scarpa moto, barendrecht, 2993 ln, rotterdam

13-07-2011, 11:28 AM

It wasn't a good start to our Assen trip – the first thing needed when we rolled off the ferry at Rotterdam was a Ducati specialist! While queuing to get through passport control, I rang the Ducati helpline while Stuart (hubby) Googled. By the time we were through passport, we knew that we only had to get 35km to Barendrecht on the south side of R'dam and hope they had spares to effect a repair. After a few trips round the block (no sat nav for us!) we stopped at a petrol station to take stock of where we were. A friendly Dutch bike copper came to our assistance and gave us an escort to the door – to the bemused and slightly worried looks of Bert and Roland...

They were stars. All fixed and back on the road in about 30 mins. Done at cost with a superb coffee and proper mug of tea thrown in, as well as plenty of good humoured banter.

They are Ducati specialists, rather than dealers, with the emphasis on the workshop rather than the showroom. Ronald has been working on Ducatis for over 30 years so no wonder he's got Ducati mechanic of the year awards. Bert put every penny he had into the venture and it seems to be paying off. You certainly couldn't ask for a better pair of 'can do' chaps when you need help.

So without any hesitation, I'd recommend Scarpa Moto, Kolding 20, 2993 LN, Barendrecht tel 0180 614715 www.scarpamoto.nl
They are behind the big Ikea if you ever need to find them.

I hope you don't need them like we did – a bummer of a drop at the port snapped the lever off my gear changer leaving only a stump and ten days (1,800 miles as it turned out) wouldn't have been easy with that. Without these guys, I'm not entirely sure how our holiday would have turned out.

13-07-2011, 11:28 AM	#1
Desmond Guest Posts: n/a	scarpa moto, barendrecht, 2993 ln, rotterdam It wasn't a good start to our Assen trip – the first thing needed when we rolled off the ferry at Rotterdam was a Ducati specialist! While queuing to get through passport control, I rang the Ducati helpline while Stuart (hubby) Googled. By the time we were through passport, we knew that we only had to get 35km to Barendrecht on the south side of R'dam and hope they had spares to effect a repair. After a few trips round the block (no sat nav for us!) we stopped at a petrol station to take stock of where we were. A friendly Dutch bike copper came to our assistance and gave us an escort to the door – to the bemused and slightly worried looks of Bert and Roland... They were stars. All fixed and back on the road in about 30 mins. Done at cost with a superb coffee and proper mug of tea thrown in, as well as plenty of good humoured banter. They are Ducati specialists, rather than dealers, with the emphasis on the workshop rather than the showroom. Ronald has been working on Ducatis for over 30 years so no wonder he's got Ducati mechanic of the year awards. Bert put every penny he had into the venture and it seems to be paying off. You certainly couldn't ask for a better pair of 'can do' chaps when you need help. So without any hesitation, I'd recommend Scarpa Moto, Kolding 20, 2993 LN, Barendrecht tel 0180 614715 www.scarpamoto.nl They are behind the big Ikea if you ever need to find them. I hope you don't need them like we did – a bummer of a drop at the port snapped the lever off my gear changer leaving only a stump and ten days (1,800 miles as it turned out) wouldn't have been easy with that. Without these guys, I'm not entirely sure how our holiday would have turned out.