The crankshaft oil galley plug problem is well known by Ducati. Early-year bikes had problems with this plug backing-out. The early warning symptom is finding aluminum fingernail clipping size particles on the oil screen. If not caught in time, the plug will come all the way out and you'll get a catastrophic instantaneous loss of lubrication and big-end bearing failure.
Because it’s not staked or Locktited, when the plug backs out, it backs into the outer race of the left side crankshaft bearing. The race, being much harder than the aluminum, basically machines down the plug a little at a time until the sliver of the plug drops into the crankcase of the motor and the oil pressure light comes on. At that point, the oil pressure is used to pump the oil through the crankshaft and no oil gets to the rod bearings, crank bearings, or upper end of the motor because those places all require oil under pressure.
In a 2001 redesign, the aluminum oil galley plug was replaced with a steel plug. Ducati probably figured that the thermal expansion of the aluminum was causing it to back out.
If you've had all your oil changes done by a Ducati dealer you've probably got a good case for a warranty repair, even if you're beyond the warranty period.
It's clearly a Ducati's design defect, and in my opinion, it's fair to approach the dealer and claim that Ducati Service Bulletins and any properly (Ducati) trained service techs should have caught it.
[Edited on 5-6-2004 by Shazaam!]