My 899 gets used everyday I've stuck about 1300 miles since mid November. Bike was acf50'd before leaving dealers. Its also been polished and waxed to protect paint. I wash it off with water if I ride in rain or wet roads then dry it with leaf blower. I then spend 30 minutes wiping over the metal parts with a rag soaked in acf50. This regime is way in excess of what I did with my 675R and after 2 winters it didn't have as much corossion as the 899 has in 3 months. I know someone mentioned the fixings man needs a word at Bologna but this is beyond a joke now. Banjo bolts, caliper bolts, chain, sprocket hub all will need changed by the time this winter ends. Wonder if it's worth taking all the parts off and taking them in a crate to dealer and asking them to send it all back and ask for some parts that are up to the job. If I didn't clean every night and use acf50 god knows what the parts would look like. Best bike I've owned by far but covered in fixings and chain I wouldn't put on a £300 winter hack. Depressing part is my mates 1199s is worse!
It is such a shame that they cut corners with low quality fixings, when in reality at the volumes they buy them in the difference in material cost would be negligible. Some one at Ducati needs a talking to for sure as it's such a common annoyance! :Rage:
It has with every bike i have owned aswell , unless the ducati are using parts that have some sort of chemical reaction to acf50
Ride mag did a very good article years ago on bike fasteners v British weather. Sampled bolts and stuff from the Jap 4 plus Triumph and BMW. Took the stuff to a lab for testing and wired up to an electrical supply to simulate nasty weather and salt. The best result went to Triumph, better metal quality and thicker paint than all the others. My 11 year old Gixer faired better than my 2 year old Mutley 1200 through 2 winters of riding!!
^^^^ this makes sense to me. I used to think triumph parts were crap but if they are the best oem fixings in our weather I could accept that. These parts are piss poor by comparison. Really fucking disappointed. Never meet your heroes eh!
My Hyperstrada is going the same way, with the crap finish on the banjo brake fittings and other odds and sods, I too wash off and dry after a wet winter ride. I also spray a fogging oil lube on the parts to help protect. Cheap nasty materials and poor finish to blame.
There are so many threads on this subject. When you think of the price that a Ducati costs, it is surely inexcusable. It really puts me off paying for a new one, even if I could. They now seem somewhat "disposable" which was not at all how they used to be viewed. An old 900ss was something that you imagined would be in use forever, unless you wrote it off.
I'm lucky as I live in the desert, it only rains twice a year for about 5 minutes each time. However, I feel sorry for the guys posting on this thread. Ducati is supposed to be a premium product and is priced accordingly. As such, the finish should be exemplary and anything less is unacceptable. I think you guys should get together and send joint correspondence (and pics) to Ducati.
It does make you wonder about the logic of making a bike (Ducati etc), spend all that money on electronics and engine development then put cheap & nasty fixings and fasteners all over it. Bikes show their parts far more than cars and are designed to look good. That's what the rider wants to see. Not fluffy metal and peeling paint after the odd ride in wet and salty weather! I'd happily go without the latest ABS, DSC, blah blah on a bike and insteasd have nuts and bolts made out of decent metal, not candyfloss. We love our bikes, spend a lot of time and money looking after them so why can't the manufacturers get the point? Rant over.......................wooooooooooooooo shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
If you buy stainless bolts offa pro bolt it'll cost you a bit but shopping about on ebay i got a engine set from the states for about £50.00 incl delivery (pro bolt was well over a £100.00) and a big arse assortment of body part bolts for £16.00 off a uk supplier (250 piece) who obviously still makes a profit so it kind of beggars belief that ducati with their bulk buying power cant fit these bits as standard
So this is after a thorough scrub and coating of acf again last night. These fixings aren't even 3 months old yet.
Is a Panigale really designed as a winter commuting vehicle though? I'm not sure its really on their list when designing the bike.
