Riders Bridgwater

[The Budster]

I know there are a few threads about the various Riders sites, and not all complimentary; but just a word of praise for their Parts Department at Bridgwater - My experience is very efficient and very friendly (Steve is a proper bloke).
They sorted out some bits for me and for those items they had to order, I received a text the moment the items came in.

However, once you get downstairs into Sales, my experience is very different. If anyone bothers to look up from their desk it's rare and a smile or friendly welcome even more rare. Maybe it's because I usually call in during the week in business clothes, thus am (and because of my age) pre-qualified as "a dreamer"

Bud

[luckyskua]

Thats not the problem with Ducati dealers, part availability is the problem. Ducati phase out parts for older Ducati's earlier than 'other' manufacturers. I have never had any bother about grumpy sales or admin' but when I am told that Ducati have scratched my model from the microfiche it makes me think that my Duke is the first and last one I will have, (unless they change their aftersales policy). If Ducati told me that parts would take 3 months to get and cost 3 times the price of equivalent new parts I would still order them. When its being infered that a perfectly useable machine is fit for the breakers it means that the cost of owning your Ducati is a lot higher than you would first think. Because if you go along with the sale strategy of Ducati it means that you will be buying new more often than from other manufacturers and the resale price of your Ducati will be significantly lower because of the afformentioned reasons. Don't get me wrong, I am not ready to trash my current ride - it is maintained to the highest standards that I can achieve. I average about 3 hours of maintanance to 1 hour of riding, it isn't ridden through rain or salt and is kept indoors. So I expect to ride it for a good few years more (to get my monies worth).