[Ray Gun]

My tire huger failed on the highway and almost fcuking killed me. I was doing 163kph last time I looked down!
Lucky for me I saw break lights up ahead ... so I shifted down in to 5th / then 4th ... AND THEN BANG!
The tire huger had snapped from the front fixing and the second bolt could not take the load ... it held for as long as it could but then ... SLAM! The huger went into my swing arm and grabbed my Pirelli tire and locked the fcucking rear wheel!

The damage to the bike and the vids

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It is not fun doing around 100kph with your rear end flapping in the wind on the highway.
The Mumbai, Pune, highway is notorious for deaths that involve an internal combustion engine!!!

I could have laid it down and gone under a coach or a truck (as has happened on many occasions up there).
Then I find out from the dealer (I will not say which one) that the technician didn't want to fit the huger to my bike because he knew of 4 that had failed in India already and it was not safe!
So my bike is now the 5th in India that has gone side ways ... and there are ONLY 5 Ducati, dealers in India, so one per deanship then in just under 2 years of Ducati, having a presence in India.

My bike was delivered with a tail tidy ... because those huger arms look disgusting (I thought the Italians had style and panache).
But the tail tidy was NOT fitted correctly (the technician again voiced his concerns and was told to STFU!) so it also got sucked into the rear wheel and was trashed. That just fucked up a 100 Euro tail tidy though ... and made zero claim on my life.
So the only reason that the huger was on my bike was fcuking incompetence. I do NOT blame Ducati, for this part of the saga TII (this is India).

Oh, did I mention that I had to push the bike (all 196 kg of it) approx 2km to where it was safe to put it on the stand and take a video!? I was wearing a Black flight suit / Black HJC is max II / full knox body armor and RST track-tech evo boost (all Black) so to say I was sweating a bit would not even begin to cover it!
'Ducati India' knew about this the very next day ... did I get one email or phone call telling me that they would make this right!?
NO I FCUKING DIDN'T !!!

The only reason they decided to close this so fast was when they found out that my mother in laws eldest brother is a minister in the BJP (government of India).
They shat them selves and said all the damage parts on my bike were being sorted. They are sending a new swing arm / rear wheel / Pirelli tire / seat and huger arm (that will sit BRAND NEW in my spares box!).

So some people in India think life is cheap ... I AM NOT ONE OF THEM (especially when it is mine).
Thus having heard this is not the first time this has happened I decided to become "Sherlock Holmes" and do some digging ...
I have found 3 guys in Australia who have had the huger snap ... 4 in Singapore ... 1 in Malaysia and 5 in India.
Now, I am no math wiz but I have only just started looking into this and I am convinced that the numbers will become BIG enough for me to put a LEGAL case on Ducati, for NOT DOING A RECALL!

Is there anyone else out there who has seen this issues with the tire huger from the scrambler?
This is the 'Ducati scrambler' forum so I thought I would say how concerned I am with this saga ...
A saga that is still ongoing!

AND IF THE MODS ON THIS FORUM DELETE THIS THREAD YOU WILL JUST MAKE MORE ANGRY THAN i ALREADY AM ... THAT WILL NOT WORK OUT WELL FOR DUCATI! TRUST ME!

 

[Max Kool]

Wow, was this an original Ducati aftermarket part?

 

[Ray Gun]

It is what came with the bike from Ducati, as STOCK bruv!
I put the custom tail tidy that is now on there myself. I have a thing about STAYING ALIVE I am a bit weird like that!

 

[Max Kool]

Ah, dang! That's bad!

 

[Ray Gun]

What are you saying? Did your scrambler NOT come with a tire huger from the dealer !?!?

BAD!?

It will be for Ducati India (and internationally) ...
One of my fiends is in marketing and advertising! I can have these vids and pics sent to 100,000 people (who will all be asked to FWD it) in the first wave of social media justice. I will open the gates of Hades and unleash the BEASTS ...

Do I look like the sort of man who plays games to you ???

 

[Max Kool]

I orderen a Desert Sled, which does not have that hugger license plate thingy...

 

[Ray Gun]

Oh, ok ... you got this ...

Are you spending a LOT of time off road then? I see you are from the US (you called it a license plate) ... what state?

What exhaust is that on there? It is NOT a Termignoni (although it pretending to be).
I hated all the models they put out TBH (personal taste and all that) so I took a Red Icon and stripped it down to the frame / engine and then put what I wanted on there.
I am just waiting for my BST carbon fiber 5 spoke mags to get here from London ... I will have the ceramic bearings and the satin powder coat to match my tank.
Also I hate the so called tail tidy the are putting on this sled! Again personal taste ... I am sure you dig it.
For me a tail tidy has to be TIDY

 

[greer]

Glad you are OK, Ray Gun, and thanks for the head's up.

Sarah

 

[Ray Gun]

Sarah, you can call me Ray!
And thanks for the kind words ...

 

[ScramblinGraham]

Glad i took mine off on day 3.

 

[rider]

Yep, a Gorillas arm simply bolted on with two small bolts to the swing arm.

Adds excessive mass to the un-sprung mass of the rear end, not that good for handling.

Corrugations and road bumps are transmitted via a lot of leverage to the end of the arm, hence, goodbye bolts and Gorillas Arm,,,

As ScamblinGrahame says, gone ASAP is the best option.

Good luck with Ducati and a resolution.

 

[Max Kool]

Oh, ok ... you got this ...

Are you spending a LOT of time off road then? I see you are from the US (you called it a license plate) ... what state?

What exhaust is that on there? It is NOT a Termignoni (although it pretending to be).
I hated all the models they put out TBH (personal taste and all that) so I took a Red Icon and stripped it down to the frame / engine and then put what I wanted on there.
I am just waiting for my BST carbon fiber 5 spoke mags to get here from London ... I will have the ceramic bearings and the satin powder coat to match my tank.
Also I hate the so called tail tidy the are putting on this sled! Again personal taste ... I am sure you dig it.
For me a tail tidy has to be TIDY

I live on the West side of LA, not much offroad here unless you head into the desert. But to be honest, I don't mind that. I've been riding everything from Africa Twin, BMW GS, XR600 to DR650 and BMW XChallenge in the past 20 years. Did a few rallies and lots of offroad riding in Europe. I know my limitations and I'm not taking the Sled really "offroad". Think more like traveling, canyon carving, and desert gravel roads. The same how I'd use an Africa Twin.

About that exhaust, honestly I don't know (and neither do you unless you have seen the Sled in the flesh). Look at the new Cafe Racer and the Desert Sled side by side, and apart from a different heat shield, they are the same. Well, time will tell. Even the spotwelds on the underside are the same.

I don't consider the EVO a real Termi anyway. It is very much an OEM exhaust (shape, cat). But hey, Ducati doesn't make they own exhausts I think, all outsourced. It looks the bizz though on the Sled, I'm keeping it.

And yes, that license plate bracket has got to go, I hate it as much as you do.... will most likely end up looking like this:

 

[ScramblinGraham]

I live on the West side of LA, not much offroad here unless you head into the desert. But to be honest, I don't mind that. I've been riding everything from Africa Twin, BMW GS, XR600 to DR650 and BMW XChallenge in the past 20 years. Did a few rallies and lots of offroad riding in Europe. I know my limitations and I'm not taking the Sled really "offroad". Think more like traveling, canyon carving, and desert gravel roads. The same how I'd use an Africa Twin.

About that exhaust, honestly I don't know (and neither do you unless you have seen the Sled in the flesh). Look at the new Cafe Racer and the Desert Sled side by side, and apart from a different heat shield, they are the same. Well, time will tell. Even the spotwelds on the underside are the same.

I don't consider the EVO a real Termi anyway. It is very much an OEM exhaust (shape, cat). But hey, Ducati doesn't make they own exhausts I think, all outsourced. It looks the bizz though on the Sled, I'm keeping it.

And yes, that license plate bracket has got to go, I hate it as much as you do.... will most likely end up looking like this:

I wanted a Desert Sled but I'm impatient so i bought a UE in November. Got a couple of rides in and now its sitting in the garage till spring

 

[Airsafari87]

Red Bull

Try drinking less of it.

 

[Ray Gun]

What country are you in?

I live on the West side of LA, not much offroad here unless you head into the desert. But to be honest, I don't mind that. I've been riding everything from Africa Twin, BMW GS, XR600 to DR650 and BMW XChallenge in the past 20 years. Did a few rallies and lots of offroad riding in Europe. I know my limitations and I'm not taking the Sled really "offroad". Think more like traveling, canyon carving, and desert gravel roads. The same how I'd use an Africa Twin.

About that exhaust, honestly I don't know (and neither do you unless you have seen the Sled in the flesh). Look at the new Cafe Racer and the Desert Sled side by side, and apart from a different heat shield, they are the same. Well, time will tell. Even the spotwelds on the underside are the same.

I don't consider the EVO a real Termi anyway. It is very much an OEM exhaust (shape, cat). But hey, Ducati doesn't make they own exhausts I think, all outsourced. It looks the bizz though on the Sled, I'm keeping it.

And yes, that license plate bracket has got to go, I hate it as much as you do.... will most likely end up looking like this:

I am not sure what exhaust that is on the sled ... but the price of the bike tells me that it is not any of these ...

The stock exhaust that came with my bike was fcuking shite! It made the engine sound like a KTM 390 Duke!!!
So I switched it out for the most aggressive sounding 'Super-Moto' track exhaust I could find which was the crt by SC project.
Al of this is personal preference. Some people like the Akrapoivc ... I think it sounds lame! Just like women we all have our own thin, right!?

The tail tidy in that pic is SWEET!
Good choice. In my world I want the people behind me (almost everyone) to see that PHAT rear tire / the Ducati logo on the rear of the seat and a clean and well lubed chain.

If you were going OFF road you would not want to take this Ducati, anyway ... 800cc is 200cc over what displacement you would want and close to 200kg is not the best choice either!
I am looking at the Monster 1200 s as my next Ducati ... Which is a pure bred street fighter with all the GRUNT you would ever want on the roads I am taking it on.

We have hills like this all around where my house is now (I moved into my house in Pune) only my main office is in Mumbai.

If you are in my world the KTM 1290 super Duke has stopping issues but I want to stay V-twin so the Monster 1200 s is the obvious choice.

Watch from 8min 22 to see how shit the KTM is when you need to stop in a hurry!

 

[Ray Gun]

Yep, a Gorillas arm simply bolted on with two small bolts to the swing arm.

Adds excessive mass to the un-sprung mass of the rear end, not that good for handling.

Corrugations and road bumps are transmitted via a lot of leverage to the end of the arm, hence, goodbye bolts and Gorillas Arm,,,

As ScamblinGrahame says, gone ASAP is the best option.

Good luck with Ducati and a resolution.

Ducati, closed the issue the second they heard who my family are and the sort of noise we can make!
They are shipping all the new parts to my dealer and they will be here / fitted in January. That is a new swing arm / seat / rear wheel / new Pirelli tire and a new huger arm which will go in the spares box ... and then be examined to structural integrity.

For me that is NOT the issue!

The issue is that they are still selling these bikes knowing full well that this part failure will KILL SOMEONE SOON. I am [edit] disgusted that a brand with such a thoroughbred history is treating it's customers like this!!!
Once I prove what I now know this will get messy for Ducati , in India ... they are looking to survive the systemic Italian banking failure and subsequent crash of the Italian economy by building an assembly plant in India (New Delhi) and capturing the MASSIVE Indian disposable income of our middle and upper class (tier 1 and 2) but once Mr Modi, finds out they are risking Indian lives by trying to cut corners the company will be BANNED from trading in India!

What you have said regarding the laws of physics and gravity in relation to the huger is 100% on the money!
WTF!?!?
Why would you use a metal part when epoxy resin would suffice? [edited]
When Glock, are making the Glock 23 / .9mm from epoxy resin / polymer ... that can stand the load delivered from a 115grn jacketed hollow point ... can someone explain to me why the Italians are NOT aware of this technology but in Austria it is common [edited] knowledge?
Gee, I wonder why the Lamborghini, became such a derivable car when the Germans (Audi) started making them ... PFFFTTT

I will buy the Monster 1200 s but it will have a 'tail tidy' that I have custom made for it!

 

[Max Kool]

I'm in California, United States.

 

[Ray Gun]

I just got sent this via email ...

 

[Doc59]

Ray Gun, what happened with the rear bolt (just above the axle) on your hugger? Thread and bolt look alright in your pictures so how did you not lose it too or wasn't it fitted at the time? Just curious if this could have been a fitment problem.

 

[Ray Gun]

Ray Gun, what happened with the rear bolt (just above the axle) on your hugger? Thread and bolt look alright in your pictures so how did you not lose it too or wasn't it fitted at the time? Just curious if this could have been a fitment problem.

That (the bolt) was still attached to the swing arm because the huger snapped ... the second bolt sheered off and is still in the swing arm if you look at the second video where I am explaining the damage ...

Those pics were taken at the dealership.
When I was picked up from the highway that bolt was removed from the swing arm to be examined ...
Look at the pics again bruv! You can see the huger arm snapped at the front.