Ducati repair in Seattle

creaturecat · 08-18-2009, 08:00 AM

Any suggestions? Need a valve adjust on a 1994 Elefant. The dealer in Vancouver(John Valk) refuses to work on bikes that they did not sell.

holtjv · 08-18-2009, 08:17 AM

You should get enough pelicans with ducs in the pnw who'll do it for beer...

Nice strategy, will have to remember that one...

jwasbury · 08-18-2009, 08:41 AM

You can do it yourself, if you're so inclined. Its not difficult. Change the timing belts while you're in there.

I've got the Pro-Italia 2V desmo valve adjustment instructional video which I could lend to you...its VHS though.

gtc · gtc's Garage

Ducati Seattle is actually a very good dealer. Their service (and sales) guys are very friendly. I don't have a Ducati (yet), but they took the time to give me some things to look for on the particular model I was shopping for.

Edit: Another endorsement

creaturecat · 08-18-2009, 09:12 AM

Thank you for the offer. What would I require in the way of specialty tools? I assume that I would have to buy a $400.00 shim kit as well.

creaturecat · 08-18-2009, 09:53 AM

I should mention that I am doing preliminary research. I have not purchased the bike yet. My Japanese bike mechanic, having worked on 2 different Elefants,just personally guaranteed that I will regret ever buying it. Having major second thoughts at this point in time. Time to back away, perhaps.

NICKG · 08-18-2009, 10:25 AM

i bought parts from Ducati of Seattle when I had my Ducs....and I am in NJ! they were always a pleasure to deal with!

holtjv · 08-18-2009, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creaturecat

I should mention that I am doing preliminary research. I have not purchased the bike yet. My Japanese bike mechanic, having worked on 2 different Elefants,just personally guaranteed that I will regret ever buying it. Having major second thoughts at this point in time. Time to back away, perhaps.

Ride it before you back off. If you're worried about maintenance issues you may have more with a ducati, but not necessarily.

If you want something with character, you won't find it on a japanese bike, imo.

jwasbury · 08-18-2009, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creaturecat

I should mention that I am doing preliminary research. I have not purchased the bike yet. My Japanese bike mechanic, having worked on 2 different Elefants,just personally guaranteed that I will regret ever buying it. Having major second thoughts at this point in time. Time to back away, perhaps.

What is your mechanic's reasoning? Assuming you are looking at a 900 elephant, if so, its the same engine as the 900ss and Monster. That's a great engine, and pretty simple to work on. I've owned my 900 Monster since new (1995) and once it was out of warranty (12months) its never been serviced by anyone but me. Its been a pretty reliable beast over the years. One possible achillies heel is the headstuds, which had issues for a number of years (including my 1995, but not sure of the 1994 models). That can be an expensive fix if you don't DIY.

I never bought a $400 shim kit...if I need a different sized shim, I go to the dealer with my vernier caliper and buy the one I need. Over 13 years and 30k miles, I now have 3 shims in my "kit"

HardDrive · 08-18-2009, 11:07 AM

I absolutely would recommend Ducati Seattle. I took my Monster there for its 6000 miles service, and they did an excellent job. Very knowledgable, friendly staff.

creaturecat · 08-18-2009, 12:15 PM

Sounds like Ducati Seattle is the place. Not 1 dealership in Vancouver will work on this bike. Or order parts for it. Not sure if I am comfortable with this situation.

nynor · 08-18-2009, 01:07 PM

get your parts online. the ducati shop won't have the parts you need for your bike and will be ordering them anyway, outside of chains, filters, etc.

jwasbury · 08-18-2009, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creaturecat

Not 1 dealership in Vancouver will work on this bike. Or order parts for it.

Are you kidding? What's up with that? I guess I've been lucky. I deal either with BCM Ducati in New Hampshire, or Ducati Manhattan when I need more instant gratification.

Curious what the asking price is on the Elephant...I've always liked them. They are pretty rare too.

creaturecat · 08-18-2009, 01:53 PM

$ 4000.00

Jeff Higgins · 08-18-2009, 02:18 PM

I'll second the endorsement for Ducati of Seattle. Wonderful people that either have, or can get, everything you need. Within Ducati circles, they are actually known as one of the best - if not the best - dealers in the land. Their name comes up time and time again on the Ducati forums when folks are looking for a reliable mail-order parts supplier, regardless of where they live. They ship far and wide across the U.S. and, I would imagine, Canada.

Don't let maintenance on a Duc concern you in the least. Compared to my 911, it is far cheaper and easier. Everything is much more accessible. Belts can be done in less than an hour with no special tools. The dirty little secret about the valves is they almost never require re-shimming once the motor is thoroughly broken in. Most guys check them at the suggested intervals and find they never need to adjust them.

The basic motor/chassis on these bikes are well known to be about as bullet-proof and reliable as any bike ever made. The electrical components, however, exhibit that typical Italian/English "quality" - or lack thereof. Fortunately, the cures for their electrical shortcomings are cheap and readily available. As a 1994 that is still on the road, it is likely they have been addressed by now anyway.

Probably my best endorsement for this basic platform is my experience with my own bike. It's a 1993 900 Super Sport that I have now owned for just about one year. I have put 14,000+ miles on it in this last year, with absolutely no issues of any kind. It now has over 43,000 miles on it. My friend ("cneilsen" here on Pelican) has a dead stock, all original '92 900 SS with over 50,000 miles on it. All he does is change the oil and ride the darn thing - never a mechanical issue of any kind. These are fantastic bikes, either in Ducati or Cagiva guise. I wouldn't fret in the least, or let your local mechanic put you off.

creaturecat · 03:00 PM

Thanks for your input, Jeff.
Just talked to Ralph at Seattle Ducati,
A breath of fresh air, that dealership

jwasbury · 08-18-2009, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

The dirty little secret about the valves is they almost never require re-shimming once the motor is thoroughly broken in. Most guys check them at the suggested intervals and find they never need to adjust them.

The basic motor/chassis on these bikes are well known to be about as bullet-proof and reliable as any bike ever made.

I can attest to Jeff's statements. Notice that I have "acquired" only 3 shims for adjusting my valves over 13 years and 30k miles. This is because they rarely need attention. The valve closing shims (one of the unique aspects of the desmo heads) have never needed adjustment on my bike.

There is only one potential weakness you should be concerned about as I mentioned earlier = headstuds.

If you do decide to go for it, I would research a bit to determine if the '94s were among the years that had headstud problems. If so, and the bike has low miles, and the studs are original be prepared for one to break at some point. The "bad" studs are a silver color. The replacement "good" studs are black.

greglepore · 08-18-2009, 03:43 PM

Bingo Jeff. Duc's are fine, so long as you don't treat them like appliances. Have a little mechanical sympathy, and it'll last forever. They don't suffer hamfisted 23yr olds well.

Jeff Higgins · 08-18-2009, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creaturecat

Thanks for your input, Jeff.
Just talked to Ralph at Seattle Ducati,
A breath of fresh air, that dealership

Yup, and Ralph is "one of us" - a Porsche nut from way back. He used to be here on Pelican quite a bit, and hang out with us at the XXX drive-in. Good guy.

creaturecat · 08-18-2009, 04:24 PM

Here is a pic of the Elefant