Ducati 996R Service Notes | Recalls, TSBs and Known Issues



	*ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL DUCATI WEBSITE* *RECALLS / TSBs & KNOWN ISSUES* It has been rumoured by some original buyers that bikes produced between December and May were held back at the factory to address issues which arose during testing, such as the 2 bikes that failed at the Valencia press event. But even after bikes were delivered to customers starting at the end of May and beginning of June, there were formal recalls and Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) sent out to dealers. See: Technical Bulletins List, 519-588. The first of these was issued by Ducati to dealers on 7 June 2001, Ducati reference number 555. "Function-Related Recall Campaign" for the 996R, it required dealers to replace the closing rockers either at the time of PDI prior to delivery, or at the first service. It stated this first batch of rocker arms may break causing severe damage. See: Recall 555 - rocker arms. Note that this was not the same as the flaky chrome issue that plagued the Desmoquattro engine, the Testastretta rockers never had that problem. Ducati Technical Bulletin 561 covered Desmoquattro rocker arms for engine valve control and the new replacement rocker arm references. See: TSB 561 - Desmoquattro rocker arms. A September 2001 Ducati UK bulletin also references parts/service information for rocker arms. See: Parts/Service Bulletin - rocker arms. Another example is the TSB related to the clutch slave cylinder that was issued to dealers on 1 March 2002, Ducati reference number 563. It advised about a "Potential loss of clutch control" stating "The clutch slave cylinder may leak resulting in loss of hydraulic fluid and clutch control." and they were instructed to install a "Replace clutch slave cylinder with a quality assured unit." replacement they would be provided with from Italy. See: Recall 563 - clutch cylinder. A later June 2002 reference bulletin instructed dealers that all clutch control cylinders removed and replaced under safety recall 563 were to be returned directly to Ducati Motor Holdings. See: Reference Bulletin 563 - return of clutch cylinder. Ducati also issued Technical Bulletin 564 on 9 October 2001 for the 996R workshop manual - Testastretta engine supplement, noting the manual section and new Ducati special tool part numbers. See: TSB 564 - 996R Testastretta supplement and Parts List - 996R manuals. A November 2001 spare-parts bulletin covered new rear-view mirror kits for 748, 916 and 996 models, including red and yellow kit part numbers. See: Spare Parts Bulletin - painted mirrors. The foam that the air filters are made out of are well known to simply disintegrate over time no matter what the conditions. These should be considered a time sensitive replacement item and not based on mileage. Failure to do so could cause irreparable engine damage from ingestion of the foam remains. The clutch slave cylinders are known to begin leaking after 10 to 15 years. The brake fluid will of course destroy all paint and carbon/plastics it comes into contact with. This has been the fate of many low mileage examples in collection and museums that are left to sit. The plastic that the upper and lower chain sliders on the swing arm are made out of tend to darken and brittle significantly over time no matter what the conditions. Front brake reservoir cap corrosion. The fluid these bikes came with and are spec'd for is hygroscopic, meaning it will absorb moisture from the atmosphere. This leads to corrosion from the inside out of the reservoir cap. The amount will of course vary on the humidity in which the bike has been stored and this is a good indicator of how well a bike has been taken care of. Of course if the fluid is never changed, even a bike stored in less than 40% humidity its entire life will still lead to corrosion of the cap. Galvanic corrosion. This is a type of corrosion that occurs due to dissimilar metals being in direct contact with each other. It is triggered and exacerbated by the flow of current/electrons through these metals. A bike that is going to be stored for any moderate length of time should have its battery removed and stored on a tender for this reason. This is the reason for every fastener being plated in the appropriate type based on its metallurgy and what it will be in contact with, however these of course are microscopically thin and degrade for a multitude of reasons. So the plating can not be relied upon to protect the bike from galvanic corrosion. This is also why a bike must never be stored without first having a comprehensive wash and detail. Even if stored in low humidity and the battery removed, basic minerals in road grime (think hard water) and salts will etch through it in no time. Anodising tends to hold up well on the aluminium bits, however the use of non-compatible cleaners by owners over the years can trigger its premature failure. Swing arm pivot bolt. The bolt that goes all the way through the frame and attaches the swing arm came thoroughly greased from Ducati. However it quickly washed away and moisture could easily seep past each end. These bikes are absolutely notorious for the pivot seizing and the bolt not being able to be removed without a copious amount of heat and penetrating oil. As such, it's advised that every so often one should remove their bolt, clean and grease it. It will save a ton of frustration later on and can even avoid a safety hazard should the swing arm lose its travel. The headlights are known to fog up or haze after a few years. This is caused by off-gassing of the materials inside the headlight assemblies. It's easily cleaned off the inside surface of the glass when the headlight is removed and taken apart. Note that the headlight surround is painted black, this can chip very easily so be very careful during this process. The clear-coat on the carbon-fibre if left in the sun excessively will oxidise. These were the days prior to modern UV blockers being added to the resin/clear-coat. It should clear up with proper detailing techniques however not all of the damage can be reversed if it's severe. One of the highest mileage records known is over 100,000 km on a 996R by Christophe Mathis. [12]



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