Recall

[| thE-paK araB roCker|]

I talked to my dealer and was told that the recall is actually an inspection and that would determine if they are to replace the VR or not. I suspect everyone will get the insulation and battery box upgrade. My appt is on Tuesday.

 

[yearlyattitude]

To add to Enzoso words above. It seems the letter that DNA sent out here to the paying customers in the states is not the same information they sent to the dealers here in the states.

The letter to the customers states: "It is necesary to REPLACE the voltage regulator, and install a heat guard between the voltage regulator and the engine exhaust. Also, the modified battery support will be installed" (with nothing sayed about any specific numbers or models).

I believe when something is either written down or verbally said regarding either business or personal affairs then that is what's suppose to happen. That is how I treat my paying customers and friends (I do all the time keep forgetting we live in times when no one is held to their words....written or stated and we seem to have a need for the commentators hashing it out trying to figure, "What did they really mean", lol).

What was sent to the dealers stated what serial numbers were affected and what serial numbers were "not" affected. This is where the words of inspecting come from when one is talking to dealers versus what the letter sayes (the dealers are going to look at your vin# to decide what to do).

Not sure why the dealer letter was not the same as sent to the customers as for as numbers affected or not affected, would have safed me some anger and understanding.

I called DNA today and expressed my dissatisfaction of what was being told from the dealers versus the customer letter. If the letters to the customers had been the same as was to the dealer then I would have never had to get so excited today...lol As I told them after 6 months or reading of all the VR's going down with no distinct pattern that I had no faith in my VR even if it was a good one.....I would always ride waiting any moment for it to die and close to home. After receiving my letter and reading I would get a new VR I was happy but then having DNA tell me that was not necessarily what the letter meant made me a very unhappy camper quickly.

Enzoso and I both supposedly fall into the replace all category, according to DNA. Tomorrow we will see how it all fares with a ride together to a dealer....hopefully I do not have to show my bad side again?

For information to all, if your vin# ends between 314 thru 18596 then you get all the new parts. VR, Heat Shield and battery bracket.

If your vin# is 19058 thru 19216 then you will only get the heat shield and battery bracket, no new VR.

(Not sure if this is only U.S. vin#'s or what, I did not ask that question)

In dealing with me today it came to DNA's attention that there was a missing section of vin#'s, 18597 thur 19057. From what I was told at the moment they are not sure what they are going to about that (again looks like no one proof read the letters, jmo).

 

[Alain O]

Just had mine replaced on Saturday. The recall kit contains a new VR, a new battery box, a heat shield, some adhesive heat tape and a couple bolts. The battery box is exactly the same, except it has 3 extra threaded holes to fasten the heat sheild to. The adhesive tape goes on the box, then the heat sheild goes on over top of that. The bolts you get are to hold the shield on, plus for some reason, they give you new bolts for the VR. Since the VR bolts directly to the battery box, the new heat shield should really help keep the temps down on the VR.

It's the quick job. Your dealer should be able to squeeze you in and out pretty quickly.

 

[Todd K]

Enzoso and I made our trip to the dealer today. Though I am not a dealer orienated person (try at all costs to stay away from them) and I am also quick to stand my ground with any hauty dealer folks, mechanics or anyone else in any business that does not treat a paying customer with respect. I am also fair enough to point out and give praise to the same folks when they do take the extra step making their customers first, not only in the actual service hands on work but just as important, how they talk and relate to me or any other customer.

When we to the Arlen Ness Ducati store in Ormond Beach. Immediately pulling into their service area we were greeted with a smile. As they checked the vin#'s as I referred to in the above post they also checked the lights, horn, clutch and brake controls. I had already taken the left side fairing off because even with the best mechanic crap happens...I just prefer to be the one who has the crap happen to since it was my money that bought it. The person who worked on mine fully understood, no negatives comments or smirks (a Gold star to him for just those two things alone). It took about 1 hour for my work to be done. Part of that being a cool down period as we drove 85 miles to get there. When they were done I was examining the work that had been added as "nitsuj" sayes above.

Since with most new wave dealers one does not get to go into the service area or watch I wanted to be sure I did get a new VR. The night before I had painted a heat resistant Yellow dot on the old VR in an area that could not be taken off easily and this was what I was looking for as I bent over. The mechanic/tech (old versus new lingo) saw and bent over to (not knowing what I actually was looking for) and very nicely started pointing out each individual item that had been changed. He showed me exactly the difference physically between the new VR and the old one. The new one has fins on both side of its housing and the old one only has fins on one side. That was all I needed to see and hear and thanked him very much.

This experience with this dealer today is how any dealership should be. If for any unknown reason in the future I am forced into going to a dealer, it will be with these people. Even their hourly charge rate of $80 (still high to my way of thinking for working on any bike) is kicking the bootay out of the dealer in our immediate area which is $130 an hour (this for mechanics only with a two week training course on Ducati's)!

On this visit Arlan Ness Ducati in Ormond beach gets A+ in its effort and customer realtion. As soon as I got home I gave Ducati North America a call to also put praise on this dealers efforts from a customers point of view. As much as I had belly ached day before yesterday to DNA I am quite sure they totally believe my words as being genuine.

 

[writerchick]

I forgot to add a note on something I thought was pretty unique. When the tech looked at my mileage at the dealer I heard him chuckle and say something but did not catch it. I thought he was probably laughing because the mileage was so low. Reading the receipt paper they gave me when I got home I saw why the chuckle. The mileage was exactly on 1098!!!!! I could not have done that if I had tried!