[Tim]

Sooooo, I've been trying to stay positive about this but today I feel the need to vent. I think my bike was built on a Friday just before Thai happy hour.

Before my 600 mile service I had to bring the bike in for an oil leak - a gasket was installed improperly. Then I got stranded in my driveway one day because the side stand switch was faulty and shutting the bike down - I wired my own little bypass. I brought it in for the first service and a permanent fix for the side stand last week and they've found another oil leak, a second issue with the side stand switch/wiring, and they found that the brake light is occasionally not coming on.

My dealer is great and everything is being covered under warranty, but any rider knows that time with the bike is even more valuable than the sum of the Italian parts on it. I'm losing time which makes me feel like I'm losing money. I've owned vintage bikes and I got tired of wrenching more than riding so I thought with a brand new bike I was paying for a few less headaches...not NO headaches, it's a Ducati after all. I have a brand new motorcycle and I'm checking for oil leaks every time I park it!

So what do you all think I should do? Should I bring this up with Ducati? Not to cause a fuss but maybe start the beginning of a potential fuss later? Should I be worried about my future with this bike?

 

[motomom]

I would be worried if it keeps leaking, I have heard from some that Ducati's don't have a very good rating as far as reliability. I would ride it and enjoy because you have a warranty and maybe get an extended warranty if you plan on keeping it a long time

 

[ladyeclectic]

If the paperwork you signed with the dealership is anything like mine, it isn't like you could return the bike for a refund anyway. I know what it's like to no longer trust a bike to run properly, but if your dealership's being good about repairs and a quick turnaround, I'd keep with the bike. It doesn't sound like anything catastrophic has happened, you just seem to have been hit by all the Scrambler gremlins.

Still though, if it's REALLY bothering you, just outright ask whether you can trade it back in for another model of Scrambler. Straight trade, new one for the old one. Your analogy of the bike being built during a Thai happy hour is funny, but if you do have a lemon then there are laws and rules regarding proper procedure for returning it. Dunno if you have a Lemon Laws case, hopefully someone more in-the-know will chime in.