should i be concerned?

[wannabfast]

well i was detailing my m796 and decided i hadnt cleaned behind the headlight yet...
so i took it off, and noticed that the gauge harness had been rubbing on the frame...



also anyone else with one of these... could you identify if this looks correct?
there appears to be a gap between teh gauge assembly and the bikini plastics... the slot you see is the plug for the cluster

[golgofett]

On my old 696 and now m1100, the gauge cover fits flush.  No gap. 

[The Bearded Duc]

If none of the wires are worn through and everything on the cluster still works just wrap it with some electrical tape.

[Howie]

796?  Still under warranty?  Though I agree with duc750 , I would get the bike to the dealer and have the problem down in writing so there is a record.

[CDChase1981]

On my 09 696, I have the same gap between the cluster and bikini fairing.

[sgollapalle]

I'd agree with howie, Take it to the dealer.

I have very little gap on my 696, but then I removed the faring and have the black plastic cover on...

The faring is mounted on 2 L brackets. 4 screws hold the brackets to the frame, and 4 screws hold the faring to the brackets. Check to make sure all of these are snug...

[elgallo73]

Given the appearance of the wire harness, yes, I would be concerned.  Electrical tape would be an immediate fix, but my recommendation would be to either purchase some of the flexible plastic conduit (cannot remember the name, but you can find it at any auto parts store) and secure it with miniature zip ties over the harness which is most likely to rub.  Unfortunantly, heat shrink tubing would be a no go as it would not fit over the connectors on the harness.

In keeping with a previous poster, I would definitely notify the dealership so that Ducati could be made aware of the issue.

I purchased a 2011 M696 and have the exact same gap on the mini fairing.  I as well removed mine and installed the supplied black cover.  The black cover which I received from the dealership did not include the required screws which I purchased at Lowes.  They are 3 mm and I do not have the length but they are relatively short.

If you have a "Fastenal" store in your area (quite likely), you can purchase stainless steel cap screws which do not rust like the black anodized versions available at Lowes (learned the hard way on that one).  I had a cap screw fall off my bar end mirror and the aftermarket supplier wanted $7.95 for two cap screws!

[booger]

LOL it's a motorcycle - stuff's gonna vibrate and rub. Also that gap in the plastics - total nonissue. It's supposed to fit, so make it so. People, it's not particle physics.

Fix these two laughably minor problems yourself without bothering the dealer and it would be a nice little step toward being a self-reliant motorcyclist and away from being an obsessive-compulsive pain-in-the-ass.

It's tough living in an imperfect world  [moto]

[SacDuc]

LOL it's a motorcycle - stuff's gonna vibrate and rub. Also that gap in the plastics - total nonissue. It's supposed to fit, so make it so. People, it's not particle physics.

Fix these two laughably minor problems yourself without bothering the dealer and it would be a nice little step toward being a self-reliant motorcyclist and away from being an obsessive-compulsive pain-in-the-ass.

It's tough living in an imperfect world  [moto]

I love you.   

sac

[wannabfast]

just got back from the dealer, they said they could squeeze me in, i also compared it to the new 1100evo, and its got a rubber hose around the section in question, so im sure they are aware of the issue

[justinrhenry]

LOL it's a motorcycle - stuff's gonna vibrate and rub. Also that gap in the plastics - total nonissue. It's supposed to fit, so make it so. People, it's not particle physics.

Fix these two laughably minor problems yourself without bothering the dealer and it would be a nice little step toward being a self-reliant motorcyclist and away from being an obsessive-compulsive pain-in-the-ass.

It's tough living in an imperfect world  [moto]

+1000

[wannabfast]

why are you belittling me? its not like im totally useless, i just would like to see how well they would patch up the harness

[Raux]

why are you belittling me? its not like im totally useless, i just would like to see how well they would patch up the harness

he's just teasing...

honestly, you are doing the right thing. Let the dealer handle the issue first. If they can't or won't then some waterproof tape would work. I wouldn't go plastic as it might scrape the paint off the frame. Also, double check the routing so it isn't squished between the light and frame.

[swampduc]

why are you belittling me? its not like im totally useless, i just would like to see how well they would patch up the harness

I don't see anything wrong with addressing the harness with the dealer. Your bike is a sizable investment, and it's under warranty, so it should be made right. Plus this gets it on the record in case a failure occurs after the warranty expires, giving you some grounds to get it fixed by Ducati in such an instance.

The gap at the instrument pod is inconsequential, IMO.

[wannabfast]

got back from the dealer, they took a picture of it, put a piece of heavy duty tape over it, im happy, its addressed, there is some paint on the wire harness from the frame, so that much of the damage is already done, it isnt through the frame yet
as for the gap between the cluster, it looks the same as a new show floor model, so thats fine

and im not sure what is all controlled by this harness, so if this issue wasnt addressed it could have left me stranded if the harness wore through and burned something out