Belts near disaster

[Barbara]

My 696 went in for an MOT and service including belt change yesterday. First day I've been out this year. I took it to a very reliable and trusted dealership. Lucky for me I asked for the belts to be changed even if the weren't quite due yet because the belts had worn and had some tears in them and were an accident waiting to happen. The previous belt change had been done by a small garage last March, before I bought the bike, and they had left the pulley(s) in such a way that the belts were scrapping against god knows what!! The mechanic who serviced my bike yesterday had to get the hoover out to remove all the crap left inside. I don't know what I can do about this as the bike wasn't mine when it had the previous belt change and I have only put 500 miles on it which in retrospect was a good thing. I am very lucky to have gone with my gut feeling to get the belts done. I know a lot of you do your own belt changes but I am posting this because there are obviously some D:grump::grump:ucati inadequate mechanics out there and we need to be wary.

[Mr Gazza]

I'm glad you caught it in time otherwise we would be reading another story!

The moral is really to check over a new bike yourself before riding and then you know for sure. Caveat emptor!

I bought a 750SS that the seller was really not sure about belt or tyre age age, so I said I would buy it, but he would have to deliver it. After the still running bike was switched off in my drive I paid for it, and then checked the belts and tyre dates... Slack and frayed belts, tyres 9 and 10 years old! No worries, I haven't attempted to start or ride it since, but this kind of condition is very common with second hand Ducatis unfortunately.

It could be worth your while checking the belts again after a few miles and make sure they are still tracking true. Someone on here posted recently that his new belts would not stay on the pullies correctly, and it turned out to be caused by (new) faulty tensioner assemblies running the belts off course. It could be that the tensioners were changed at the last belt change and have run the belts off? This will happen after the first few revolutions, so will be immediately evident.