Bad news travels fast. Happy customers are quiet customers. Unhappy customers raise a stink.
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Pop goes the Mandello
- Thread starterKatie
- Start date
mojohand
Cruisin' Guzzisti
Ack. That happened on my 2017 KTM Super Adventure S 1290. After 17k miles, it suddenly spit a broken valve spring into the head of the piston.Brief update, based on a call from the garage so this is the full extent of my knowledge - A valve spring failed, the valve dropped into the piston, the engine didn't like it!
When it happened I described the sound as 'like dropping a teaspoon in a waste disposal unit' and it seems like that was more accurate than I expected. Waiting for Piaggio to authorise the new engine but it looks like I'm going to be on the Stelvio for a while yet.
Most annoyingly, having run-in my bike, I now have to run in the Stelvio (it only had 300 miles on, 750 now) and I will probably have to run in the replacement engine when it comes! Fair to say I do not own a motorcycle to ride around being all gentle-like....
Talked to GrandRapids Guzzi yesterday, he has a Mandello 10K mi and a bad radiator, leaking out of core 1/2 way up.
Most have good luck. I'll keep my EV, Cal2, V700's
Most have good luck. I'll keep my EV, Cal2, V700's
Katie
Tuned and Synch'ed
Minor update - new engine received by the dealer and installed. Still got to reassemble the tricky part (the fairings!) and put through some tests but will have it back in a week or so.
In the meantime yes, I did have to put the Stelvio through running in and first service and yes, I will have to do it again for the new engine!
The Stelvio is ok but not the bike I want so I'm really looking forward to getting my own bike back. Although if anything else major happens I'll be going for the refund and swapping to a R1250RS...
In the meantime yes, I did have to put the Stelvio through running in and first service and yes, I will have to do it again for the new engine!
The Stelvio is ok but not the bike I want so I'm really looking forward to getting my own bike back. Although if anything else major happens I'll be going for the refund and swapping to a R1250RS...
Good luck!
Seems like a good plan. I suppose it’s wise (once one has “had enough”) to cut and run. It’s disheartening that so many have had issues with their bikes! I had a problem the day I drove mine home, but it turned out to be fine after that. Yesterday, I got it back from the 7500 mile service (and new tires)… did 170 miles today, to break in the tires - it ran better than ever. Fingers crossed for a couple upcoming long trips!
Good luck to you!
A crying shame if you do end up going to the dark side. Mine was returned by my Gloucester dealer to home after warranty work done on the head gasket (so I'm told) but as I'm in the Far East at the moment haven't been able to check it out. It will be late October at the latest before I can.
Katie
Tuned and Synch'ed
Annnnnd she's back! Returned the Stelvio and collected my Mandello this morning 
New engine fitted and all my add-ons, added-back on
Will have to do the 925 miles running in again but at least I'm back on the bike I actually wanted!
Still have some negotiations to do with Piaggio to make sure I don't end up paying for a second 'first' service but that should be doable, especially as they've asked for the original engine back (unusual apparently).
Hats off to Charlotte at Downend Motorcycles in Bristol for doing the business, gettinng my bike back on the road regardless of whether the manufacturer was being supportive
New engine fitted and all my add-ons, added-back on
Will have to do the 925 miles running in again but at least I'm back on the bike I actually wanted!
Still have some negotiations to do with Piaggio to make sure I don't end up paying for a second 'first' service but that should be doable, especially as they've asked for the original engine back (unusual apparently).
Hats off to Charlotte at Downend Motorcycles in Bristol for doing the business, gettinng my bike back on the road regardless of whether the manufacturer was being supportive
Enjoy, and drive safe!Annnnnd she's back! Returned the Stelvio and collected my Mandello this morning
New engine fitted and all my add-ons, added-back on
Will have to do the 925 miles running in again but at least I'm back on the bike I actually wanted!
Still have some negotiations to do with Piaggio to make sure I don't end up paying for a second 'first' service but that should be doable, especially as they've asked for the original engine back (unusual apparently).
Hats off to Charlotte at Downend Motorcycles in Bristol for doing the business, gettinng my bike back on the road regardless of whether the manufacturer was being supportive
Glad to hear it's worked out for you. Good dealers are what it's about.*
Tuco
Just got it firing!
So you were without your Mandello for about a month. That's pretty darn good, in my book, for what they had to do. I've heard horror stories of service shops keeping a bike for months. (BMW comes to mind on this point)
It's not just Guzzi.
We're being taken advantage of, with companies using the lame, played, 4-year-old excuse of "COVID impact on supply chains" to cover their lower overhead and higher profits from not hiring enough people to service their customers.
A traffic cone falling off a work truck went through the grill of our 3-day-old 2024 Subaru Crosstrek with 400 miles on it.
Six hours labor and $1300 in parts to fix. But the car has been in the shop for FOUR WEEKS because a part "is on backorder from Subaru". You would think that Subaru is a big enough company to meet their commitments, but that is no longer the plan.
Pathetic. I'm probably done buying new cars. There's no advantage to it.
Lannis
Vagrant
GT Reference
"There's no advantage to it."
Sure there is. You get to read an owners manual that's 600 pages long that doesn't even tell you how to check the oil.
Sure there is. You get to read an owners manual that's 600 pages long that doesn't even tell you how to check the oil.
This is nothing new and has nothing to do with COVID. It has always been this way.
Brand new models of all vehicle manufactures are always late in getting parts to market. First priority of subcontracted suppliers is to maintain the manufacturing production line so this is where all production parts go until there is sufficient supplies to keep the line going for weeks without interruption.
Until this benchmark is met, and until that is absolutely established, subcontractors generating supplies of spares is a low priority.
Tuco
Just got it firing!
I'm reminded of this everytime I stay at a hotel, and there is a notice that there's no daily room service. Companies used COVID to reduce expenses, and in doing so reduced future expectations. Covid is no longer the boogie-man it once was but there's no going back ("Can't go back Bob"). This is also true with how we vote in the US (i.e. proliferation of drop off ballot boxes). No further comment on that.
Service shops, in my mind, have always been too lean. Covid, for a variety of reasons, made it worse I think.
But @Katie has the Mandello back and that's all that matters for this thread
I respectfully disagree, for two reasons. One, I've been buying new vehicles for 50 years and this has never happened to me before.
And two, when I say "Hey, wassup with this month-long thing?", THEY are the ones who whip out the covidsupplychain excuse; it's not coming from me....
Lannis
Way off topic, but in my business, COVID UNRAVELED so many things, and they haven't even come close to getting back to normal. Many of my BIG suppliers tell me raw goods, i.e. aluminum, electronic parts, etc are still hard to get and the cost has went way up.
Right here
Tuco
Just got it firing!
If I may ask, what did you have to pay for that extended warranty? I generally don't do these but since the Mandello engine is essentially new, and really unproven long term, it may make sense to get ext warranty.
I would definitely be having words to the valve spring supplier if I was Piaggio. It's not like this is a screaming four cylinder. Why did it fail?
Seriously? All mechanical systems have a failure rate. All of them. There is no such thing as 100% perfect flawless metallurgy.