the scura clutch story

[Paul Minnaert]

A few month ago, I bought a scura where the clutch has come out. I applied for warranty, and now Guzzi has deliverd an brandnew engine and gearbox. This time, because I asked for it, with 2 plate clutch. After all complaining from people this time a different sound. Now I only have to add a decent tail:-)

[al_roethlisberger]

Awesome! ...maybe I should go in and "grind a stress riser" into my flywheel and run it up till it explodes so I can get a new engine/tranny too!

 

No reason, but hey... seems like a good deal It's nice to hear a "good" MG warrantee story

 

 

I was wondering where/why you got the new Scura engine that you sent me a photo of

 

al

[pete roper]

Paul, I honestly don't think the problem is related to Guzzi or even Aprilia directly. Yes, they are Italian companies so they do things a bit differently, but I don't honestly think that they really don't give a shit about their customers.

 

While I can't talk about the situation in the USA I have observed the bizarre antics here in Oz with a mixture of disbelief and increasing frustration. The last proper distributor we had in Oz was back in about '96. Up until that point Guzzi was distributed by Ted Stolarski in Perth. Ted ran a tight ship and his head mechanic, Mario Pugglioli, (Sp.) bought up the business when Ted retired and then, shortly thereafter died, in about '97. Mario remains one of the most respected sources of guzzi lore in Australia. The only real problem with Ted's operation was that it was in Perth. Perth is the most remote major city on the planet. Sydney is closer o Jakarta than it is to Perth so communications were sometimes difficult, (Although I can get parts from Mario overnight in an emergency!).

 

Since then there have been at least three importers and as far as I can make out the standard of service, information and product support has been laughable with all of them. I really don't think that anyone in Italy actually knows what is going on here, it's not like Holland or Germany where you can send a factory representative over on a plane in a morning if you hear rumblings of discontent from customers. It's a 24 hour flight from Europe and even ifyou fly first or business class it is a real gruel getting here. Maybe they do get lots of e-mail, fax and written communication from deeply dissatisfied customers, the thing is if they do what happens if they contact the distributor and they just make all the right, soothing, noises about customer service and improved standards? There is no way the Beggio mafia can check it out easily so the situation continues to slide.

 

Simple geography is one reason why this sort of situatuion exists here but it's not the only one. Australia is a Federation and all the states are nominally independent. The situation vis a vis representation by Moto Guzzi in different states varies wildly. Victoria has always had a very active club, good workshops, although most of the good ones are small independent outfits, and at least the marque has been visible in a dealership network. Queensland too has always had a good workshop in the Newells, albeit in the south east corner of the state, the rest is a bit of a wasteland. South Australia has a couple of good people in Adelaide, Western Austarlia has Mario. Tasmania has at least one good shop but they aren't a dealer, the Norther Territory? Nothing. and finally, NSW, the most populous state has a couple of dealers in the bush, North Coast V-twins in Coffs Harbour on the North Coast who have a good rep and Sydney, the largest city in Oz has, to the best of my knowledge ONE dealer. There are only 20 million of us in Oz, 6 million of them live in Sydney,the largest and most affluent city on the continent and they have ONE shop about which I can say nothing. In the Australian Capital Territory, a few Km away from me we have an official dealer who is periodically without a mechanic.

 

I don't think that Beggio or the Guzzi management are getting anything like the true story of how dire the situation here is. Nobody would want their product marketed so badly! It's not just that in doing so word soon gets out that the product back-up can't be trusted, it's the fact that everyone associated with the marque is labled as a crook and a liar. Fly-by-night, is the term most often associated with dealers in NSW and needless to say Guzzi sell next to no motorbikes here.

 

I'm convinced that if the marque got the proper support that it deserves and especially if the importers had someone on the books who actually had some product knowledge half of the problems would evaporate overnight but when you have dealers saying that curing an oil leak from the bell housing requires *Special Tools* that are unavailable in the country and the so called *mechanics* are so lacking in skill and imagination or are so fearfull that they cannot improvise or simply build their own tools there isn't really an awful lot of hope is there?

 

I can't stress strongly enough how much I like and admire the Guzzi product, you'll not find me slagging the marque off, not after living with and loving 'em for 25 years. What enrages me is that such a good product can be so undermined and white-anted by stupidity and greed on the part of lazy people who simply want to milk prospective purchasers of money and offer nothing in return!

 

All power to Guzzi for sending you the new Scurra donk and box Paul. I'm sure if we had someone in this country who could COMMUNICATE with the factory and who the factory trusted to know what they were talking about and not try to rip them off we would be able to get similar results, even here, at the arse end of the earth. My problem is that i think it will be a cold day in hell before we get to that point. And that makes me very sad and very angry!!!!

 

Pete

[Baldini]

Paul,

 

Any explanation for the break?

[Paul Minnaert]

No explanation for the brake. other than what I can think of: metal fatigue, DOn't know how to say this in english. But keep an eye on the alu flywheel, through to inspection slot.

 

Pete, you have good weather and such sad stories ? I think youre right about the distance, that combined with the total number of purchaced units from the factory.

But on the other hand I hear a lot of complaints about mgna, that's an interesting market for Guzzi, or should be. We in europe have it easy, I live 1100km from the factory, and because germany has a lot of guzzisti, we can get a lot of parts there. I got 2 v11's from germany, the scura and the one that donated my gearbox.

What you maybe don't know is that Teo Lamers is having a ranch in Australia. So you ausis do have Teo.

 

And claiming the warranty by TLM might have given me some luck too.

[Baldini]

... metal fatigue, DOn't know how to say this in english. But keep an eye on the alu flywheel, through to inspection slot.

 

And claiming the warranty by TLM might have given me some luck too.

Thanks, I'll keep an eye on it. The English was fine!

 

Some dealers give more "luck" than others for sure!

 

Cheers, KB,Cymru

[Paul Minnaert]

Pete, as you can see on the gearbox, the cable there goes straight to the battery.