kept and no signs anyone was in there, they agreed it shows no indications it had been down, and it's parked at work where people have direct view of it all day. And from the outside you can see people sitting there looking at you, so I don't think it was messed with there (besides the problem seems to have begun after being in my garage).

Ducati is not going to honor the warranty on this as they don't see it as a defect. The repair's not that expensive but I don't know how it's my error and not a defect.

I also always use the lock, even in the garage.

Any thoughts? Should I push for warranty coverage?

Thanks,

Greg

 

[takeiteasy]

Sorry I stopped getting notified of new posts. Got the bike towed to my dealer last week. They found that the lock flange was somehow bent out of place and hitting the housing of the lock pin. The feeling I was getting was the metal build up of the scraping, and then the pin couldn't pop out due to the misalignment.

They think they fixed it by bending the flange back in place (they'll test drive it tomorrow). They have no clue how it happened, but bike is garage kept and no signs anyone was in there, they agreed it shows no indications it had been down, and it's parked at work where people have direct view of it all day. And from the outside you can see people sitting there looking at you, so I don't think it was messed with there (besides the problem seems to have begun after being in my garage).

Ducati is not going to honor the warranty on this as they don't see it as a defect. The repair's not that expensive but I don't know how it's my error and not a defect.

I also always use the lock, even in the garage.

Any thoughts? Should I push for warranty coverage?

Thanks,

Greg

Of course it is a defect & Ducati should honor the warranty.

 

[pfmtrumpy]

Yeah they should keep replacing it with another inferior part from the supply until either the warranty or the supply runs out....just like Triumph did with the Bonneville series brake discs...

 

[takeiteasy]

Yeah they should keep replacing it with another inferior part from the supply until either the warranty or the supply runs out....just like Triumph did with the Bonneville series brake discs...

 

[gcduc]

Oh man. They were some wild times on the forum when Ray Gun was in full swing just prior to Christmas. And incidentally, he never did respond when question about how he "took a Red Icon and stripped it down to the frame / engine and then put what I wanted on". If true, then it relieves Ducati of any responsibility as he rebuilt it from the ground up.

 

[Max Kool]

I don't think he could respond (forum ban afaik)