[Rex in the Big Easy!]

There have been some developments in the saga...

After posting this thread here (and others on a few other boards), I sent an email to my dealer's service manager, including links to these forum posts. Several days later, I got a phone call from someone at Ducati North America. He said that he'd been forwarded my email by "one of [his] field reps" and he was very sorry for the experience I was having. He said that Ducati was going to extend my factory warranty by 2 years, and that he was working on how to do that for documentation purposes. I thanked him profusely for this, but I also pressed on the issue of the exhaust finish.

They'd previously told me that they didn't want to replace the exhaust because the problem would simply recur, and offered instead to have the bike's exhaust refinished and ceramic coated by a third party shop. I told him that I wasn't really satisfied with this solution, as it would result in a bike that was no longer "stock;" I feel that the whole value of this limited edition motorcycle is in its finish, and my fear is that their solution would decrease the value of the bike in the long term.

I asked him instead to consider replacing the exhaust system with the full Termi system... this would give me a bike that was still "stock," since the Termi system is a factory option, and this upgrade would show good faith on their part towards making things right. He told me that my request was very reasonable, and although he couldn't promise that, he would try to make it happen. I thanked him again for taking the time to call me personally.

A few of weeks later (last week) I got a call from the service manager at my dealership, who told me that they'd located a termi system on a "demo" bike that they were going to remove and ship to my dealership for installation on my bike. He said they'd received all of the titanium bodywork replacement parts, and that the rep said they were working on giving me something in writing regarding the extended warranty.

So... if they do indeed deliver on what they've promised me, I will be completely satisfied and my Ducati fanboy status restored 100 percent. I will post more updates as things occur, but this doesn't seem to be a quick process. I'm okay with that, as long as the end result is Ducati being true to their word.

Just wondering if you park it in controlled environment, no sunlight?

Whatever the case, after it gets fixed, I'd highly recommend a professionally applied 3-M Clear coat film...This shit seriously protects the finish over long term.

Check out Jay Leno's Garage applied on his McLaren.

All the best!

safe/calm

 

[RBRDKY]

Hey Rex,
The only rain my bike has ever seen in its 3K miles was when it was at the dealership. Otherwise, the only LIQUID the finish on my bike has ever seen is detail spray (XYMOL to be exact). The finish on the titanium doesn't appear to be able to stand up to any kind of liquids. I keep all my bikes in a climate-controlled garage.

I also collect Porsche automobiles and use 3M film on them... but I would be afraid to put ANY kind of film on the titanium panels on this bike... I mean if WATER will pull the finish off, I'm afraid you'd have a serious mess with the 3M adhesive, when/if you decide to remove the film.

But I agree that s**t is pretty amazing. Self-healing and very protective.

And hey Bonkers, if you notice in my original post, the tank and cowl panels WERE replaced, but the replacement panels did the same thing when the dealer left the bike in the rain. They're telling me that they have a "new batch" of body panels that doesn't have this problem... but I am suspicious of a batch run of replacement body panels for a 500 bike production run... doesn't seem to add up. But who knows, maybe they're planning a recall or some such. I can say that if ALL the Titanium models have this problem (and i susupect they do), and if ALL of the bikes hypothetically were to be sold, they'll certainly end up with 500 pissed-off customers for whom they'll have to produce replacement panels... maybe they've realized this. At any rate, I would def ask them about the "new batch" business, and ensure that your replacement parts are indeed from this lot.

Just wondering if you park it in controlled environment?

Whatever the case, I'd highly recommend a professionally applied 3-M Clear coat film...This shit seriously protects the finish over long term.

Check out Jay Leno's Garage applied on his McLaren.

All the best!

safe/calm

 

[RBRDKY]

In thinking about all of this tonight, I remembered seeing an official Ducati promotional video for the Titanium where they were showcasing the hands-on production of the Ti panels on the bike. So I just searched it up, wondering if there was any footage of the spraying of the coating... I've reposted it here in case anyone has any interest. You can see the guy spraying the finish for exactly 1 second at 0:35. Obviously this is a promotional video, and certainly the footage is staged, but here it is fwiw.

Man I remember seeing this video when I was still lusting after this moto and getting the big <SCHWING> watching it. I totally drank the whole damn Kool-Aid pitcher. The emotional piano music, the high quality of the video production... It sounds corny as hell now, but I could almost FEEL the passion of craftsmen hewing this sheet of exotic metal into a work of art and beauty.

But srsly, watching this video really helped clinch my decision to buy the bike. Now don't get me wrong, I STILL think it's a fantastic and stunningly beautiful machine, it's just got a serious (and probably very embarassing for Ducati) flaw in the finishing process. If this is resolved, as they are promising me it will be, I'm still happy with my purchase.

And ya know... the more I think about it, the more I think they will almost HAVE to do a recall on these bikes for this issue. It's really the only way it makes sense to produce an entire batch of body panels made of nearly weightless, highly exotic, and expensive metal for only 500 bikes. Almost as if it is planned. If this turns out to be true, it'll probably be a bit of a fn headache for Ducati... but then again, it IS only 500 bikes (and who knows how many were actually sold?). But for buyers, it would indeed be really good news.

Anyway, here's the vid:

sorry for rambling on

 

[Oneup008]

This may sound cra cra, but I just used a spray can of FlexiDip flat black on a stealth model gas tank with nice results. It's a rubber/plastic coating that is easily removable but don't quote me on that lol. Although in my case removal was easy and showed no damage underneath. If you match your color you might not even be able to tell the difference, except for the less than smoother clear coat feel. Anyways it seems it will protect against spills, possibly scratches, and the environment in general. I would obviously test it on an inconspicuous spot first of course for approval, before slathering the tank in it. He, he!

 

[Rex in the Big Easy!]

In thinking about all of this tonight, I remembered seeing an official Ducati promotional video for the Titanium where they were showcasing the hands-on production of the Ti panels on the bike. So I just searched it up, wondering if there was any footage of the spraying of the coating... I've reposted it here in case anyone has any interest. You can see the guy spraying the finish for exactly 1 second at 0:35. Obviously this is a promotional video, and certainly the footage is staged, but here it is fwiw.

Man I remember seeing this video when I was still lusting after this moto and getting the big <SCHWING> watching it. I totally drank the whole damn Kool-Aid pitcher. The emotional piano music, the high quality of the video production... It sounds corny as hell now, but I could almost FEEL the passion of craftsmen hewing this sheet of exotic metal into a work of art and beauty.

But srsly, watching this video really helped clinch my decision to buy the bike. Now don't get me wrong, I STILL think it's a fantastic and stunningly beautiful machine, it's just got a serious (and probably very embarassing for Ducati) flaw in the finishing process. If this is resolved, as they are promising me it will be, I'm still happy with my purchase.

And ya know... the more I think about it, the more I think they will almost HAVE to do a recall on these bikes for this issue. It's really the only way it makes sense to produce an entire batch of body panels made of nearly weightless, highly exotic, and expensive metal for only 500 bikes. Almost as if it is planned. If this turns out to be true, it'll probably be a bit of a fn headache for Ducati... but then again, it IS only 500 bikes (and who knows how many were actually sold?). But for buyers, it would indeed be really good news.

Anyway, here's the vid:

sorry for rambling on

LoL! Whatcha bet that craftsman's ass is on the chopping block, or even unemployed.

Then again, typical Italian design logic...Just like the woes with XDiavel drive belt unreliability.
IMO, not enough I's dotted, T's crossed before final product introduction.

 

[greenbobby13]

Hello all! Im just now joining the group and about to purchase my first diavel and it being a titanium, this thread has worried me. Its #030 and only has 3500 miles on it so its been gently used and is a one owner bike. The dealer that is selling the bike stated that the only records they have on the bike is it having a recall done for the tank paint. Im hoping you guys can fill me in as to what happened since everyone posted in this thread. Thanks in advance

 

[xalosot256]

Nice work


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