My 3 year free servicing and warranty period runs out today. I took my bike in to JHP Ducati Coventry for its 15,000 mile service a few weeks ago and they are nearing completion. Thankfully no issues have been found except the expected carbon build-up. I have elected to to have the valves, pistons and crank out and cleaned even though it will cost me - two head gaskets at £180 each and 8hrs of labour - because it is cheaper to do it now whilst the bike is apart than later. I figure that if I do it now after 15,000 miles it likely won't need doing again in my lifetime as I am going to get my other bikes back on the road and use the D16 a lot less now that it is out of warranty. I have given JHP a camera and asked them to take photos as they work so I'll give an update and put them up here when I get it back.
Nope - they all appear to be fine at this stage. Just carbon build-up. I guess damage could be discovered once they are out of the engine but I don't think that's likely.
£180 for a head gasket, I'm in the wrong buisness. I remember my dad making water pump gaskets for our old Triumph 2.5 PI by tracing the shape onto a Cornflakes © box and cutting out with a pair of scissors. Obviously for the Desmo, you'd have to upgrade to Special K, but you could have saved a few quid there Dave.
Are you saying a mechanic can strip the D16's heads and the bottom end, clean the 16 valves, 4 pistons, and the crank, and reassemble the whole lot in 8 hours of labour? His spanners must be a blur.
LOL. I suspect it may take them a bit longer than 8 hrs but that is what JHP say they are going to charge me for.
I'll be ringing them for an update today. I'll get the pictures when I pick up the bike and the camera I gave them. Watch this space.
I was passing JHP today so I popped in to see how my bike is coming along and took a few pics on my phone. It is being reassembled and nearing completion.
I got a movement alert from my bike's tracker last thing yesterday afternoon. so I guess work has finished and it is off the bench
