2018 ducati multistrada... 2800 ish miles. this just started a couple of rides ago and seems to be getting worse. when i’m coming up to a stop light and start downshifting, the bike will die when i shift from 3rd to 2nd (sometimes 2nd to 1st)... i hit the starter and it fires back up only to do it again at the next stop. i’m half tempted to think that the clutch isnt fully disengaging (hydraulic clutch) and may need to be bled. my only hesitation with that is if i’m in neutral at a stop and shift to first to go, the bike doesn’t die. any ideas? (still under warranty but may or may not be hard to replicate at the dealer)
Could be bad gas causing a misfire at low idle. If this were a carb bike I would say stuck pilot or the idle screw backed out a fraction, but first guess is bad gas. You can probably adjust the clutch lever to give more engagement (take out the slack) to see if it's a simple adjustment. Does it stall when cold and on the "choke" setting, or just when fully warm?
is the idle adjustable on that unit? turn it up 500 and see if it still does it. had the throttle bodies off lately? possibly got the plates out of sync somehow?
I think other Ducati's have this issue. When I had an M1200 it did this a few random times and then would refuse to start after. Are you on the stock ECU map? Are there any available updates?
i think the only way to adjust the idle is through the ECU, which i don’t have the ability to do bike hasn’t been apart. 100% stock
i haven’t noticed it doing it when cold, just warm... could be bad gas, it’s only been doing it for 1.5 tanks.
Drain the tank, fill it with known good gas, and give it an Italian tune up to see if the problem persists. I had something similar with a race bike at a track day: First practice was good, then I topped up the tank. All ensuing sessions were shit as I did everything except drain the tank. Once I replaced the gas the problem magically went away. But it took until I was into the first full tank to show up.
My first 848 did exactly what you are describing. On my bike the TPS needed to be calibrated. Once I had the dealer calibrate it, it never happened again.
Wouldn’t surprise me if it’s the fumes from an overflowing charcoal canister - making the mixture too rich. That stalling issue has been a common thing with newer ducs. My 1199 did that until I removed it. Never since
hmm.. this is a thing i’ve heard of. maybe i’ll do a delete. i forgot about that stupid thing. thanks!
My old 2008 CBR1000RR did that and dealer found nothing wrong with it. Started using ethanol fighting agent (Startron) and it never did it again... Owned it for another three years without issues. Still use that stuff in everything bikes, lawn equipment, generators, etc... Cheap insurance seemingly in my case.
revisiting this.. i pulled the charcoal canister yesterday and took it for a lengthy ride. no stalling, no sputtering, clean idle. this seems to have solved it, appreciate the help!