Warped disks

[mickj]

Took my M1200s into the stealership yesterday for another look at my crap fuel gauge (three senders and one dash changed already) and to report the front brake was pulsing very very slightly, only to be told my disks are warped. I asked if this will be covered by warranty, no they are consumables so are not covered so it will be £400 plus labour to repair. That's ****e, warped disks on a bike that has only had gentle use and it started when less than two years old, I first reported it in Apr.
I am going to clean out the bobbins and see if that improves things but if I eventually have to replace them has anyone got any recommendations of the best disks to fit?

[Albie]

Originally Posted by mjgt

Took my M1200s into the stealership yesterday for another look at my crap fuel gauge (three senders and one dash changed already) and to report the front brake was pulsing very very slightly, only to be told my disks are warped. I asked if this will be covered by warranty, no they are consumables so are not covered so it will be £400 plus labour to repair. That's ****e, warped disks on a bike that has only had gentle use and it started when less than two years old, I first reported it in Apr.
I am going to clean out the bobbins and see if that improves things but if I eventually have to replace them has anyone got any recommendations of the best disks to fit?

Ducati Ashford changed my front disc or discs cannot remember exactly on my 1100s under warranty. I didn't point it out either it was in for service.

[Mr Gazza]

Car and bike dealers/garages will change discs if a butterfly flaps it's wings in Brazil.

I've seen the skips at the back of garages full of perfectly good discs.

Did they check them with a dial gauge or just assume they could milk you for £400?

I think it would be unusual if both discs were warped if you only have a slight pulsing.

Check them yourself with a dial gauge or find someone who can. You can do it in-situ with a rightangle bracket off a fork pinch bolt or other handy anchoring point.

Once you have established that they are flat (or otherwise), You can give them an Italian tune up which should condition them back to normal.
Get up to a speed and apply long firm brake pressure.. As long and hard as you can, but don't lock up or come to a stop. Just ease them off and do it again.
The idea is to get the discs evenly hot and apply lots of friction. This will condition the entire surface evenly.
Good idea to clean the discs and pads beforehand with clutch and brake cleaner.

Of course this won't straighten warped discs, so if they measure up as warped then the only solution is to change the discs. I have used Arashi all round with joy for some years.

As a footnote; I have heard that it is often the carriers that warp and not the discs. There is a company that can straighten these.. I think it's Jerry that you need to ask?

Footnote 2; Re-reading your post and noting "gentle use". This could indicate that you have not got the discs hot enough to burn the patches off the disc that are left behind if you give it a wash, for instance, and put it away with moisture still under the pads. The reverse can happen too if the pads keep a patch dry when the rest of the disc is moist, say on a misty evening, or (perish the thought!) in a damp garage.
The Italian tune up fixes this.

[mickj]

Albie
My dealer is going to ask Ducati if they will change them but says it's very unlikely as they consider them consumables but if they say no I will point out that others, like you have had disks replaced. If that does not work I will contact Ducat directly, working on the principal that if you don't ask, you don't get.

Gazza
No dial gauge was used in the diagnosis, they just pushed the bike across the floor and said "warped". I don't have a dial gauge but I will check them myself when I get the chance, I didn't want to start doing anything myself before getting their view on it so I cannot be blamed for doing anything to cause the problem. If it turns out they are shagged I will take a look at Arashi.
What I mean by gentle use is I don't hammer the bike at all, (I used to be hard on my bikes but it got too expensive in tyres, chains and pads) so have learnt to ride as smoothly as I can so avoid hard acceleration and braking. When I wash the bike I use a blower so don't have any rust spots on my disks but will try the Italian tune up once I establish if the disks are warped or not.

[walkingpictures]

I started a thread on this very problem recently.One option suggested by the local Ducati dealers was to send them to this place in Sheffield: http://thediscdoctor.co.uk/ so maybe worth a look.

Kimbo

[mickj]

Thanks Kimbo, I will wait till Ducati get back to me before I start chasing around for a fix but I will keep this in mind.

[mickj]

Got a call from the stealer yesterday, Ducati have agreed to cough up for two new discs under warranty, I hope this includes pads as well. Just got to wait till they come into stock.

[walkingpictures]

Good result there Mick

[Luddite]

Great news!

Who's your dealer, Mick? Kudos to them for pressing your claim.

[mickj]

Originally Posted by Luddite

Great news!

Who's your dealer, Mick? Kudos to them for pressing your claim.

Riders of Bridgewater, been happy with them as they have been persistently looking at my fuel gauge problem for over six months. They have changed the fuel sender three times and the dash once but the fault is still there so are still looking into it. When the bike is in for testing they always give me a loaner. On the other hand, should I be pissed they cannot fix my bike?

[Flip]

There are some dealers that actually care about their customers so well done Riders (I have heard good things about them in the past).

I have to say, when I had my SRAD GSX-R750 I dealt with Redcar Motorcycles in Leicester and although the bike was (just) out of warranty they put successful claims through for new front discs (alloy carriers wore the bobbin mounts) and a pair of mirrors that mottled. They even sent out the recall parts for me to fit myself as I live on the South coast.

On the continuing fault issue though- personally after paying all that money for it I think I would be quite annoyed that my motorcycle couldn’t be fixed.

[mickj]

Well the discs were replaced today under warranty, let's just hope these don't warp as well. I call that a good result.

[walkingpictures]

Good result Mick,be interesting to see if the new discs last better than the old ones.

Kimbo