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2015 Ducati Multistrada DVT ECU/Firmware Updates

101K views 328 replies 71 participants last post by  johnrg 
#1 · (Edited)
There seems to be a lot of stuff changing....so keeping a log of it here. I'd like to see what others are getting as well. Ask your dealer to log the updates the bike is getting when you take it in (but it should be on your service receipts anyway). Every time you take your bike in....if there are newer updates on the server beyond what your bike has, it will update those items/modules.

2015 Multistrada 1200DVT S Firmware updates history:

Picked up bike from dealer on 5/6/2015 (came in first wave to USA).

5/30/2015 connection to NDCS/DDS:
1.) BBS (Black Box System) Update
2.) Petrol System Update
3.) (third update but undocumented)

(Ride notes: Throttle response is less muddy off idle. Much better/sharper.)

6/27/2015 connection to NDCS/DDS:
1.) ECU Update for Hands Free Control Unit "ZADI"
(ZADIGROUP makes the Ducati electronics/controls Zadi Group)

(Ride notes: No changes noticeable on the display or bike behavior. Tripmeter still resets at bike power off. Bluetooth device pairing/connect/reconnects from scratch seem much snapppier now. iPhone6 and Nolan B4 pair the first time every time. Still have Nolan B4 issues with connecting as rider device for audio.)
 
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#4 ·
OK...stopped by the dealer just now to get them to enable the fog lights I installed. A large new update is also coming down related to fuel mapping. I'll update the details in a bit.
 
#5 ·
Excellent, I mentioned the 35mph, 2nd gear issue yesterday to both the head tech at the dealership and the sales person who sold be my '15, as he's also a '15 S owner.

Neither had heard of the issue, I told them they needed to get on this forum......
 
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#6 · (Edited)
I can't edit the original post with the summary so here is another update from today:

7/4/2015 connection to NDCS/DDS:
1.) ECU Update - Fuel Mapping

(Ride notes: Much snappier off the bottom now...like 2010-2014 bikes. Power hit at 3500 RPM seems a bit sharper and power in general seems a bit cleaner/sharper/stronger. The strange 2nd gear specific "cruise at 4000 RPM for a short bit, then whack the throttle open flatness" is still there. 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. do not have this problem so this seems to be a corner-case. Trip meters still reset at power off with US units.)
 
#7 ·
Frank, Would it be possible to find out when this update became officially available. The reason why I ask is that I had my bike at the Dealership last Friday, 3rd July (getting rear shock fixed) and was advised there were no new updates at that time. Whilst I am in Australia I would have thought that these updates would be released worldwide at the same time.
 
#9 ·
I don't get it. I called both local Ducati dealers who each stated there are no listed updates for my 1200s' VIN. One told me its .5 hours of labor to hook the bike up just to see if there is an update. I wonder what the disconnect is? I also have trouble accepting that I have to pay for what in effect is an update/fix to something that should have been programmed correctly before it left the factory. I realize the service department needs to make money for work hours preformed but they need to bill Ducati for what I see as warranty work.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I 99.9% guarantee you they don't really know. They need to plug your bike in to get whatever module updates yours doesn't currently have. Sometime during the middle of last week the new map came out. If your bike has not been plugged in since then you have update(s) waiting. These are not recall/updates or mandatory in their eyes I guess, so not listed in some bulletin.

If it takes them time to do it, they will charge you labor money because of this since they will not get reimbursed by Ducati. The last Map update took quite a bit of time to download into my bike.

Something that may help you out...if you take your bike in for anything else that requires them to plug it in to do anything (like enable Fog lights, etc.), the system requires your bike to get all of the latest updates from the Ducati server before they can even start to do anything else. Hint, hint...
 
#26 ·
Something that may help you out...if you take your bike in for anything else that requires them to plug it in to do anything (like enable Fog lights, etc.), the system requires your bike to get all of the latest updates from the Ducati server before they can even start to do anything else. Hint, hint...
I have a set of Ducati heated grips on order that I intended to install myself. Does the dealer need to update the DBB to enable them?

If I have to I will pay for the .5 hours of service for the most current ECU update. It sounds like it will be well worth it to get the improvement in lower RPM power.
 
#11 ·
I got the same info from my service dept today. Was down there looking at options for track bodywork for my 1299S.

I mentioned that there appeared to be an update available, they looked up something but didn't see any bulletins. They said the only way was to plug the bike into the diagnostics computer, it would then perfom the update is one was needed for the bike.

I got the impression that I wouldn't be charged for this.
 
#21 ·
I don't think it is ridiculous. If they told everyone every time an update came out their dealers would be constantly flooded with all the bikes. They could do it in batches/waves, but this is really what happens anyway when you go in for service....it gets connected up and this happens automatically. They can't do anything to the bike until it is finished getting the ECU current.
 
#13 ·
I have been trying to get my bike updated all week after I saw Frank's post, they were closed for the long weekend. I called Tuesday ready for a bit more power and told them an update had been issued , they finally acknowledged it came in today along with several updates for other bikes but "wasn't in their system to distribute yet "...... Guess it will be next week before I can get it although no cost was mentioned.

BTW, was there a heated grip update ? as with others, mine ran really hot until they installed a new throttle assembly (but not switch assembly) a few weeks ago. Now it's more like what you'd expect High (not low) is hot but not burning.
 
#14 ·
Mine is going to get plugged in again this weekend so they can finally enable/activate my damned fog lights. We'll see what new came out again this week and I'll update again. ;)

BTW...there is an internal Ducati Service document named "Tips & Tricks - Multistrada 1200 Model Year 2015" that calls out all known bugs/symptoms and fixes. I have only page 3 of this which lists problems #6 and #7.....so I know they know about at least 7 issues throughout production so far. My bike (early first US wave bike, ser. # in the 700's) ended up not having an issue with #6 (fog light wiring swap, harness problem that comes with the light kit) or #7 ("improper alignment of upper front headlight fairing with air conveyor"). Stay tuned....
 
#15 ·
It should be borne in mind that the updates are issued at different times for different regions. There are different updates for different region models e.g. US, UK, Australia etc. due to different emissions, controls, lighting etc. requirements. Updates include in a model/region patch are not necessarily included in the patch for other regions.

Also, unless specifically stated, Ducati do not consider most of the updates to be mandatory. Therefore they are not covered as a separate exercise under warranty. When you take the bike in for a service or fix it should be connected to the DDS system and updated as a matter of course.
 
#20 · (Edited)
OK, went to the dealer again this morning and I am happy to report my fog lights are now enabled and working via the DDS 2.0 system. The activation was buried in some new menus and they didn't see it last time. Since they had to connect it up to the system again, it got two more updates:

7/11/2015 connection to DDS 2.0:
1.) Handsfree Update (ZADI control panel system)
2.) LED Headlight Update

My trip meters still reset. It could be that the above listed updates were simply related to activating my fog lights.

They also mentioned that the DDS 2.0 system is constantly getting a lot of updates during the week (at least twice a week they are dumping updates into it, this covers all bikes).

There is an internal Ducati tech bulletin I mentioned earlier. I got a peek at the whole thing but could not get a copy (other than one page I have, page 3). There are 18 known items on the list they are supposed to look for with quick solutions. Other than the ones I mentioned earlier, all of them are very trivial things that don't affect my bike so far (there was a line item for the seat staples at the rear of the seat). There is one though about the key fob not connecting to the bike (may get out of sync). The fix is to remove the battery for at least one minute from the key fob if you ever have an issue and everything will be reset. There was also a similar set of pages for the Scrambler, but I didn't look through those. (I had no time to snap a pic of it as I was being watched.)
 

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#22 ·
Got a 120 mile ride in this morning. I had the bike set in touring mode, but set the engine to full power.

Huge difference in acceleration from low down, 2nd gear at 35mph, men will wheelie opening the throttle fast.

No hesitation whatsoever.
 
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#23 ·
Got my 600 mile oil change/service done this morning. Was told there was a bunch of updates done.

I thought the trip meter issue was solved, as twice I stopped the bike, turned it off then on aaaand the trip meter wasn't zero. :grin2:

Then before I typed this, decided to double check.... nope... it zero'd out again :frown2:
 
#29 ·
vibration in bars and pegs, worse after ECU update?

Had my first service Friday at 700 miles, and the bike got a bunch of ECU updates. Another 200 miles in the past few days, and for the first time my hands and feet are getting numb from vibrations -- today began noticing in the first hour. The bike is definitely transferring more vibration to the handlebars and pegs than my '13 did, and appears to be vibrating more than before the first service. (My '13 did have aftermarket Barkbusters to protect those fancy turn signals that might have damped some of the resonance, but otherwise no special treatments.)

Could one of the ECU updates to the DSS system have made it worse? I wouldn't have thought so, but Ducati does say that the DSS Evo system is meant to reduce vibration transferred to the rider and passenger in addition to performing its regular suspension duties. . . .

What do y'all think?
 
#30 ·
........ and for the first time my hands and feet are getting numb from vibrations -- today began noticing in the first hour. The bike is definitely transferring more vibration to the handlebars and pegs than my '13 did, and appears to be vibrating more than before the first service......

What do y'all think?
well.

i test rode the (demo) DVT yesterday for the first time, and one of the things i noticed was the vibrations, but more so at the footpegs than elsewhere. not terrible nor a game changer, but not something i like either. i do not know if the actual ecu updates would make a difference unless they actually changed how the motor makes power, or where it does (higher up the rpm band).

pretty amazing bike i might add, but like with many other new models it has some teething problems as well.
 
#31 ·
I also have vibrations - more in right hand grip - has been there since new and also on demonstrator I tried - i am susceptible to vibration - had issue on last 3 bikes.


Mine had the service today - 3 updates - nothing major

3 Updates were -

Instrument panel Reprogramming (top do with heated grips)
Hands Free Programming
BBS reprogramming

Did not fix the trip meters

Weather was real bad today - so no chance to ride it hard on way back - but no noticeable difference to before it went in

My only issues were Trip Reset and Right Hand Heated grip is cooler than left - still is after the update. (seems no different - dealers says all in spec)

So nothing on fueling needed in Europe - so maybe this issue on power / fueling is just USA related?
 
#33 ·
....
Did not fix the trip meters
.....
that is a bummer.....running out of fuel once taught me to never depend on a fuel gauge. having to use the odometer isn't terribly difficult just an unnecessary nuisance. there should have been a fix by now.
 
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#35 ·
As a HW/Systems (and sometimes SW) engineer for a large silicon company, I can tell you that you may be forgetting about the marketing/finance/business profitability side of this....especially for a relatively small company building a very complex product. ;)

I am sure we both know how we likely don't get along with our marketing counterparts on occasion.
 
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#40 ·
I'm not suggesting for a second that promises were made that can't be kept - sounds like we both know that experience - I'm saying that, whatever is being done *should* be documented somewhere and, as such, could be made available to owners of the bike.

The points we're both making cut both ways. If they're a small company, they should be very efficient with what they're doing, as such, documenting changes is important so everyone knows what's going on.

I work for a startup, btw, so I know that things fall through the cracks but this isn't that. We're talking about changes to systems that affect people's lives and can impact our lives in very serious ways if done wrong.

Clearly this is all moot because we don't have that available to us (you'd think my ~$24k subscription would be worth something... lol) and we're just talking about possibilities.
 
#36 ·
Discussing the trip reset with authorities in the industry, the presumption is that the dash is made third party and not accessible to updating via Ducati/Ducati Dealer techs. Their best guess will be a swap out of dash, or sending dash out for re-flashing to authoring third party. I will not be happy if they require my dash sent out to reprogramming. Stay tuned...
 
#37 ·
It is made by a third party (ZADI Group). I posted a link to them early in this thread. As a matter of fact, if you go yo their website you'll see most of the electronics from your DVT there as examples (headlight and taillight pods, etc.).
 
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