There is no Ducati dealer in my home, Lubbock, TX. (I bought my S4Rs from a young man from Houston who won it on a television game show called "The Price is Right.") I need a dealer to do my requisite servicing by appointment and to install a full Termignoni system, preferably for reasonable charges and fees.
Plano, Austin, San Antonio, and Albuquerque all have Ducati dealerships. These locations are all about five to six hours from my home. I have a Baxley and can trailer my bike to any of these dealerships in relative comfort, drop off the bike, and then entertain myself while the work is being done.
For this to work I will need a reliable service department that keeps appointments and performs as promised or represented.
From a few scanty and perhaps outdated Internet posts, it appears that PJ's in Albuquerque is a good dealership with a reasonable and reliable service department. I would probably prefer going to San Antonio since I have family there, but I read bad reports about KC International's service and especially their reliability. The Plano dealership, based on my efforts to communicate, seems to be indifferent and treated me and my inquiry as a nuisance. Maybe I was talking with the wrong person at the wrong time. I know nothing about the Austin dealer.
About all I can rely upon are anecdotal observations, or word of mouth, based on the personal experiences of other riders on this forum. If you have any recent experience or knowledge of any of these dealerships, please share.
Let me do some checking at KCs on the state of the current mechanics and get back to you.
Also Euroshop in Waco. I bought and seviced my 749 from them. Mark is awesome to deal with.
Is the bike a Tricolor? I think I saw this episode.
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=12341.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=12341.0)
Quote from: JTMOTO on January 22, 2009, 04:49:35 AM
Also Euroshop in Waco. I bought and seviced my 749 from them. Mark is awesome to deal with.
I did not know about this dealership. I went to law school in Waco and would not mind a visit back there. Thanks for the info.
Quote from: metallimonster on January 22, 2009, 05:52:41 AM
Is the bike a Tricolor? I think I saw this episode.
Metallimonster,
Yes, it is. The winner was a UT student doing an internship in CA who went to the studio at the invitation of some friends who lived in southern CA. The winner is not a rider and the bike had zero miles when I picked it up. They had not even started it to see what it sounded like.
As a matter of fact, Raux loacted the thread in this forum about that UT student and copied it in his post above.
Looks like you had a good find. Congrats. I could tell that the dude didn't ride because he had no idea what he was looking at when they showed it. I'm not a big fan or tricolors but it looked good on tv with the girls all around it.
Congrats on the bike.
I took my M696 to Austin Ducati for its initial service. They were very accomodating in terms of fitting me into the schedule, and did the work quickly while I waited (about an hour or two). Best of all, it's in Austin! (though they're no longer at the downtown location, but are now out north along I-35)
The only problem I had is that my check engine light started coming on intermittently immediately after service, and they were unable to find a problem. The light stopped coming on a couple of wks later, and I don't think mine's the only 696 that has had this happen, so it probably had nothing to do with the dealer.
Quote from: metallimonster on January 22, 2009, 07:34:45 AM
Looks like you had a good find. Congrats. I could tell that the dude didn't ride because he had no idea what he was looking at when they showed it. I'm not a big fan or tricolors but it looked good on tv with the girls all around it.
anything can look good with girls around it.
Quote from: Raux on January 22, 2009, 08:23:23 AM
anything can look good with girls around it.
sorry but a mess of dudes going at it hard would never look good no many how many girls were around.
Quote from: metallimonster on January 22, 2009, 08:28:10 AM
sorry but a mess of dudes going at it hard would never look good no many how many girls were around.
:o uh dude, that's a visual you came up with not me
Quote from: Raux on January 22, 2009, 04:15:13 AM
Let me do some checking at KCs on the state of the current mechanics and get back to you.
Theres a guy named Steve doing the wrenching. Don't think there is anyone else.
Quote from: Ducaholic on January 22, 2009, 10:59:18 AM
Theres a guy named Steve doing the wrenching. Don't think there is anyone else.
thanks. i haven't heard back from Kemal yet.
Carstarphen, PM sent.
Might try AF1, not a Duc dealer but could do the work and have a good shop.
http://www.apriliaforum.com/?page_id=3 (http://www.apriliaforum.com/?page_id=3)
"....preferably for reasonable charges and fees."
I'm afraid that part might not happen at a dealership.
I had my 6K done here in Austin this year and everything came
out okay. They even good-buddied me a new tail light for one I
broke with my leg getting on or off the bike. Nice little personal
touch.
Good luck.......Micky
Quote from: foggy123 on January 22, 2009, 01:31:04 PM
Might try AF1, not a Duc dealer but could do the work and have a good shop.
http://www.apriliaforum.com/?page_id=3 (http://www.apriliaforum.com/?page_id=3)
I've heard and read very good things about them, their dyno work in particular.
I'm surprised you didn't mention AMS in Dallas (http://www.advancedmotorsports.com/ (http://www.advancedmotorsports.com/))
I use them for my required services.
Great folks and top notch service techs [thumbsup]
Drawback though, their shop rate is a bit higher than other dealers
Quote from: bryant8 on January 22, 2009, 02:02:44 PM
I'm surprised you didn't mention AMS in Dallas (http://www.advancedmotorsports.com/ (http://www.advancedmotorsports.com/))
I use them for my required services.
Great folks and top notch service techs [thumbsup]
Drawback though, their shop rate is a bit higher than other dealers
I'll add them to my list of possibles. If there are any others, please advise me. My priorities are quality and reliability of service.
Theres also Eurosport cycles in Ft Worth.
Moto Austin (Ducati Austin) haven't bs me yet so they have been great so far. After all I bought my Duc from them :D
The work was done on a timely manner. Everything was as expected, no extra charges.
My only real, but minor, complaint is I always ended up re lubing my chain and do a wipe down because what ever they uses flings like bull dog's slops. Then again, I'm a chain lubing freak.
Their labor charge is $80/h from recent months.
Right next door are the Harley/Buell dealership and Woods Fun Center if you're bored.
You can test ride the new 1100 while you are there as well. [moto]
Quote from: bryant8 on January 22, 2009, 02:02:44 PM
I'm surprised you didn't mention AMS in Dallas (http://www.advancedmotorsports.com/ (http://www.advancedmotorsports.com/))
I use them for my required services.
Great folks and top notch service techs [thumbsup]
Drawback though, their shop rate is a bit higher than other dealers
If you search AMS in this forum, someone has had a TERRIBLE experience with them.
DO NOT go to the Plano dealer. They had my friend's older Triumph last year for SIX MONTHS!!! And it still wasn't ready the day they told him to pick it up AND it still didn't run right!!! They are big on BMWs and the rest of the bikes in their line up are treated like red headed step children. If you are a red headed step child you know what I mean! [laugh]
I have never had any personal business dealings with them but the reason for that is there are way too many stories like my friends.
I use Advanced Motorsports. Their main shop is in Alvarado (SW of Ft. Worth) and they have a second shop in Dallas. The Alvarado shop does all the "heavy lifting" service work-wise. Check them out. I bet they would work out an appointment with you. [thumbsup]
Quote from: Raux on January 23, 2009, 03:24:29 AM
If you search AMS in this forum, someone has had a TERRIBLE experience with them.
I've seen that thread, but my experiences with AMS have been excellent. I mentioned including AMS as an option for the OP b/c it's within a reasonable distance from their hometown and I have experienced the quality of their work.
As always YMMV [thumbsup]