HELP ME. Dealer says no go

I have recently had the flakey engine paint syndrome. I took bike to my dealer M & S Motorcycles in newcastle and they first of all showed a lack of enthusiasim towards the problem saying they had never heard of that before. They finally agreed to photograph the bike. After a couple of weeks they phoned and said that Ducati wanted an over all condition shot of the bike. As i have garaged and lovingly cared for the bike since i got it 8 months ago i thought that this would be the turning point and my bike would be re-sprayed at the least.

About a week passed and M & S phoned again and told me the answer from Ducati was NO when i asked for the Ducati UK phone number i was told he didnt have it .

I dont think i can trust the dealer.

i need some help from other members. Can anyone give me advice.
should i now hassle Ducati UK or should i seek legal advice?

Please help as i cannot except that an 8 month old bike should have paint peeling off the underside of the casings.

Terry do you have a contact at Ducati UK who is in the know about this problem.

Sounds like the old don't give a feck attitude from some dealers there chum,and know from my own monster flaking that Ducati want the condition shot to prove it is not a bin that is abused but if it is as good overall condition as you say you shouldn't have a problem(unless the warranty rules have changed again)Anyway get back onto the dealer who should do the chasing for you.If you call me on 0141 3334998 during the week I will get a number at Ducati for you....

Ducati UK are on 0845 1222 996 or e-mail, I think the address is info@ducatiuk.com. Their details are available on the ducati uk website. Good luck.
P.B.

The guy you need to contact is Peter Brooking (Marketing and Aftersales Manager) at pfbrooking@ducatiuk.com. I have the same problem - paint flaking (various engine parts and footrest hangers) on a well looked after bike within the warranty period. Even after contacting Peter Brooking I haven't got anywhere yet. I think the next step for me is legal action (or at least the threat of it). This is a very common problem and has happened to many members of this club. Most seem to have (in the past) had the relevant parts replaced under warranty but Ducati seem to have become reluctant to do this (certainly in my case). They are blaming the problem on salt corrosion. I don't ride my bike in conditions where the roads are likely to have been salted so I refute this - I believe it is a manufacturing fault. The wheels on my bike are painted alloy and there is no sign of flaking on them - but then they aren't made or painted by Ducati! Even if it is due to salt corrosion, salted roads are a fact of life in the UK and goods sold in the UK have to be fit for the purpose under the sale of goods act and its various ammendments; i.e. riding on UK roads in UK weather conditions. Good luck!

I am also suffering from flaky paint syndrome; on the oil and water cooler on my s4r. I'm pleased to say that my dealer (Duc Manchester) didn't even question it - just showed them the problem and they have agreed to replace them at the next service. An excellent bunch of peeps at Manchester; I can thoroughly recommend them.

Sorry but I feel like sounding off!

I don't give a f**k if the bikes been ridden to death in the foulest of weather and kept outside at night - paint shouldn't peel off engine casings or anywhere else in eight months. Somewhere in the law there is something about a product being fit for the purpose it was designed for and as this is a motorcycle that would include riding in bad conditions ( and then parking it up and going to bed as most of us aren't leading a life of complete leisure).

Maybe Ducati ought to make it a condition of sale that you have a centrally-heated garage and swear that you will towel it down if you are stupid enough to get caught in a short shower.

Unless you've been pouring acid over it they should sort it.

I feel better now!

Paul.

cheers people i will get in touch with ducati and fight my corner. its good to know there are other people suffering from this problem.

IpauloGTS i feel the same, how can a company charge about £5000 for a bike and when the paint flakes off in 8 months say its not their fault.

im going to isle of mann :twisted: on friday so i will give ducati a ring when i get back on the 11th.

Was about to post a similar question.

Mine is an 02 with 2 or 3 months left under warrenty. Flaking hangers and engine paint. Have spoken to a couple of monstrosities over the weekend and they had the same problem replaced..... Gotta get that letter away.

glad to hear that some people have managed to get it changed.... that means we all should!!!!

I feel a mass letter coming here......

Unfortunately, 'fit for purpose' has nothing to do with the cosmetics of your bike; it is all about whether it is has been designed correctly, is legal and mechanically sound to ride on the road, which is why your warranty covers everthing except 'consumables'. However, this does not detrtact from what has been written regarding flakey paint and that it shouldnt be happening on a nearly new bike. BUT... it doesnt stop you riding it, i.e. 'fit for purpose'.

Point taken Kev...

But to blame flaking paint on a nearly new bike on salt corrosion is a bit lame to say the least. If they have already sorted some other bikes then they really haven't a leg to stand on (morally if not legally). It should be Ducati footing the bill and not down to the whim of the dealer.

Paul.

Couldn't agree more Paul. It is unacceptable for customers who have spent, in the case of a Ducati purchase,, a considerable amount of money. If DP aftermarket parts are covered by a 2 yr guarantee what is the problem. If it aint right then fix it!!!

[Pedro]

I can't remember who told me but I seem to recall that Ducati "unoffically" acknowledged that they had a batch of engines of assorted sizes that suffered this problem. Apparently it's down to preparation of the cases prior to painting.

Either way, they should sort it.

Emailed Peter Brooking yesterday and he got back to me saying I need to take the bike to a registered Ducati Dealer for it to be assessed.

Shall be doing so at the weekend.

[CK & AK]

seems to be anything from Dec 01 to Sept 02 - and remember they could be in any bike being touted as new from dealers in 2004!

Found my M1000 engine is a 2002 built one - hence the probs at only 3 weeks old in mid Feb this year.....


C

I have the same problem and e-mailed ducati...this it the responce...

''Dear J Horne

Thank you for your recent email and we are sorry to learn of the problems you are experiencing.

We would be grateful if you could ask your dealer to inspect the damage to your machine whilst it is being serviced. The dealer will then be able to report to the Area After Sales Manager and discuss this matter further once all information has been obtained.

Thank you for your patience and we hope to have this matter resolved very soon.

Kind regards
Ducati UK Ltd''

i will be getting the dealer to look at it next week