HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR 600mile SERVICE?

[herm]

You can take your bike to the cheapest tech/shop out there.

I'll take mine to one of the best.

<snip.........>

me too

[clubhousemotorsports]

I have to say that yes I do agree that a oil change should not cost that much. Basic parts costs don't vary that much although oil can vary a great deal in cost, this certainly is a wild card in the pricing.

My point was not the cost of an oil change but to explain that not all shops do just an oil change. If thats all you want then thats all you should get and pay for. Many long time Ducati shops do more for a reason, experience.
Although we all would like to believe these bikes are rolled out of the heavens assembled and designed to absolute perfection the reality is a bit different. People make mistakes on all levels from the engineers to the guy putting the bike in the crate (and every one that touches it afterwards).  The dealer is the support crew that is to help prevent and CATCH these problems before they cause a larger issue. If the shop feels the bike should have part x looked at to make sure something is right , they should tell you and if you choose to not have them look it is your call.

My former shop used to do a very extensive PDI (pre delivery inspection) as well as a very in-depth 600-1000 mile service. The reason was to keep the bikes running as trouble free as we could, no shop wants to do repair work in the busy season. It worked very well for us and we had a great following of very happy customers.
Heck if i had my way you would all be having your valves adjusted at  3000 miles and then every 10,000 after that.

The first service (now read oil change) is for break in purposes, thats it.  As you state it is a "check service" but who would not set something right if it failed a check?
No other time in your bikes life do you use such a short interval. There are many things that change during break in and not all of them are connected to engine oil. cables seat in housings, linkages on shifters and throttles find a new home. Chains have come a long way but even they sometimes need readjusting. Sometimes it takes a few hundred miles before that loose bolt behind your camshaft pulley starts to work its way out.

These bikes do have a warranty, few are happy to have to use it. Down time during riding season is never fun and who wants to get stranded if it was a bike stopper.
Just read the threads on here about bikes that are down for problems. What if there was a increased chance that these problems would be caught simply by having the bike looked over with a critical eye by a knowledgeable mechanic. Some would not care but I would bet many would. Another plus is that the more problems you find at the 600 mile service these will most likely be while the bike is still under warranty. I have seen plenty of Ducati's that have way less than 6000 (7500) miles by the time the warranty is up.

"nothing you can say or show me will ever, ever, EVER justify the fact that the same job was charged $350 somewhere else."

This is some of my point, It may NOT be the same job. Just the same interval and thats why you should just talk to the shop you are thinking of doing business with.
It also is not my intention of trying to sway you from your fully entrenched beliefs , just to let people know that as always there is more than one side to any story.
I would still be happy to sit down and have a cold one while swapping horror stories.

[somegirl]

FTR, I don't go to Nichols because of their prices.  I go there because they do a great job and I trust them.

[lucazuma]

I have to say that yes I do agree that a oil change should not cost that much. Basic parts costs don't vary that much although oil can vary a great deal in cost, this certainly is a wild card in the pricing.

My point was not the cost of an oil change but to explain that not all shops do just an oil change. If thats all you want then thats all you should get and pay for. Many long time Ducati shops do more for a reason, experience.
Although we all would like to believe these bikes are rolled out of the heavens assembled and designed to absolute perfection the reality is a bit different. People make mistakes on all levels from the engineers to the guy putting the bike in the crate (and every one that touches it afterwards).  The dealer is the support crew that is to help prevent and CATCH these problems before they cause a larger issue. If the shop feels the bike should have part x looked at to make sure something is right , they should tell you and if you choose to not have them look it is your call.

My former shop used to do a very extensive PDI (pre delivery inspection) as well as a very in-depth 600-1000 mile service. The reason was to keep the bikes running as trouble free as we could, no shop wants to do repair work in the busy season. It worked very well for us and we had a great following of very happy customers.
Heck if i had my way you would all be having your valves adjusted at  3000 miles and then every 10,000 after that.

The first service (now read oil change) is for break in purposes, thats it.  As you state it is a "check service" but who would not set something right if it failed a check?
No other time in your bikes life do you use such a short interval. There are many things that change during break in and not all of them are connected to engine oil. cables seat in housings, linkages on shifters and throttles find a new home. Chains have come a long way but even they sometimes need readjusting. Sometimes it takes a few hundred miles before that loose bolt behind your camshaft pulley starts to work its way out.

These bikes do have a warranty, few are happy to have to use it. Down time during riding season is never fun and who wants to get stranded if it was a bike stopper.
Just read the threads on here about bikes that are down for problems. What if there was a increased chance that these problems would be caught simply by having the bike looked over with a critical eye by a knowledgeable mechanic. Some would not care but I would bet many would. Another plus is that the more problems you find at the 600 mile service these will most likely be while the bike is still under warranty. I have seen plenty of Ducati's that have way less than 6000 (7500) miles by the time the warranty is up.

"nothing you can say or show me will ever, ever, EVER justify the fact that the same job was charged $350 somewhere else."

This is some of my point, It may NOT be the same job. Just the same interval and thats why you should just talk to the shop you are thinking of doing business with.
It also is not my intention of trying to sway you from your fully entrenched beliefs , just to let people know that as always there is more than one side to any story.
I would still be happy to sit down and have a cold one while swapping horror stories.

...ducvet,

turns out we are saying the same thing. I am 100% with all you said.

I guess i have to apologise because my English was not clear.

I will try again 

when i say: "nothing you can say or show me will ever, ever, EVER justify the fact that the same job was charged $350 somewhere else."

i mean same job compared to same job.

to be more clear:

shop A

-oil change (oil X)
-oil filter
-cruch washer
-chain check (eventually adjustment)
-brake, clutch check



total: $115


shop B

-oil change (oil X)
-oil filter
-cruch washer
-chain check (eventually adjustment)
-brake, clutch check



total: $350


and we are assuming that THIS specific service does not require more than 1hr labour...

^^^^^^^^^^^THIS is unacceptable^^^^^^^^^^^^

[lucazuma]

You can take your bike to the cheapest tech/shop out there.

I'll take mine to one of the best.

...Nate, this statement has nothing to do with this thread.

You are assuming that the most expensive is the best. (?) I can garantee you that in the great majority of cases it is NOT the truth.

In the LA area i can assure you that the best is not even close to any Ducati Dealer....

but again, this is absolutely not the point.

...and Luca...

the man said a 600 should consist of more than just an oil change...

I know he has the experience to justify that statement.

It's the same as Ducatis "new" valve clearance specs.

Did the motor change?...No.

It's marketing kids...

a Duc with closers at 2 thou will beat the half rings to death.

....agian i apologize for my poor english. But the topic here was supposed to be wheather your dealer has screwed you by charging you too much for a service that should not cost more than $200 (regardless of oil and labour rates).

NOT getting into what should or should not be done
NOT getting into who is a good mechaninc and who isnt

simply trying to quantify how many Ducati Dealers are screwing fellow riders....

To tell you the truth, Nate, for some reason i thought i was trying to help out and find a way to give usefull information to fellow riders and avoid people to get screwed...but i feel like some one out there, is not only NOT apreciating the effort, but infact throwing wrenches at my wheels...

Is it just my impression? I really hope so.

[herm]

at the risk of stubbing my toe....
i dont think anyone is throwing is a wrench in your spokes luca,.....at least i hope not.

however, i for one misunderstood some of the points you were trying to make. thats ok, 'cause im an idiot, and i was glad to see that i misunderstood your point of view.

that said, there is another way to deal with the issue that your post was originally about (unscrupulous dealers, right?)
take your business somewhere else. find another dealer if possible, or any reputable bike wrench, and work on building a relationship there.
if its anything like i remember from working in a bike shop, they make most of their money in parts and service, and selling used bikes, not the new model stuff. so taking your bike service, and parts/ accessories spending somewhere else is definitely going to have an impact.

edit: thats not to say that letting DNA know about dealers who are overcharging (350 vs. 150) for "same service" is a bad thing

[lucazuma]

at the risk of stubbing my toe....
i dont think anyone is throwing is a wrench in your spokes luca,.....at least i hope not.

however, i for one misunderstood some of the points you were trying to make. thats ok, 'cause im an idiot, and i was glad to see that i misunderstood your point of view.

that said, there is another way to deal with the issue that your post was originally about (unscrupulous dealers, right?)
take your business somewhere else. find another dealer if possible, or any reputable bike wrench, and work on building a relationship there.
if its anything like i remember from working in a bike shop, they make most of their money in parts and service, and selling used bikes, not the new model stuff. so taking your bike service, and parts/ accessories spending somewhere else is definitely going to have an impact.

edit: thats not to say that letting DNA know about dealers who are overcharging (350 vs. 150) for "same service" is a bad thing

...im sorry again for the lack of clarity...i hope i made it clearer if not please let me know 

and YES of corse take your business somewhere else is the ultimate way to go....

BUT in order to know where to bring your busyness, you need to also know where NOT to bring it....hence the request to give indications not only on how much you paid for service but most importantly WHERE...and what you got for your money

That way we can indicate secifically to DNA who is not doing a good job by over charging (and usually blaming it on Ducati) AND to all fellow riders, which shop did what, how much they charged etc.

and give us Ducati owners the chance to freely decide where to go knowing what to expect and not get screwed...

Together with a chance to give back to the MANY qualified, honest mechanics out there who do a great job and charge what is fair and have deserved and earned our respect and busyness.

cheers
so post up!!

ps: i dont even own an '07 or recent Duc...

[ducpainter]

...Nate, this statement has nothing to do with this thread.

You are assuming that the most expensive is the best. (?) I can garantee you that in the great majority of cases it is NOT the truth.

In the LA area i can assure you that the best is not even close to any Ducati Dealer....

but again, this is absolutely not the point.

....agian i apologize for my poor english. But the topic here was supposed to be wheather your dealer has screwed you by charging you too much for a service that should not cost more than $200 (regardless of oil and labour rates).

NOT getting into what should or should not be done
NOT getting into who is a good mechaninc and who isnt

simply trying to quantify how many Ducati Dealers are screwing fellow riders....

To tell you the truth, Nate, for some reason i thought i was trying to help out and find a way to give usefull information to fellow riders and avoid people to get screwed...but i feel like some one out there, is not only NOT apreciating the effort, but infact throwing wrenches at my wheels...

Is it just my impression? I really hope so.

I think my English is the problem here.

I'm not trying to diminish what you're trying to point out at all.

My take on it is the consumer market is all about perceived value.

If you think you got screwed...you probably did.

My point is it shouldn't be about the price but more what you are getting for your dollar.

If a tech I trust says that a simple oil change at 600 miles isn't enough...

I'll go with what the guy who will end up fixing it when it breaks suggests.

DNA is trying to sell bikes...period.

They have made claims that the 'new' Ducs need less maintenance for the sole reason of making the Ducati marque more competitive in price.

I call bullshit...

I've been around bikes a long time and an oil change isn't enough at 600 miles...on any bike.

That the only point I was trying to make.

Rip off dealers are a completely different topic.

[calscrazy]

i try to always use advanced motorsports in alvarado,tx (also has a dallas store). jeff, mark and the crew always make me feel comfortable when i drop my bike off. however the biggest problem recently i had to use another dealer because he has people coming in from all over the state to work on their bike and he was just to backed up. the other shop wasn't all bad but i don't trust them the way i do AMS-A. if i can do it myself i do if i can't (valve job, tire mount) it goes to the dealer. a bit pricey per hour (another local dealer is 25 per hour cheaper ) but i "TRUST" them so it's worth it to me. try to find a good local tech on the side to save money. we have one in dallas i have yet to use but everyone else swears by and once my warranty is up he will get my valve job work. as it was explained to me by another rider "if you are worried about price then you shouldn't have bought an exotic!" although i don't agree with that statement there is something to expecting to spend a lil' more money on a ducati vs. one of the big 4.

[Murdered Monster]

I paid $220 for mine, but that was with installing the 14t sproket also.

[Statler]

I think one thread covering all the dealers in the US is a touch ambitious.     Safest thing is to ask the experienced guys near you geographically.   Most of the guys near me who have been into Ducs longer than I have been alive don't even venture into the general forum.


I'm truly not trying to be a downer on this one....honest...

In fact, I'll stay out of it from now.

sorry.

[zedsaid]

I think one thread covering all the dealers in the US is a touch ambitious.     Safest thing is to ask the experienced guys near you geographically.   Most of the guys near me who have been into Ducs longer than I have been alive don't even venture into the general forum.


I'm truly not trying to be a downer on this one....honest...

In fact, I'll stay out of it from now.

sorry.

Yeah, who do you think you are?  You think you run this board or something?  Sheesh... some people.   

can't we all just have some  ? 

I honestly don't know that anyone's actually upset at anyone in this topic...  Everyone is saying the same things... they're just emphasizing different parts. 

Same services should have similar costs (labor rate dependant)
Additional services are up to consumer as recommended by their chosen mechanic. 
If you're (or feel you are) being ripped off, don't repeat business.

Now, seriously, how do i unsubscribe to threads that i no longer want to follow?

[DarkStaR]

$107 @ http://www.nicholsmfg.com/

[lucazuma]

...posted up in some local boarsd, hope ot get a good feedback. 

[ducpainter]

<snip>
Now, seriously, how do i unsubscribe to threads that i no longer want to follow?

It's like windows...

click notify.