Ducati SuperSport Recalled In North America, India Announcement To Follow Soon

1,462 units of the 2017-2018 Ducati SuperSport have been affected in North America due to a potential fire hazard

A report by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed first that the 2017-2018 Ducati SuperSport and SuperSport S would have to be recalled in the North American markets, owing to potential fire hazard due to faulty fitment of some parts. According to Ducati, the Airbox blow-by and the fuel tank overfill hoses might have been routed too close to the exhaust manifold, which may cause the hoses to melt. If they melt, the fuel may leak and ignite due to close proximity with the hot components.

The first case was reported in March this year, and Ducati immediately conducted a root cause investigation. In the past three months, three separate incidences of the bike catching fire have been reported, from three different countries, including the USA. The potential hazard can be identified by the accompanying smoke and smell of burning rubber coming from the lower left side of the fairing. As per the safety recall report, Ducati’s Internal Safety Commission decided to launch a world-wide safety recall campaign on 5 June 2018. Subsequently, the Italian bikemaker has announced that it will notify owners and fix the issue free of charge. According to NHTSA, the recall is likely to commence from 11 August 2018. In the recall process, the new routing moves the airbox and fuel tank drain hoses in front of existing electrical wiring. Rubber clamps securing the hoses will be lowered so both of them avoid contact with the exhaust manifold.

The recall is not restricted to the US market alone. Sergi Canovas, MD of Ducati India said, “Recall campaign is just announced and we have few VINs affected in India. We are informing this recall to MoRTH (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) and SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers). Soon there will be an official announcement from Ducati India.” The India-spec motorcycles are manufactured in Thailand, and the number of affected units in the country hasn’t been revealed yet.

In India, the Ducati SuperSport is priced at Rs 12.04 lakh, while the SuperSport S starts from Rs 13.34 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom India). The motorcycle rivals the Suzuki GSX-S1000F and Kawasaki Ninja 1000. Ducati recently launched the SuperSport in Titanium Grey colour in the European markets. You can read about it here.