Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 999 / 749 > Ducati Shed - Anybody there ?

[Rod]

Does anyone have a contact telephone number for this company? They dont seem to reply to any emails you send them. The address I have used is: ducati-shed@gmx.com

Is this still correct. Need to order some more goodies from them.

Incidentally I have relisted my Casoli carbon fibre oil cooler panel (brand new to fit 749/999) on Ebay for fifty quid. They charge £110 for it new. I know as that is what I paid for it.

[Rod]

Finally got a reply from them, hopefully all is now well. They do a neat line in Nickel plated fairing fasteners (the allen headed variety) that I am oping for to replace the hideously badly plated OE items which look distinctly second hand at the merest whiff of moisture !!

[Rod]

Its pretty bad when you look at some of the quality issues on the 999 (and 749) range. I dont remember the 748 or my 998 ever looking quite so poorly after so few months of use. I have ridden it in both wet and dry conditions and always do my best to keep it in as good a state as I can. I have replaced all the fasteners that are most prone to corrosion with titanium ones as if you take a close look at any 999/749 you will see a lot of these bikes will already be looking tired around the edges and on bikes that cost the equivalent of a small family car these days and then some, its just not good enough. Its a shame we cant as a club put more pressure on Ducati to address these problems. I understand there are economics invlolved in this, but these quality control issues affect even the 999R, a bike not far short of twenty grand and if I spent that much on a car and had it start to corrode within 3 months of buying it I would be mighty pi**ed off. Most of the plating on Dukes is Zinc Pas which is normally quite hard wearing but for some reason the bolts, screws and fasteners on the 999/749 are either microscopically coated with the stuff, such that it is near next to useless or not at all. For example: Look inside your side fairings and there you will find a veritable feast of rust where those cheap and nasty mild steel washers hold the soundproofing panels in place. I ditched those after streams of rust started to stain the outside of the lower fairing panels. Got a load of em powder coated and refitted new ones. Cost minimal. Job sorted. Why cant we expect that level of finish on a bike costing this much. If not perhaps we can club together and get a load of fasteners and fixings treated in bulk and distributed to those that want to fit them at a sensible cost. There are only a handful of items that are really prone to corrosion and if any one is interested I can say (from someone as fastidious as me!!) I have pretty much identified the worst culprits. Somewhere between 30 - 34 items need to be treated, the rest will survive well if coated in the likes of WD40 or an inhibitor spray of some kind.

[Steve M]

Ducati always seem to go through a period of decent quality control then let it slip again, and as you say this is not really good enough. As for replacing fasteners, rather than getting plated ones it is probably easier to use stainless steel, these should be readily available from engineers stockists and not too expensive in the sizes required, and best of all will never corrode - get grade A4 not A2.

[mike916]

Originally posted by STEVE M
Ducati always seem to go through a period of decent quality control then let it slip again, and as you say this is not really good enough. As for replacing fasteners, rather than getting plated ones it is probably easier to use stainless steel, these should be readily available from engineers stockists and not too expensive in the sizes required, and best of all will never corrode - get grade A4 not A2.

Totally agree with you about stainless but do you usually use your bike in severe maritime conditions Corrosion from road salt doesnt usually warrant the use of A4 stainless it's more suited for boats!!
I've used A2 fastners for years and never had any corrosion problems. And it polishes up just as well. Why pay twice as much when you don't need to

[Steve M]

Mike916 - A4 are stocked at work, so I use those (ahem).
Like you say A2 are fine, just that A4 is a bit better.