23E021 SRV-RCL-23-001 Right Side Bag May Contact Exhaust – Ducati Performance Desert X Soft Side Bags Kits

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March 16, 2023 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 23E021000

Right Side Bag May Contact Exhaust

A bag that contacts the motorcycle exhaust can burn and may catch fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E021

Manufacturer Ducati North America

Components EQUIPMENT

Potential Number of Units Affected 65

 

Summary

Ducati North America (Ducati) is recalling certain Ducati Performance Desert X Soft Side Bags Kits with part number 96781971AA, designed to fit 2023 DesertX motorcycles. The right-side bag may contact the exhaust during motorcycle use.

 

Remedy

As an interim action, dealers will provide owners updated assembly instructions. Once parts are available, dealers will install a new right-side bag frame. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 13, 2023. Second letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ducati customer service at 1-888-391-5446. Ducati’s number for this recall is SRV-RCL-23-001.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

 


CR248 – Ducati Performance soft panniers upgrade part no. 96781971AA

Safety Recall Campaign SRV-RCL-23-001

Ducati Performance Accessory part no. 96781971AA for DesertX MY23 (all country versions)

 

Dear Dealers,

As a result of ongoing quality inspections performed on the product being used, together with your reports on the model in question, a potential safety issue has emerged on the soft side panniers sold as Ducati Performance accessories with part no. 96781971AA. It could happen that, if the panniers are not installed correctly on the motorcycle, the right pannier could come into contact with the silencer with the risk of melting and in extreme cases with the risk of the pannier to catch fire.

The defect analysis revealed that the assembly of this accessory as per instructions is not robust enough to avoid this risk if the customer does not take precautions when installing and using the KIT.

It has therefore been decided to rewrite the assembly instructions, and in addition, to make the assembly stronger, the right side pannier support subframe has been redesigned. A correct installation of the KIT avoids the contact of the right pannier with the silencer. The new right subframe is an additional element which provides a stronger installation provided that the KIT is assembled and used correctly.

 

Caution: Possible contact between the silencer and the right side pannier, or damage to the pannier, may not be avoided if motorcycle is equipped with an exhaust system other than the original equipment one.

 

For the above reasons, we will proceed as follows:

  • the sales blocking rule is applied to all Ducati Performance soft side pannier KITS part no. 96781971AA still owned by you. Therefore, the sale, assembly and delivery of the kits must be interrupted. The sale blocking shall also apply to KITS that have already been sold but have yet to be delivered to the customer, as well as KITS installed on demo, show room or replacement/courtesy motorcycles (demo and replacement/courtesy bike KITS must be removed from the bikes).
  • For all Ducati Performance soft side pannier KITS part no. 96781971AA delivered to the end Customer, you must contact the Customers directly (file the communication sent to the Customer and keep track of it) to inform them of the potential safety problem and provide them with the updated installation instructions (ISTR-1181/01.pdf attached to this bulletin). The new instructions will also be made available in the accessories catalogue on DCS and for Customers in the dedicated area of the ducati.com website in the DesertX model accessories section.
  • The updated right side pannier support subframe, which makes the installation of the soft side panniers more robust, will be available within about 3 months (90 days).

As soon as it is available, we will send the updated right side pannier support subframe, free of charge, to all dealers who have purchased Ducati Performance soft side pannier KITS part no. 96781971AA (as of 27/02/2023, the date on which sales of the KIT were stopped in advance). Each dealer will then receive a number of updated right side pannier support subframes equal to the total number of KITS purchased.

 

  • Only after receiving the updated right side pannier support subframe together with the new fitting instructions (ISTR-1181/01.pdf attached to this bulletin), you can proceed as follows:
    • you can unlock the sales of all Ducati Performance soft side pannier KITS part no. 96781971AA still owned by you. For these KITS, CR248 will not be activated and no warranty refund will be made.
    • We have been able to trace many frame numbers on which Ducati Performance soft side pannier KITS part no. 96781971AA were installed. These frame numbers will be uploaded to DCS and CR248 will be activated on them (see paragraph “Warranty reimbursement rules” for details of the refund).
    • On all Ducati Performance soft side pannier KITS part no. 96781971AA delivered to the end Customer, it is necessary to contact the Customers directly to inform them of the availability of the updated right side pannier support subframe, and to schedule a visit to your workshop for installation of the same on their motorcycle. At this stage, Customers will receive notification from DMH as is the case for all safety recall campaigns.
    • If a motorcycle with Ducati Performance soft side pannier KIT part no. 96781971AA delivered to a Customer needs the upgrade but the frame number is not visible on DCS, please communicate the frame number to your Service Area Manager to have it uploaded.
    • If you sold the Ducati Performance soft side pannier KIT part no. 96781971AA through e-commerce or another sales channel, but you were still able to contact the Customer, we ask you to schedule the shipment of the updated right side pannier support subframe to the Customer.

 

We have been able to trace many frame numbers on which Ducati Performance soft side pannier KITS part no. 96781971AA were installed. These frame numbers will be uploaded to DCS and C248 will be activated on them.

 

The list of the frame numbers subject to the CR248 is available on the DCS, in the sections:

 

VIN HISTORY It is possible to search by individual frame number.
CAMPAIGNS It is possible to search for all the frame numbers that you received from Ducati Motor Holding.

 

  • Customers

For all Ducati Performance soft side pannier KITS part no. 96781971AA delivered to the end Customer, you must contact the Customers directly to inform them of the potential safety problem and provide them with the updated installation instructions.

Afterwards, when the updated right side pannier support subframe is received, Customers will be contacted with the standard procedure of the safety recall campaigns.

 

  • Spare parts

The updated right side pannier support subframe, which makes the installation of the soft side panniers more robust, will be available within about 2 months.

As soon as it is available, we will send the updated right side pannier support subframe, free of charge, to all dealers who have purchased Ducati Performance soft side pannier KITS part no. 96781971AA (as of 27/02/2023, the date on which sales of the KIT were stopped in advance). Each dealer will then receive a number of updated right side pannier support subframes equal to the total number of KITS sold.

 

It is therefore not necessary to place any spare parts order.

 

  • Warranty reimbursement rules

For all Ducati Performance soft side pannier KITS part no. 96781971AA delivered to the end Customer, you will be reimbursed a warranty labour time of 12 minutes to certify that the Ducati Performance soft side pannier KIT part no. 96781971AA has been updated with the new right side pannier support subframe and that you have informed the Customer of the updated assembly instructions. The reimbursement of the spare part cost is not required as the updated right side pannier support subframe will be sent to you free of charge. Reimbursement for work associated with this Safety Recall Campaign will be done through the regular warranty claim procedure using the “VIN History” section of the DCS.

In the event that during the upgrade of Ducati Performance Soft Side Bag KIT part no. 96781971AA installed and used on motorcycles, you should find partial damage or burning of the right side bag due to contact with the silencer (only in the case of original equipment silencer) you can proceed with the replacement of the right bag under warranty by submitting a warranty claim STD.

On all Ducati Performance soft side pannier KITS part no. 96781971AA still owned by you, the CR248 will not be loaded and no refund will be made under warranty (please note that the updated right side pannier support subframe required to update the KITS still in your possession will be sent to you free of charge).

Non-updated right side pannier support subframes removed from Customer motorcycles or recovered from KITS still in your possession must be scrapped by you and may not be sold.

 

Should you have any questions on this Safety Recall Campaign,  please contact your Service Area Manager.

 

Best regards.

 

The information contained in this document and any annexes thereto  is strictly confidential and exclusively meant for the use of the recipient.

 


CR248 – Ducati Performance Soft Panniers

Upgrade part no. 96781971AA

Ducati Performance Accessory part no. 96781971AA for DesertX MY23 (all versions)

Safety Recall Campaign SRV-RCL-23-001

 

Date: March 24, 2022

To: Dealer Principal, General Manager, Service Manager, North American Dealer Network

From: Richard Kenton, Technical Director Dan Schwartz, Service Area Manager

 

Dear Dealers,

As a result of ongoing quality inspections performed on the product being used, together with your reports on the model in question, a potential safety issue has emerged on the Soft Side Panniers sold as Ducati Performance accessories part no. 96781971AA. If the panniers are not installed correctly on the motorcycle, the right pannier could come into contact with the exhaust and may melt or burn, increasing the risk of a fire which can result in a crash or injury.

 

The defect analysis revealed that the assembly of this accessory as per instructions is not robust enough to avoid this risk if the Client does not take proper precautions when installing and using the kit.

 

It has therefore been decided to rewrite the assembly instructions, and in addition, to make the assembly stronger, the Right-side Pannier Support Subframe has been redesigned. A correct installation of the KIT avoids the contact of the right pannier with the silencer. The new Right-side Pannier Support Subframe is an additional element which provides a stronger installation provided that the KIT is assembled and used correctly.

 

WARNING

 Possible contact between the exhaust silencer and the right-side pannier, or damage to the pannier, may not be avoided if the motorcycle exhaust is modified or equipped with non-OEM exhaust components.

 

For the above reasons, we will proceed as follows:

  • The sale has blocked all Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier kits part no. 96781971AA still owned by your dealership. Therefore, the sale, assembly and delivery of the kits must be interrupted. The sale blocking shall also apply to kits that have already been sold but have yet to be delivered to the client, as well as kits installed on demo and showroom units (demo bike kits must be removed from the motorcycles).
  • For all Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier kit part no. 96781971AA delivered to the end Client, you must contact the Clients directly to inform them of the potential safety problem and provide them with the updated installation instructions (ISTR-1181/01.pdf attached to this bulletin). Log the communication sent to the Client to keep track of it. The new instructions will also be made available in the accessories catalogue on DCS and for Clients in the dedicated area of the ducati.com website in the DesertX model accessories section.
  • The updated Right-side Pannier Support Subframe, which makes the installation of the soft side panniers more robust, will be available within 3 months (90 days).

As soon as it is available, we will send the updated Right-side Pannier Support Subframe, free of charge, to all dealers who have purchased Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier kit part no. 96781971AA (as of 2/27/2023, the date on which sales of the KIT were stopped). Each dealer will receive the number of updated right side pannier support subframes equal to the total number of KITS purchased.

 

Updated English language instructions are not available until March 27th 9:00am EST.

For more information you can download the Italian version of the instructions. ref. ISTR-1181/01.

  • Only after receiving the updated Right-side Pannier Support Subframe, together with the new Fitting Instructions (ISTR-1181/01.pdf), you can proceed as follows:
  • Resume the sales of all Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier kits part no. 96781971AA still in dealer inventory. For these KITS, CR248 will not be activated and no warranty refund will be made.
  • We have been able to trace many VIN’s on which Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier kit’s part no. 96781971AA were installed. These VIN’s (frame numbers) will be uploaded to DCS and CR248 will be activated on them (see “Warranty Reimbursement Rules” for details on reimbursement).
  • On all Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier kit’s part no. 96781971AA delivered to the end Client, it is necessary to contact the Clients directly to inform them of the availability of the updated Right-side Pannier Support Subframe, and to schedule a visit to your workshop for installation on their motorcycle. At this stage, Clients will receive notification from DMH as is the case for all safety recall campaigns.
  • If a motorcycle with Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier kit part no. 96781971AA delivered to a client needs the upgrade but the frame number is not flagged for CR248 on DCS, please communicate the VIN to your Service Area Manager to have it uploaded.
  • If you sold the Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier kit part no. 96781971AA through e-commerce or another sales channel, but you were still able to contact the Client, we ask you to schedule the shipment of the updated Right-side Pannier Support Subframe to the client.

 

Table of Contents

Page

Introduction 1
Application 4
Client Impact 4
Parts Distribution  5
Warranty Reimbursement Rules 5
Spare Parts 6
Service Solution 6
Additional Requirements and Notes 6
Client Letter Example 7

 

Application

You can find the precise list of VIN numbers involved in CR248 on the DCS, in sections:

VIN HISTORY It is possible to search by individual frame number.
CAMPAIGNS It is possible to search for all the frame numbers that you received from Ducati Motor Holding.

 

Client Impact

For all Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier kit part no. 96781971AA delivered to the end client, you must contact the clients directly to inform them of the potential safety problem and provide them with the updated installation instructions.

Afterwards, when the updated Right-side Pannier Support Subframe is received, clients will be contacted with the standard procedure of the safety recall campaigns.

 

Parts Distribution

The updated Right Side Pannier Support Subframe, which makes the installation of the Soft Side Panniers more robust, will be available within 3 months (90 days)..

When available, we will send the updated Right Side Pannier Support Subframe, free of charge, to all dealers who have purchased Ducati Performance Soft Side Panniers kits part no. 96781971AA (as of 2/27/2023, the date on which sales of the kits were stopped). Each dealer will then receive the number of updated Right Side Pannier Support Subframes equal to the total number of KITS purchased.

It is therefore not necessary to place any spare parts order.

 

Warranty Reimbursement Rules

For all Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier kit’s part no. 96781971AA delivered to the end client, you will be reimbursed a warranty labor time of 12 minutes (2 UL) to certify that the Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier KIT part no. 96781971AA has been updated with the new Right Side Pannier Support Subframe and that you have informed the client of the updated assembly instructions. The reimbursement of the spare part cost is not required as the updated Right Side Pannier Support Subframe will be sent to you free of charge.

Reimbursement for work associated with this Safety Recall Campaign will be done through the regular warranty claim procedure using the “VIN History” section of the DCS.

The warranty claim is pre-filled and is identified as CR248.

In the event that during the upgrade of Ducati Performance Soft Side Bag KIT part no. 96781971AA already installed and used on a motorcycle, you find partial damage or burning of the right side bag due to contact with the exhaust (only in the case of original equipment exhaust) please create a Youtech request with photos of the bag, damage, and vehicle in order to consider replacement of the right side bag under warranty.

On all Ducati Performance Soft Side Pannier kit’s part no. 96781971AA still in your dealer inventory, the CR248 will not be loaded and no refund will be made under warranty. Please note, the updated Right Side Pannier Support Subframe required to update the kits still in your possession will be sent to your dealership free of charge.

Non-updated Right Side Pannier Support Subframes removed from client motorcycles or recovered from kits still in your possession must be scrapped and may not be sold.

 

Spare Parts

  • Updated Right Side Pannier Support Subframe
  • New Fitting Instructions (ISTR-1181/01.pdf)

 

Service Solution

Reference the attached Annex (ISTR-1181/01.pdf) for the new fitting instructions.

 

Campaign Authorization

Ducati North America, Inc. will mail a notification letter to all known owners. If a client does not present this notification letter, it is important that you confirm the eligibility for recall status on the DCS before you commence work. Reimbursement requests for duplicate recall campaign repairs will not be accepted.

 

Dealer Obligation

This program is designed to complete the necessary repairs and to achieve owner satisfaction. Therefore, we ask that you to take prompt and courteous action in accordance with these directives. Please provide a copy of this communication to every person in your dealership who has recall-related responsibilities.  Please direct any questions or concerns to your Service Area Manager.

 

Thank you for your cooperation.

 

Service Department
Ducati North America, Inc.

 

For questions on this Workshop Campaign, please contact your Service Area Manager.

 


IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL

This notice applies to your vehicle: VIN XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

NHTSA Recall No. 23E-021

Date

Client Name
Client Address
City, St, Zip Code

Subject: 

Ducati Motorcycle: Ducati Performance Accessory part no. 96781971AA for DesertX MY23

Dealer Bulletin: SRV-RCL-23-001

 

Dear Ducati Owner,

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Ducati has decided that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in the Soft Side Bag Kit manufactured by Ducati Performance accessories (part no. 96781971AA).  It is extremely important to take steps now to repair your vehicle to ensure the safety of you and your passengers.

 

Ducati records indicate that you may have purchased a Soft Side Bag Kit.  When installed on a motorcycle, the right pannier could come into contact with the exhaust and may melt or burn, increasing the risk of a fire which can result in a crash or injury. Dealers will provide and install a new right side bag frame, free of charge.  Owners who have purchased a Soft Side Bag Kit, will receive a new right side bag frame and instructions on how to affix the bag to the motorcycle.

 

The assembly instructions have therefore been improved in order to avoid this potential problem (instructions are attached and can also be found in the dedicated area of the ducati.com website in the DesertX model accessories section).

 

In order to make assembly even stronger, a new right-side pannier support subframe will be made available and will be supplied to you free of charge in approximately 90 days (you will receive another letter notifying you of the availability so that you can schedule a visit to our workshop).

 

Please note that it is important to mount the panniers correctly in order to avoid contact with the exhaust. The new right-side pannier support subframe is an additional element that further increases the reliability of the assembly.

 

We therefore invite you to check the assembly of the kit on your motorbike and to check it periodically during use, as well as every time you use the side panniers. Depending on the load, the retainers must be tightened regardless of the presence of the new right side pannier support subframe.

 

Caution: Possible contact between the exhaust and the right-side pannier, or damage to the pannier, may not be avoided if your motorcycle is equipped with an exhaust system other than the original equipment one.

 

If you are still having difficulty getting your vehicle repaired in a reasonable time or without charge, you may write the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.  20590 or call the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or go to NHTSA.gov.  Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 23E021.

 

TREAD ACT CUSTOMER REIMBURSEMENT PLAN

If you have paid for the repair described in the attached letter, and you would like to be considered for reimbursement, please contact your authorized Ducati dealer. Expenses from repair facilities outside of the authorized Ducati dealer network will be considered; however, the procedure must meet Ducati North America’s standards.

 

Your authorized Ducati retailer will request a copy of your owner notification letter, as well as a copy of your previously paid invoice. They will inspect the vehicle, if still in your possession, prior to submitting a claim on your behalf to Ducati North America, Inc. for reimbursement. Only a repair involving this safety recall campaign is reimbursable. Ducati North America, Inc will not reimburse consequential expenses such as towing, rental, and accommodations.

 

We recommend that your authorized Ducati dealer be your primary contact on this issue. We anticipate that your authorized Ducati dealer will be able to answer any questions that you may have regarding your qualifications for reimbursement of a previous repair; additionally, our Client Relations Dept. may be contacted at 888-391-5446 for any special assistance required.

 

What if you no longer own the vehicle? 

If you no longer own the vehicle, please e-mail your change of ownership information to Contact_Us@ducati.com or contact Ducati North America Client Services at 1 (888) 391-5446.

 

We apologize for any inconvenience, but we trust you will appreciate our commitment in supporting all our clients. Thank you for trusting Ducati,

 

Sincerely,
Richard Kenton
Technical Director – Ducati North America

 


Chronology :

On January 26, 2023, Ducati has received a report from the field about a right bag of the soft side bags KIT sold as official Ducati Performance accessory PN.96781971AA, touched the exhaust during the motorcycle use and partially melted the right bag, without causing a fire. After this first case Ducati started and official internal investigation.

During this investigation, Ducati became aware of a total worldwide of 5 field cases, of which one case from USA.

None of these cases involved any crash or injuries.

The result of the investigation has defined the root cause as an incorrect installation of the KIT, sold as official Ducati Performance accessory PN.96781971AA, on the motorcycle installed by customer or dealer, caused by assembly instructions incorrectly written; the assembly instructions doesn’t clearly indicate the risk that can occur in case of incorrect installation.

Ducati has identified most of the motorcycles on Customer hands that could have installed the soft side bags KIT sold as official Ducati Performance accessory PN.96781971AA. For the unknown Customers Ducati know exactly the dealers who sold the accessory.

On March 14, 2023, Ducati Motor Holding’s internal safety commission decided to launch a recall campaign to address this condition in the affected population.

 


1 Affected Product

Equipment

BRAND PART NO. PRODUCTION DATES
DUCATI PERFORMANCE DESERT X SOFT SIDE BAGS

 


4 Associated Documents

Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-23E021-1547.pdf 645.301KB

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Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-23E021-6974.PDF 215.324KB

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc) – Dealer Bulletin re CR248 – Ducati Performance soft panniers upgrade part no. 96781971AA Safety Recall Campaign SRV-RCL-23-001

RCMN-23E021-9534.pdf 197.976KB

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Safety Bulletin

RCSB-23E021-9321.pdf 245.076KB

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Latest Recalls Documents

For the Latest and Most Recent Recalls Information Visit the link below…

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=23E021&docType=RCL

 


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