Ducati Dealer Service (or lack there of!)

As with all my bikes in the first week I like to take them apart (not too far) and give them a full service just to make sure they are all as they should be. So seat and tank off, wheels off and pads out of the brakes and pistons checked.

Change all the fluids (still have the forks to do), all the filters and plugs. Coppa slip, Alu slip, or red grease all the service nuts and bolts. Change any dodgy fittings with some nice stainless and take off all the leavers and pegs clean and lube the bearing surfaces.

Fussy bugger me?

I had great hopes for this bike, full dealer stamps, major services on the miles or time intervals, receipts to prove what had been fitted, labour etc, etc.

The bike is an 2004 S4R

What I found was:

• Belts changed (I know this as I had it done before I picked the bike up and I have checked the manufacturing date)
• Air filter stamped 04
• Fuel filter stamped 03
• Oil filter stamped 12, and I think this is something they'd do as you can see the clean oil in the window
• Spark plugs just marked "Ducati" so I assume them are factory original and looking at the front one I'd say it was!

Ok I'm a little miffed but hey I'm not the one paying a Ducati main dealer £50 to £60 an hour to do the work and I'm not the one who was charged for items that were never fitted. If I was the old owner I'd be loosing the plot.

So a word of warning, if you have a Duke that is main dealer service, just check the simple items that you can get to with little fuss (air filter, plugs, belts) and ask to see the old parts.

That said the bikes now running correctly and I have a multiple Ducati owning mate checking the shims next weekend just to make sure.

[gary tompkins]

Where were these services (or lack of) done?

Just because a dealer is an official Ducati agent won't always mean you'll get good service unfortunately

this is rather worrying but could it be the dates that the parts are manufactured but not used for a few years. my evo is due a service and i'd prefer to take it to the dealer that supplied it in the belief that they would give a decent service.

Ducati and main dealership/importers work almost exclusively on Just in Time now so unlikely parts have been sitting on a shelf anywhere.

Originally Posted by Pomp1

.....unlikely parts have been sitting on a shelf anywhere.

Agree unlikely but not impossible, like the filter I bought by post from a dealer often recommended on here.
I phoned back to ask why the number was not the usual one and why it was not in a Ducati box as usual. I was told that they were now supplied loose and assured that the Part No was correct.

They had probably been stocktaking and found this filter hidden in a corner so sold it to me. The filter was probably ok but that wasn't the point as it was several years old and they lied to me - I've never used them since and I get a good service from JHP Coventry.

This is the email I had from Ducati UK:

"Thank you for your recent correspondence which has been passed on for my attention which I must apologise for the delay in my response, with regards to Ducati oil filter part number 44440032B which you purchased has been super-seeded twice to the new part number of 44440035A. All of the new oil filters come in a separate box but some of the older ones could be purchased in bulk which were not boxed.
Please contact your dealer I ‘am sure that they would change the filter for a newer type.

Yours sincerely

Steve Cox
After Sales Department"

[utopia]

Originally Posted by bluestoesonnose

Fussy bugger me?

Not at all.

I have to admit that I'm very wary of trusting ANYONE else's work on my bikes, be they main dealers, independants or whatever.
To be honest, I'm even a little wary of trusting my own work sometimes. ...sounds daft, but it keeps me on my toes.

A case in point...my 750 had 2000 miles on the clock when I bought it, and came with new belts and battery, fitted only 150 miles earlier.
It was a good job I checked the belts, because a fault on the double drive pulley had caused chafing of the outer edge of the teeth, with the result that the belt had moved outwards and begun to bandsaw its way through the belt covers. A few more miles would have seen a piece of plastic breaking away and falling into the teeth, being carried round to jam against the pulley, and probably snapping the belts.
The belt covers were full of dust and the score lines in the covers must have been developing since the bike was new, but the dealer merely fitted new belts and ignored the issue.
They had also left off the battery overflow tube, with the result that when the reg/rec failed on my first outing, the engine and frame were covered in acid.

I have also experienced factory trained dealer mechanics failing dismally to accurately measure closing shims, due to using an inappropriate tool. And this was also at a dealer who is well known and respected.

I'm not saying that dealers are inherently unreliable. Many do really excellent work, but a minority are shoddy and you only need to have one bad experience to cause a big problem.
So no ...you're definitely not being too fussy.

Don't want to name names as it can get nasty and I don't need that in my life but they are a big Duke dealer

[gary tompkins]

Fair enough. But unless we start putting names to bad service and workmanship, it won't help others falling into same trap, and there's zero incentive for the dealer in question to sort their act out.

Here here GT, totally agree.
Name and shame them Phil.
We also applaud on here for great service and there are some good places to take your bike.
Im really fortunate as Louigi Moto (Rich and Chris) do a fantastic job.

It's a quicky way of getting a nasty letter for their lawyer, not something I have any appetite for, sorry

So how will we ever know who this dealer (/stealer) was? I guess we won't... Hopefully it's a dealer down South and not up here...

[utopia]

Also..... its all too easy to be unaware of certain issues which mitigate the situation.
For example, my missing battery overflow tube could have been left off by the owner if he removed the battery to charge it before selling the bike to me. Or perhaps the pressure in the battery blew it off its connection and it dropped off the bike somehow.
Similarly, the mechanic who used poor technique to measure closing shims at the sales counter, may well have used a better method when actually working on an engine.
Ok, I'm slightly clutching at straws here, but then again there may be other factors that I haven't thought of.
Perhaps even the workshop may have employed one duff mechanic, subsequently dismissed, but who's bad work may continue to taint the reputation of an otherwise reputable workshop.
I'm loathe to post bad comments about anyone's work on a public forum unless I am certain, beyond any doubt whatsoever that I'm in possession of ALL the facts.
Better to post the good ones, and deal with the issue from that viewpoint.

I still can't think of a good excuse for the belt cover issue though, after five years.
It was a southern dealer, but that's all I'm saying for now.

[Blah blah]

I'm quite happy to recommend places, and on the other hand where I have experienced less than wonderful service I don't see why I shouldn't share this with others.

And if a number of people do start threads along those lines, then they may do something about it (or they will bury their heads in the sand as they've got your money)

Name and shame +1

[Cousin it]

The issues that naming and shaming can cause forums is not really worth the risk to the people who provide this for us, a better option would be to promote those who provide good service.

Ifyou're only being factual can't see how people can go off and sue.