New Ducati V4 is 6 days old, 84 miles, hit a truck ratchet strap lying in the road, bike bled out the oil in about 60 seconds from a ripped open oil pan, lucky to be alive, bike swapped ends, crossed into oncoming lane and almost hit a guard rail. Freak accident,I'm pretty shaken up and don't know how badly damaged the new bike is.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/8/2025 @ 4:53 AM *

Holy cow! Amazing you kept her upright. That had to shake you up. Can't even imagine the thoughts going through your mind. Glad you're here to tell us about it.

* Last updated by: BigBS on 3/7/2025 @ 11:05 PM *

Thanks Ken, miracle save, either DTC or The Good Lord himself intervened! I can't believe only one week ago I was in Nashville buying this bike all excited and happy and now it ended up like this. I have bought 15 new motorcycles since 2004 but this is a first, right out of the gate it's nearly destroyed by a freak accident.

We need the Hubmeister to weigh in on the engine, bike went roughly 1/4 mile spewing oil, no low oil pressure light or trouble code, I shut it down pretty quickly. Ducati tech says, new oil pan, oil and tire, curious about Hub's take?

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/8/2025 @ 5:03 AM *

Here's what I hit, totally freakish accident, two steel plates, 1/4 inch thick about 6 lbs total weight connected with heavy nylon webbing.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/8/2025 @ 9:33 PM *

I'm glad you and the bike didn't go down. It's just my perspective, but I'd rather a brand new bike get damaged. The old ones mean more to me.

I believe it's a good sign that the oil was still draining up to the point you stopped. There's no way the pan held oil more than four or five seconds with a hole like that. There was still oil returning to the pan the whole way so my bet is your engine is just fine. No oil light....you had oil pressure. Like I told you on the phone, those oil pressure sensors don't go on until the oil pressure is close to zero. If air ever reached the oil pump, I'd think the oil pressure would have immediately dropped to nothing. I'm just guessing if an oil pump sucks air, that's not sufficient to move the oil that's left in the engine. Oil might gurgle backwards but you would definitely get an oil light had that been the case. I'm optimistic that new engine is just fine.

I think it's going to be fine also Rook, what's not so fine is my local Ducati dealer has the bike and wants $4000+ to replace the rear tire, oil sump and inspect the bike for any collateral damage. Sounds really excessive since the parts total is about $1000, I was figuring $2000 total parts and labor would have been reasonable? Understand that they have to remove the fairings and drop the exhaust to get the oil pan off but.....c'mon give me a break here?

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/9/2025 @ 7:35 AM *

First things first, you got lucky in so many ways. With the oil flowing out till you stopped, doubt you damaged anything but the 100% cotton briefs.

Yes, that 4 grand is way out of line to dump the bottom fairings and the exhaust. Swap out the sump pan and off you go.

https://issuu.com/ducatiomaha/docs/ducatiomaha_panigale-v4-s_my24?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ

qt. 1 of #1
qt. 1 of #7
qt. 1 of #2
qt. 2 of #3
qt. 2 of #13
qt. 1 Tube of Mr. Goodwrench intake manifold sealer.
4 qts of oil.
Oil pump pickup tube if needed.

Rear tire can be washed with soapy water. Way too thick for oil to bed in.

* Last updated by: Hub on 3/9/2025 @ 11:19 PM *

Rear tire can be washed with soapy water. Way too thick for oil to bed in.

I was just thinking the same thing....you got oil on your tire....if you rode through an oil spill, would it be necessary to change tires because of that? ...I mean for absolute safety, I guess a reasonable precaution given how you ride but I would think the shop would have suggested the tire change as an optional procedure. If the oil came from some other bike and you rode through it for a quarter mile, you'd just ride it home and wash off the side tread.

...nothing wrong with being safe but I'd rather keep the old tire a while longer and just ride carefully on it.

Three thousand labor is a lot of money. When I heard that, I thought, "oh well, it's a Ducati, what do you expect?" ....and "people are in business to make money otherwise they'd have a normal job like you and me...."

For me, being extremely careful and including estimated research time, I'd easily spend 30 hours taking off that oil pan and putting on a new one. You know how one thing leads to another....it's never a one step procedure when you do your own wrenching. An oil pan is probably pretty simple (if you did it before) but I always have made sure I knew as much as possible about what I was doing instead of just doing it and finding out what happens. This would cost you a couple grand of your time alone, considering your income. Tire change, you can get that for $25. But the real point is, the bike is brand new. Look at it as insurance. I'll overpay a shop that does a good job any day instead of paying an insurance company for something I probably will never use. ...and if I do, they might charge me more in the future.

...otherwise you do all this shit yourself Kruz. You could do it but just doing what you already do for money is more cost effective. .....like most other Ducati owners, I'm sure.

My advice, lick your wounds and let it go. Get the bike back as perfect as it was. You own a couple other Ducatis so I wouldn't break ties with this shop if they do good work. I would look for other shops if you need work done in the future. I would tell the shop you're working with now you think $3000 for labor is excessive. ...for what it's worth, I'll bet you a lot of their other customers do too.

OK folks, thanks for the inputs, I plan to have a discussion with the dealer service writer tomorrow on the labor costs, oil sump is under $400, new rear tire $375, fresh Ducati oil and filter another $100, needs new sump bolts and some sealant for the pan a few bucks, let's say $100 being generous. 6 hours labor is generous for a professional Ducati wrench at $160 per hour shop rate, so $960 labor. So under $2000 total is the way I figure it, Hub can verify the math....

To your point Rook, yes I make decent money, so it's worth the peace of mind to let the dealer handle this one, I can afford $2000. Look at it this way, 15 bikes in 20 years, always done my own maintenance so this is a first, if I get the bike back in pristine, as new condition with no further problems, count it all good.

Work with the service guy looking up the flat rate time to change an oil pan out. Say it's 3.5 hours. That's 3.5 times their hourly for a ballpark price of doing the job. So that's all it pays warranty wise, the mechanic is stuck being only paid half of the 3.5 no matter how long it takes him.

A hundred for sealer is like a $12 tube of Mr. Goodwrench. The hardware change is more lawyerage speak, but it's not warranty so just the new orings and pan will still work.

So when a warranty claim is rendered, the factory has a list of the time(s) it takes to bill the factory for said part needing replacement. That's base pay and that's all you should pay is the flat rate.

That means new oil, new filter already booked into the flat rate. So it's more like $560 for the labor, minus the tire change labor.

Now for the anal wear. Have them key the link to the tooth since that's a wear pattern starting. Will whaa-whaa if not. Most dealer mech's probably don't do this or even know about it. being a dual forked swing arm. Single arm is wheel off only. The carrier stays on so no link to tooth change.

Now for the anal wear.

Have them key the link to the tooth since that's a wear pattern starting. Will whaa-whaa if not. Most dealer mech's probably don't do this or even know about it. being a dual forked swing arm. Single arm is wheel off only. The carrier stays on so no link to tooth change.

I always did this every time I took my chain off my sprocket. Why wouldn't you? Maybe it won't matter? Well, maybe it will.

Work with the service guy looking up the flat rate time to change an oil pan out. Say it's 3.5 hours. That's 3.5 times their hourly for a ballpark price of doing the job. So that's all it pays warranty wise, the mechanic is stuck being only paid half of the 3.5 no matter how long it takes him.

I called AMS Ducati in Dallas, you were dead nutz on the oil pan labor...3.5 hours was their quote...

Oil Sump Change - 3.5 Hours
Clean Up/Degrease - 1.0 Hour
Rear Tire Change - .5 Hour

Total 5.0 Hours @ $200.00/Hour = $1000.00 Labor
Total Parts $962.00 Including 8.25 sales tax
$1962.00 Total Parts and Labor

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/11/2025 @ 2:23 PM *

Sounds more like it, Kruz. Maybe the 4k was an off the cuff guess. How could one shop double the price is beyond me. It just looked like 3.5 to me. Have no flat rate info from duc.

Oh, it matters, Rook. you can mark and roll the wheel say some 65 turns and it dials in again. The whaa-whaa (tight rung/loose rung) causes this having a new wear pattern wearing in every 65 turns even having it off one tooth.

You nailed it Hub but that is why there is only one HUB, the rest are only posers or impostors.....

On another note, do you think that hit could have caused any internal hidden damage, i.e sump oil pickup tube, they run all the way to the bottom of the sump typically?

My first guess would be no, not deep enough penetration of the sump bottom.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/11/2025 @ 7:36 PM *

Hard to say, Kruz. Never seen one apart let alone work on one. Just have to pull the pan and see if it's cracked, distorted, etc.

I'd inspect the filter for aluminum inserts failing. May sound good now, but I've heard zero oil in a yoshi bike that finished a race using Motul. Have to ask the source if I go to Laguna in July.

Stopped by today, here's my new baby Hub..the old oil sump is on the floor on the right, very deep design.

Both heatshield sound insulators were toast, soaked in oil and they didn't have any in stock so going back together without them...

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/13/2025 @ 7:52 PM *

Hub, what effect do you reckon those acoustic insulators being deleted will have?

Looks like there was still a lot of oil left in the sump after I shut the motor down judging by the oil soaked gravel, sure hope I didn't lose oil pressure.

How many liters you reckon that is on the ground after motor shut down? I have no idea how far the sump pickup extends down towards the bottom of the sump, my guess is nearly all the way to the bottom so you would nearly have to run it dry to lose pressure?

I got no low oil pressure warning and the tech said no oil pressure stored code in the ECU. It takes about 3 seconds to get oil pressure after an oil change and I've never seen one throw a warning code though, there must be a time delay before throwing a code?

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/13/2025 @ 7:50 PM *

Probably a hotter undercarriage is all. Maybe a little noisier acoustic wise. No code flashed or saved, probably made no damage if oil was still there. I can only guess about a quart and a half lost maybe. You shut it down kind of quickly, where the oil line looks short road wise. Time delay between seeing the dash code is few seconds. But to loose pressure is more instantly saved. So the code is set, but hangs some before it hits the dash.

I wouldn't worry if it has a pressure loss signal saved as a code.

Hell Kruz, I'd soak the pans in warm soapy water mixed with vinegar, hang them up and air dry in the sun. If the glue separated, I'd run E6000 or Amazing goop glue to reset the pads from moving in their trays.

* Last updated by: Hub on 3/14/2025 @ 1:20 AM *

Thanks Hubster....

Hoping to have my new baby back late today or tomorrow morning, the Ducati tech doing the work likes to take his time
so I'm hoping it's going to be near perfect, time will tell but for the $$$$ they're charging me it needs to be back to it's original condition, we'll see soon.

Hubster got my bike back and been out putting in breakin mileage this morning, looks great, sounds great but man am I underwhelmed by this bikes power so far. The V4 has now set me back almost $32K and my RS660 is way more fun and punchy. You have to slip the clutch to keep the V4 from shuddering, very disappointed from an 1103cc motor and although I'm keeping rpm fairly low for breakin, I have hit 9500 rpm, upper midrange and it feels flat as a day old beer. Rev limit is 15,500 rpm, so maybe the real power is hiding up top somewhere?

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/15/2025 @ 3:08 PM *

I'm surprised you got the pan that quick. I'd be thinking about you waiting for a production run at those on the assembly line, but I guess not.

This is a turnkey track bike more or less. Or say just about every bike is built that way. Guys complain about the low rpm, high bucking kind of ride. Probably this side of a CR transmission. Like low gear is cornering slow, where 2nd is too tall, 1st is too low on the downshift, but with the CR trans, it's like a low 2nd, where hitting 1st is no screaming at the tach's redline.

I guess 15+k is where the HP is. Plus it's a tight bike at the moment. Have to pound the inserts to loosen it up a little. I bet it handles a little better than the little Ape. Taking in the weight difference and all that.

You'll find that gear to rpm smoothness around town soon enough though. Hail to the stale beer!

Hub, not even sure where this bike fits in at the moment, has that same low rpm shudder as my RSV4 on first clutch release, characteristic of V4s?

Power is smooth and linear, hit 9500 rpm yesterday and not arm stretching torque like the big APE, more like the S1000RR but less low end grunt.

Time will tell, still breaking it in, suggestions on break in have ranged from follow the owners manual, 7000 rpm first 1000kM to just ride it like you normally do, avoid the redline and don't lug the motor, avoid constant rpm, lot's of downshifting to gas load the rings.

You've broken in a lot of bikes, no? Thoughts?

Yesterday, after $2700 in repairs, looks and runs good, they took one and a half days to repair it, went through everything to make sure it's fixed right.

Correct Kruz, they do tend to stutter rpm to low mph wise I've notice in posts. Usually rev it up some so as not to cause crank chatter.

Yes, broke in 4 of the ZX14's. 2 I beat the crap out of. 2 I booked. Booked never ate oil like the beater bikes. I never hit past the required rpm limit for its first 600 miles. Never went past the upper limit for another 400 miles.

Took back and canyon roads to my buddy's place. Had the advantage of coasting on the downhill's. I see V8 engines used to pull water in for the farms. That's sustained running at a fixed rpm. So I doubt sustained hurts anything.

I'm sure if you break it in well, it wont eat oil much or at their oil change intervals. I'm at every 3k so one day the beater lost power leaving the garage one day. Came back looking for something going tight like wheel bearings, chain, brake pads, etc.

Caught my eye was no oil seen in the window. Topped it off and power came back. Figured it was crankcase pressure, not loss of oil dragging thru less quarts per say.

the slow stuff. Miles will clock on you wont kill it first. Discipline wins the break-in.

* Last updated by: Hub on 3/16/2025 @ 1:35 PM *

Thanks Hub....

You just paid a couple years of insurance with a guarantee of no premium hike. It's bound to happen once in a while, drop a bike, damage from road debris, busted wheel... you've had it all. The CBR was even a complete loss. In all seriousness, I wouldn't want to know what would happen to my insurance if I reported I made claims on all of that plus the deductibles. It's a gamble, riding these bikes. After a few years, it's no longer logical to ensure them more than required for a traffic stop. I always have bet on not crashing in the first three years. I sure miss my old 14 but I don't regret not insuring it because I'd have paid twice the value of that bike by the time it met its demise. Shit happens, sometimes you have bad luck but go into owning the bike knowing that upfront. KNow what you can afford to lose v what it costs to protect some portion of it as its value decreases. Damage to a bike (especially an old bike) is a personal loss in my opinion and there's no insurance for that. I dropped both of my bikes and the cost was way less than the insurance would have been over the years not even considering possible premium increases and the deductible which would have probably made the insurance almost worthless in those situations anyway. Insurance is for when you think some really serious shit is gonna happen and if you feel that way......well I personally wouldn't ride if I felt that way.

Sooner or later though, something happens. My strategy from here on in is 'don't ride the bike after you've owned it five years.' I mean, of course you're going to ride it but not too much and not in any way that puts it at risk. I'll buy a new bike and crash that instead! I guess the main thing is we all know what we're poterntially getting into and how to manage the risk because that's all you can do. Murphy's Law. You can protect yourself to the hilt and be as careful as humanly possible and it still might have the worst possible outcome.