StoneY
Sigh... bloody Ducati servicing
by , 5th July 2010 at 17:28 (2467 Views)
Well, after my last blog entry Sissy the ST4 has had very little use (by my standards anyway) having only moved 2,600kms since her 'valve check' was done, oil filters tune blah blah.
On a run over the Pahiatua Track yesterday we noticed a few fresh spots under the bike, and a big black drip hanging off the paddock stand mount.
Having asked my 'regular' service agent to look into this issue before, (twice no less) and being told it was 'chain splatter, its nothing of concern' (they steam cleaned the area and ran her and checked again to be fair) I decided to head to a Ducati dealership for a health check on the bike.
Lo and behold, the hydraulic assembly where the clutch 'slave cylinder' is located was leaking hydraulic fluid... (at least it was not engine oil, but holy shit)...an issue I had asked more than once be investigated!
I actually picked this up when I had owned the bike for like a week and took it into the agent I got it from, cleaned, told 'it's no leak, its chain lube, don't put so much on'
So I let the chain run drier than I would like, so when we saw the fresh fluid build-up I was a bit pissed off.
NO WAY this was chain lube..... yes some lube was being washed off by the hydraulic fluid but no it was NOT chain splatter
Result is, new slave cylinder assembly required (no its not a replaceable seal, its pressed into the unit ffs) and having done hard speeds on a less than fully lubed chain, (that was getting hydraulic fluid dripped on it) the sprockets and chain are in need of replacement......soon at least anyway if not when the slave cylinder gets done.
What have I learned from this?
a: Do NOT let someone convince you its 'chain splatter' when your sure its got a source of flow, follow up and hassle the fuck out of the shop while the bikes UNDER WARRANTY!
b: Never run ya chain with less lube than you KNOW is right, (god I feel like a noob!)
c: Stick to the dealership that holds the franchise as far as servicing goes. These guys instantly knew where the leak was and why, and no one there tried telling me it was 'lube splatter'... they popped the cylinder off and showed me the failure!
Had I stood my ground 8 months back, this issue would be covered by warranty, sales agreements, blah blah blah.
Now...I face yet another 500 bucks of service cost that I could have avoided, and a new chain, new cogs (add another 500) and top it off, the rear Tyre is due too!!!!! (coincidentally)
I LOVE riding my Ducati, I love the looks it gets, I love the sound it makes, I love the way it handles....
.............I fucking LOATH the cost of keeping it alive.
Between the servicing costs, the re-paint needed (due to being vandalized by a fat drunken pathetic loser who most of ya know on these forums as The Black Stig) I am so over the Ducati factor......
Time to bring on the Daytona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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