bearing behind alternator has broken on 696

[grumpyman]

the bearing behind the alternator on my wifes 696 has broken
has anybody heard of this happening on other 696's
this is a split the case repair that is going to cost $2000+ on a bike with less than 9000 miles

[DucNaked]

I'd contact DNA directly to see what they can do for you. If it's out of warranty they might good will it. Here's a link I've used in the past http://www.ducatiusa.com/company/contact_us/contact_form/index.do

To answer your question I haven't heard of it happening, but there are a lot more knowledgeable guys than me on the board.

[ducpainter]

It happened on my old 750 SS, but with far more than 2K miles.

I haven't heard of any problems on the 696.

[Raux]

has there been any work done on the bike inside the alt. case? lightweight flywheel?

[Howie]

Yours is the first 696 I know of.  Service records will help.  Also speak to your dealer.  

[grumpyman]

bike is bone stock
had the first service done at a local shop that specializes in ducatis
we have not yet contacted the original dealer ... we don't use them they are too far away
our hope is that DNA will step up and help out as this kind of repair on a low mileage bike is a little extreme

[ducpainter]

bike is bone stock
had the first service done at a local shop that specializes in ducatis
we have not yet contacted the original dealer ... we don't use them they are too far away
our hope is that DNA will step up and help out as this kind of repair on a low mileage bike is a little extreme

Agreed...that would be the perfect outcome.

Good luck.

[grumpyman]

well it is sitting at the original dealer now waiting for ducati of north america to grant the claim

[grumpyman]

well ace motorsports looked at it and filed a claim which ducati north america has rejected
i am going to call them as soon as they are back from vacation
i think i am not being unreasonable to expect them to at least do a goodwill deal on the parts for this repair which cost about $700
their reason for denying the claim at this point is that the work was not done by a dealer.
having dealt with dealer mechanics before i do not believe they would have figured it out either.
during the 7500 mile service the alternator does not get touched so i don't see how it could be the service providers problem i think it is an assembly issue and that would be on ducati

[ducpainter]

You are not required to have any paid work done at a dealer to keep a warranty in effect.

The fact you're out of warranty gives them carte blanche to do whatever they want.

Good luck.

Try to stay calm when you plead your case.

[grumpyman]

thanx ducpainter
every mechanic i have talked to has said that there is no reason for that bearing to fail
this bike had decent oil change intervals and was not abused
having both of my european bikes down due to engineering quirks and currently commuting on my honda xr600r speaks volumes about reliability

[tex-mex]

My S4R was down for several months last year due to an alternator bearing issue.  The initial symptom was metal shrapnel on the oil drain plug following by a horrific sound coming from the motor.  The first repair cost was $350 but the Tech forgot to install some thrust washer.  This repair lasted about 600 miles and the bearing failed again.  The second repair was free, but the thrust washer was still missing (same Tech).  This repair lasted about 800 miles.  The third time the service manager had their senior Tech do the repair.  He determined the thrust washer was missing and replaced the alternator bearings again.  I have over 2000 miles on this repair and hopefully it has solved the issue. 

The third repair cost me $700 even though it was the original Techs fault for leaving out a critical component.  The service manager justified this by having the Sr. Tech do a complete motor inspection.  I was prepared to pay for a complete motor rebuild at $4000.  I was expecting my main bearings to be done. 

[grumpyman]

talked to a few more ducati mechanics today and find out that the alternator bearing failure is a known issue on these bikes
and it is due to improper assembly on the part of the manufacturer not some failure on my end
if you are hearing extra whirring noises from your belts get it checked out

[Speeddog]

Just to be clear.....

Is this a failure of the main bearing behind the flywheel?

Or is it a failure of the small bearing on the end of the crank, in the sidecover?

[grumpyman]

the bearing inside the case behind the alternator
it is not a main crank bearing but is driven by the crank and is inside the case
apparently it is easy to install it slightly off true
i am going to find out more tomorrow but to find my claim was denied over an issue that DNA know is a design flaw is infuriating
i had to work today but am going to call them directly on monday