Neutral sensor problem

[SunEye]

Today I had problems starting my bike. I worked out that I can reliably start the bike if I have the sidestand up and the bike in neutral. With the bike on the sidestand the neutral light will flicker when the bike is trying to fire and when that happens the engine cuts out. Sometimes the bike would run for 30 seconds or so, but then the neutral light would flicker and the engine would die.

Eventually tracked the problem down to the wire from the neutral sensor to the first junction in the cable which is above the right foot peg.

Seeing as the bike is only 9 months old (since registered), albeit an 09 model and now with over 9000 miles on the clock, I wouldn't have expected the wire from the sensor to become faulty so quickly.

Would I be correct in thinking that the replacement of the sensor/wire would be a warranty repair?

[slob]

Should be.
You're sure it's the wire/connector, not the switch itself sticking?

[SunEye]

I'm fairly certain it's the wire from the sensor, where is curves around the engine after it has come out from under the silicon rubber cover. If the rest of the cable is held still and just that bit is moved the neutral light will flicker. If that bit is held still and any of the rest of the wire and connector is moved the neutral light stays on.

[slob]

Either way, neither is a service item, so it should be covered.

[SunEye]

Thanks, I suspected as much.

I'm off to France on it on Thursday, so doubt I'll be able to get it sorted before then (but I'll ask CMW in Chichester tomorrow). I can work around the problem, so it's not a big issue. It just acts as an extra immobiliser :)

I could get it sorted at the Ducati dealer in Limoges, France. I'll be there for 10 days. I was planning to pop in to have a nose around and a chat. Replacing the sensor and wire looks like it would be quite a quick job, it would just depend how quickly they can get one when most of continental Europe is on holiday.