Quote:
|
Originally Posted by fookman
It's not so bad that I can't ride the bike, but thanks for the offer Grif. Actually I love riding this bike it rides beautifully and handles terrific on the mountain roads. Honestly it's not even that much of an eye sore for me, it's the principle. I am a QA Director and have been doing this shit for 10 years. If a customer complains about the quality of a product because it fails to meet the specifications and I don't think anyone expects the exhaust system to rust in this way, then I must do something. After my customer service experience from sales buying the bike I knew that my relationship with the dealership was going to be a bumpy one. Anyway I will live and if DNA and the Peninsula Ducati stay apathetic about the problem I may truly think twice about ever purchasing a 2nd Duc. Maybe I will go with a nice Moto Guzzi next time? I always did like their look too.
Anyway thanks for the input with this issue all. I will repost in this thread if something good happens.
fook  |
A good dealer makes all the difference. Where's Redwood City? If you're anywhere near the Bay Area, there are good people there. Find one that is interested in good customer service, even if it means extra driving, and even if it means extra money, and you will find it well worth it.
Here in San Diego, I go to one who is known for being more expensive, but I feel well taken care of every time; they take a real interest and really help solve any problems, and they're honest and trustworthy. And it may even be cheaper in the long run as well. For example, at about 110,000 miles, the rear end was feeling a bit loose, so I went around pricing rear shocks. I had kind of assumed the original one was going to need replacement at that mileage, so I was figuring maybe upgrading to an Ohlins or something. A couple of other shops gave me some prices. When I then went to my regular dealer, the mechanic decided to check first to see if I really needed one. He came out and said "Well, I'd really like to sell you a new shock, but this one still works. It needed a nitrogen charge. I took care of it. Have a nice day." Ya know, that can make up for a lot of slightly higher charges on some other items.
Also, the good dealer is needed to deal with the Italians. After decades of experience with everything from Vespas to Alfa Romeos, I have found that the Italians pretty much figure that if it doesn't make it go faster, it isn't really important. And if you're complaining about something not working that doesn't directly bear on the driving/riding experience, you're just a whiner and you should just get over it.
I find that the experience is not improved by anality. Do the maintenance, ride the pants off it, don't sweat the small stuff, and it'll work just fine. Others may look at my bike and disagree with my philosophy, but I've gotten my money's worth out of it long ago, and I'm not near done with it yet.
PhilB
Linear Mode
