The bike is back together and in my garage. Tomorrow is shaping up to be a fantastic day weather wise and I plan on getting out the door by 8:00am. Once I'm done this post I will start mapping my route.
The verdict on the dealer experience? As good as it could have been. The dealer did right by me. The service manager was great to deal with and they really seemed to go above and beyond when returning the bike to me. In fact, me thinks they are reading this thread.
The clues were evident when I picked up the bike. First, it was covered in a sheet and presented like a new model at a dealer show or the lid coming off a gourmet meal. Second, it was attached to a battery tender which I referenced just a post ago. The contact from Jean through out my wait was great as well. So hey, A+ on the effort. I do appreciate it. Even had a designated time to pick up the bike and Jean came out to greet me rather than me walking inside. Helped me load the bike and everything.
So why do I still feel a little weird about everything? Again, nothing against the dealership. I think it's all a part of Ducati ownership. I think I'm a "Ducati Owner", not a Ducatista.
I bought the Ducati because of what it is, not the name on the tank. That's just a bonus! The bike being an 849cc twin, more potent than a 600 not as psycho as a 1000, single sided swingarm, Brembo everything, amazing styling, etc... it's really appealing to me. However, if this bike had "Honda" or "Suzuki" or "KTM" written on the tank, I'd love it just as much. I just wanna ride the bike. The Ducati club part isn't my thing. I don't know, maybe I have too much of a zip tie and duct tape mentality. It just feels more like a boutique than a motorcycle shop when I walk in.
Case in point, my rear tire. They wouldn't road test my bike because of the "dangerous" condition of the rear tire (And hey, I don't care. They replaced the radiator, not the heads. Keep the mileage off the bike). I cleaned the bike before bringing it to the dealer. Had to identify where the leak was coming from. Part of my routine is using WD40 to get all the stuck rubber and chain lube off the rim. Had it at a track day the weekend before and it was filthy. Some of the WD40 got on the tire. Okay, a good amount of WD40 got on the tire.
The dealer was so concerned about riding the motorcycle they had me sign a waiver indicating I understood they didn't road test it. Now c'mon, that's a little weird isn't it? First, a road test isn't all that important on this repair. But if it were, why not strap it to the dyno and run it? It's just strange to me that I had to sign a waiver acknowledging no road test and why. Felt eerily like a jab from one of the partners who helped me unload when I dropped the bike off. Made sure to let me know about the tire being dangerous.
Call me crazy, but that's a little naive IMHO. I mean, picture what the tire looked like. It's a Dragon Supercorsa Pro (a real one, not OEM) that has 3 track days at Calabogie on it. I mean, frightening looking to the uninitiated. But perfectly fine for a street ride. So, you're looking at this shredded track tire and you're concerned with the spots of WD40 on it? Personally I'd be more concerned with the ski slope on the right side. Trust me, it looks much worse than it really is.
Okay, whatever. Everyone has to cover their ass. I get it. Just doesn't feel like there are motorcycle people in there. More like Ducati people. For the record, I'll probably put 200-300 miles on that tire tomorrow.
As with all things on the internet I'm blowing this way out of proportion I know. I tech bikes at track days and you should see the stuff people try to get passed. Maybe I'm just desensitized to it all. I'm perfectly comfortable with that tire. But I'm glad they did what they did. Just weird with the waiver is all. What am I gonna do? Sue them if the radiator leaks because they didn't drive it up and down the street?
All that aside, the dealership experience was great. Jean deserves a raise for having to walk the line between the owners of the place and goofy customers like myself. I recommend anyone in the area check them out. I imagine you cannot do any better in the world of Ducati and I will keep my business with them...if they'll have me.
The dealer is: http://www.eurosports.net/?sid=enter
The verdict on the dealer experience? As good as it could have been. The dealer did right by me. The service manager was great to deal with and they really seemed to go above and beyond when returning the bike to me. In fact, me thinks they are reading this thread.
The clues were evident when I picked up the bike. First, it was covered in a sheet and presented like a new model at a dealer show or the lid coming off a gourmet meal. Second, it was attached to a battery tender which I referenced just a post ago. The contact from Jean through out my wait was great as well. So hey, A+ on the effort. I do appreciate it. Even had a designated time to pick up the bike and Jean came out to greet me rather than me walking inside. Helped me load the bike and everything.
So why do I still feel a little weird about everything? Again, nothing against the dealership. I think it's all a part of Ducati ownership. I think I'm a "Ducati Owner", not a Ducatista.
I bought the Ducati because of what it is, not the name on the tank. That's just a bonus! The bike being an 849cc twin, more potent than a 600 not as psycho as a 1000, single sided swingarm, Brembo everything, amazing styling, etc... it's really appealing to me. However, if this bike had "Honda" or "Suzuki" or "KTM" written on the tank, I'd love it just as much. I just wanna ride the bike. The Ducati club part isn't my thing. I don't know, maybe I have too much of a zip tie and duct tape mentality. It just feels more like a boutique than a motorcycle shop when I walk in.
Case in point, my rear tire. They wouldn't road test my bike because of the "dangerous" condition of the rear tire (And hey, I don't care. They replaced the radiator, not the heads. Keep the mileage off the bike). I cleaned the bike before bringing it to the dealer. Had to identify where the leak was coming from. Part of my routine is using WD40 to get all the stuck rubber and chain lube off the rim. Had it at a track day the weekend before and it was filthy. Some of the WD40 got on the tire. Okay, a good amount of WD40 got on the tire.
The dealer was so concerned about riding the motorcycle they had me sign a waiver indicating I understood they didn't road test it. Now c'mon, that's a little weird isn't it? First, a road test isn't all that important on this repair. But if it were, why not strap it to the dyno and run it? It's just strange to me that I had to sign a waiver acknowledging no road test and why. Felt eerily like a jab from one of the partners who helped me unload when I dropped the bike off. Made sure to let me know about the tire being dangerous.
Call me crazy, but that's a little naive IMHO. I mean, picture what the tire looked like. It's a Dragon Supercorsa Pro (a real one, not OEM) that has 3 track days at Calabogie on it. I mean, frightening looking to the uninitiated. But perfectly fine for a street ride. So, you're looking at this shredded track tire and you're concerned with the spots of WD40 on it? Personally I'd be more concerned with the ski slope on the right side. Trust me, it looks much worse than it really is.
Okay, whatever. Everyone has to cover their ass. I get it. Just doesn't feel like there are motorcycle people in there. More like Ducati people. For the record, I'll probably put 200-300 miles on that tire tomorrow.
As with all things on the internet I'm blowing this way out of proportion I know. I tech bikes at track days and you should see the stuff people try to get passed. Maybe I'm just desensitized to it all. I'm perfectly comfortable with that tire. But I'm glad they did what they did. Just weird with the waiver is all. What am I gonna do? Sue them if the radiator leaks because they didn't drive it up and down the street?
All that aside, the dealership experience was great. Jean deserves a raise for having to walk the line between the owners of the place and goofy customers like myself. I recommend anyone in the area check them out. I imagine you cannot do any better in the world of Ducati and I will keep my business with them...if they'll have me.
The dealer is: http://www.eurosports.net/?sid=enter