Independent Ducati mechanic? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Independent Ducati mechanic?

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NuggyBuggy

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Against all my better judgement, I'm looking at buying a 2011 Ducati that hasn't been ridden much - less than 15K kms and most of that probably in the first few years of ownership (only one owner). Bike looks mint and it is clear the owner has taken very good care of it and would start it a few times every month, but there are a few issues (DES errors, maybe seals or gaskets that need to be replaced, bike on original tires, partially stripped oil bolt, etc). I talked to Apex and GP and they told me they couldn't speculate until they see the bike.

I've offered to pick up bike from owner (after giving him full payment as deposit), trailering bike to service, seeing what they have to say and going from there.

Are there trustworthy independent Duc mechanics who might be less expensive, in the GTA? Hoping to get someone to give it a look in the next week or so.

I know it's a terrible position for a prospective Ducati owner to be in, but I'd like to be able to minimize the costs of getting this bike in tip-top condition while avoiding the tendency of some service departments to throw in the kitchen sink.
 
NuggyBuggy said:
Against all my better judgement, I'm looking at buying a 2011 Ducati that hasn't been ridden much - less than 15K kms and most of that probably in the first few years of ownership (only one owner). Bike looks mint and it is clear the owner has taken very good care of it and would start it a few times every month, but there are a few issues (DES errors, maybe seals or gaskets that need to be replaced, bike on original tires, partially stripped oil bolt, etc). I talked to Apex and GP and they told me they couldn't speculate until they see the bike.

I've offered to pick up bike from owner (after giving him full payment as deposit), trailering bike to service, seeing what they have to say and going from there.

Are there trustworthy independent Duc mechanics who might be less expensive, in the GTA? Hoping to get someone to give it a look in the next week or so.

I know it's a terrible position for a prospective Ducati owner to be in, but I'd like to be able to minimize the costs of getting this bike in tip-top condition while avoiding the tendency of some service departments to throw in the kitchen sink.
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Which bike?
 
"has taken very good care of it"
- would start it a few times every month
- DES errors
- maybe seals or gaskets that need to be replaced
- bike on original tires
- partially stripped oil bolt

Enough concerning items to say pass, in my opinion.
 
Wind Shear said:
"has taken very good care of it"
- would start it a few times every month
- DES errors
- maybe seals or gaskets that need to be replaced
- bike on original tires
- partially stripped oil bolt

Enough concerning items to say pass, in my opinion.
Click to expand...
To be fair, the owner developed health problems not too long after buying the bike which prevented him from riding and left it as a garage queen. Seals/Gaskets/fluids, that was what a service department told me when I described the situation. The bike itself looks mint. Even the panniers are still stored in their original boxes, carefully wrapped in the foam it came in.

But yeah, I do want to have someone knowledgeable take a look. I have a deposit on a 2014 at a (non Ducati) dealer, but it's twice as far as away (7-h each way, in the middle of nowhere) and I still won't have a chance to have a mechanic look at it....
 
Haven't bought (either) bike yet - I saw it a week or so ago, and have a deposit on another similar model.

Just talked to the owner again. I thought he was open to my picking up the bike and taking it for a look from a mechanic, but now it seems he is not. Even with full payment in hand, says he doesn't want it going down the road in a trailer from London -> Toronto He's pretty confident there can't be that much that the bike needs and that at the price he's offering, I should bear the risk. So I think that may be done as I am not sure I am comfortable taking that risk.


I do have a deposit on a 2014 GT in Quebec, it's $1500 more and has 40K Km on it (vs 14K) , no service records and I haven't laid eyes on it, but would come certified. I know that a bike that's been mostly sitting is not necessarily better than a bike that's been ridden regularly so not sure how concerned I should be about the extra km. The certification is worth something to me, but I similarly don't know if there's other issues that I won't be able to see. . The 2014 comes (stock) with crash bars and fog lights and is supposedly more fuel efficient.

This 2011 comes with full Termi exhaust AND the stock exhaust, and some other stuff (non-stock ECU, extra seat, spare set of also 13-y old tires, BMW riding suit, Ducati rear wheel stand, etc). I don't really have much use for the stuff nor care about exhaust, except that I might be able to part out and recoup some of those costs.

Decisions, decisions.
 
Relax said:
Is it dripping oil out the bottom? If not, then it's probably just the bolt head. Did you actually buy it, or just made an offer?
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I was wrong, it wasn't the oil drain bolt, it was a coolant drain bolt. He said he stripped it (over torqued) and then basically sealed it up with teflon (not JB Weld, I asked), and said he would flush coolant with a siphon. No sign of leaking.
 
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Relax said:
Is it dripping oil out the bottom? If not, then it's probably just the bolt head. Did you actually buy it, or just made an offer?
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Haven't bought it..... We settled on a price but now he's balking at me taking it for an inspection - doesn't want to assume the risk of me hauling it (even if I've paid him in full) and me returning the bike if don't like the number I get from the mechanic. I get where he's coming from, I think it's a good price, just not sure if I'm willing to take the risk myself.
 
Evoex said:
I would not be buying a used euro bike that set my spidey sense off without inspection.
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I hear you. I am already leery about buying a Ducati for reputed cost of maintenance but I'll be damned if it isn't a sexy bike.
 
I say this as a Ducati owner since 2000 that uses them as daily riders. They're great bikes, but if you don't know what you're looking for, and you can't get it inspected by either Ken or Giovanni, then you'd be crazy to buy it unless it's so cheap you can part it out for more than you paid. If he's the original owner, he should have the full service history. When were the belts last changed (the interval goes by years, not mileage)? Have you called a dealer to price out the Desmo service? Also, Ken has apparently stopped working on bikes older than a certain age due to parts availability. The dealers may have as well. That said, I heard Giovanni does house calls, so I'd be calling him up ASAP to see if he's doing a job out there anytime soon so he can stop by and look at it at the guys place for you. Just don't ask me how to get hold of him, he used to advertise on Kijiji. Maybe someone else will know. And start learning how to work on your own bike, it will save you thousands regardless (but especially) if it's a Ducati.

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