Dealer explains why he's quitting Piaggio brands

The closest dealer to me just sent out an email to say he's quitting Piaggio and going exclusively MV Agusta.

Here is part of his explanation:

In the last 16 months, Piaggio Group America has come under new management with a new philosophy. This new management has put profits and sales before the customer and dealership well being. We have tried to adapt to this new management style over the last year, but in the end both us, the dealer, and you, the customer, have been on the short end of the stick too many times. Despite setting record numbers and achieving 100% customer satisfaction for the Piaggio Group brands, our efforts to educate the new management of the reality that the focus should be on customer needs and not short term sales numbers, has fallen on deaf ears. Since I started as a dealer in 1993, my theory has been to put the customer first and sales second. Therefore I will not stand by, represent, or maintain a partnership with the Piaggio Group Americas whom, unfortunately for the great brands they represent, only care about their corporate well-being, which is not what I signed up for.

While we are disappointed in the discount brand direction that Piaggio Group America is going, we are extremely excited to be working with quality focused brands like MV Agusta, Dainese, AGV, Zaeta, Energica, Rizoma, and Walt Siegl. All of these brands are dedicated to a superior product, supreme customer satisfaction, and genuine Italian design. We look forward to continuing our growth of Newport Italian to the level of quality you deserve with these brands and our newly remodeled facility. We hope that you will continue to share and grow your Italian, 2-wheel passions with us for years to come.

That has always been a scooter store. It started out selling Vespas from a boutique and then added the rest of Piaggio about three years ago. They have dinners and fashion shows and cater to the nouveau riche in Newport. They never put their inventory up online for people to see. You'd go down to their store and they might have a bike or two, but not much. You could get an expresso, though. A cute girl would make it for you.

They currently have my new V7 in there for warranty work. They never call. They never tell you whats going on. They complain about MG not paying for warranty work, but they haven't done anything. Last time I took my bike in, I called a week later and they told me to pick it up. I get there and discover they haven't done anything. WTH?

I can't believe they have the audacity to complain about Piaggio. I'm sure there is plenty to complain about, but they don't have the right to complain about anything.

What's up with the V7 Joe?

Pete

It surges at idle when you start it cold. Sometimes its so bad, it stalls. I tried a richer aftermarket map, but it has nothing to do with the problem. Once warm, it runs like a champ. Since the computer reveals no faults, I believe the ECU/throttle body/stepper motor/TPS thingy to be at fault.

I had the factory map reloaded (plugged the O2 sensors back in) and gave it to Newport Italian.

I know of another guy that had issues with his V7 and took it to them. They claim they replaced the "ECU", but it still had the torque seal paint on the mounting bolts. The owner gave it to the infamous Todd and he discovered that the RR was charging at 15.5 volts and the crank sensor was fried. The RR, the sensor, and the battery were replaced and its much better, but the ECU may be fried as well. it still isn't running right.

I don't really feel like handing my bike over to Todd, but I don't have the tools to test the ECU AND the friction' bike is under warranty. If they don't manage to fix it this time, I may try another dealer - or get rid of it.

Isn´t it so, that there is the new factory mapping 4533V796 since October that cures the problem?

Sven

f-man wrote:

Isn´t it so, that there is the new factory mapping 4533V796 since October that cures the problem?

Sven

On my bike, as explained above, changing the mapping does nothing for the problem.

Sounds very similar to a problem I have with a V7-II I sold. Was fine, then there was a map upgrade, now it has a horrible, unfixable, *Warm Start* problem. Importe's tech dweeb is being less than helpful and I've basically been told to wait for another map update from Noale. Gee, thanks. You can't go back to the first map.

As for what is being offered anywhere? It will be an 'Off the shelf' Rexxer map would be my guess. I certainly don't think you know who has any special system and certainly doesn't have the smarts to understand how to get mapping to work properly. Any Rexxer user can offer you the same option, probably cheaper.

Pete

I bought accessories through Newport Italian, but never used them for service because they couldn't answer the simplest of questions over the phone. They did seem to move a lot of Vespas and V7s though. It's a complete 180 going from Vespa to MV. Newport certainly seems like more of a Vespa market. I wonder what is the whole story.

I just went to their website and found this:

"CLOSED DECEMBER 20TH - JANUARY 15TH DURING REMODELING"

Nice. Did they tell me this when I dropped the bike off a few days earlier? No. Typical. I wonder when i will get my bike back.

A mate is having a similar cold start problem with his V7 II. Booked in at Motociclo after the Xmas break. It will be interesting to see what happens, but given the experiences out there, the cure seems elusive at present. Thankfully, my single throttle body V7 is running well (once more).

How many ks now Mal ?
Good to hear she's still going well
How are you battling on, well we hope
Your bits and bobs are still safe and well in the garage, will get them heading north when we can
Take care

More than 36,000k on the clock now, Trev. The only problems have been a tail light blowing and the recent fuelling strangulation - turned out to be a filthy air filter (at less than 10,000k) with a filthy airbox & throttle body. Just replacing the air filter each service is not enough if there's junk all the way through - that bulldust from the Flinders may not have helped. That stuff gets everywhere. Also had the plugs changed & the ECU checked, and it's running well again. Still a lumpier idle than the Classic, but that's supposed to be normal.

About those bits - I'll have a word with John M (until recently the pres of MGOA NSW) who is moving to Lonnie & may be up and down a bit. If he ever drives a car up, he may be able to transport those bits for me. So you now have another Le Mans in Tassie, and it'll be even better when John gets it back on the road. I'll get you his contact details so you guys down there can "encourage" him.

All the best to you & Sue.

pokeyjoe wrote:

I just went to their website and found this:

"CLOSED DECEMBER 20TH - JANUARY 15TH DURING REMODELING"

Nice.  Did they tell me this when I dropped the bike off a few days earlier?  No.  Typical.  I wonder when i will get my bike back.

Your best bet for competent dealer service in LA/OC is Pro Italia in Glendale. They're not great, but they've been ok for my GRiSO, except for being clueless about the flat tappet situation. They are the best of our generally poor options. And the only one who doesn't sell Vespas.

LOL, I'd be pissed 'bout these bastards.
I'd yank my bike out of there so fast, they'd wouldn't know it's missing!

Grisonut wrote:

I'd yank my bike out of there so fast, they'd wouldn't know it's missing!

That's the plan.

Another vote for Pro Italia. They are uninformed on some things like mapping alternatives but are open to the concept. They also seem to appreciate owners who work on their own bikes (as opposed to the ones who own bikes as a fashion accessory). Friendly service and open to answering lots of questions. The owner really loves the bikes. When I bring my wheels in they change the tire while I wait at a discount.

The Piaggio Tech Rep provided this reply today:

"explain the customer that these bikes do not run well when they are cold from keyed on. Key on let the gauges do their sweep then start the bike and let the bike warm up for at least 2 minutes.

Best Regards,
Nyle Schafhauser
Piaggio Technical Representative"

I bought the bike and two others from Pro Italia. They did warranty work on my previous V7. Hmmm. Maybe I should just stop buying V7s.

The GRiSO with Beetles map needs little warm up. I fire it up, sit on it for 30 seconds, shut it down get my gear on fire it up and go. A slight bit of hesitation for about a minute and then its fine.

pokeyjoe wrote:

The Piaggio Tech Rep provided this reply today:

"explain the customer that these bikes do not run well when they are cold from keyed on. Key on let the gauges do their sweep then start the bike and let the bike warm up for at least 2 minutes.

Best Regards,
Nyle Schafhauser
Piaggio Technical Representative"

I bought the bike and two others from Pro Italia.  They did warranty work on my previous V7.  Hmmm.  Maybe I should just stop buying V7s.

With whatever respect is due to Mr. Schafhauser, I think two minutes to "warm up" is nuts.

I like to hear mine run at idle sometime, but hardly every time I start it.

Bill

Triman023 wrote:

When I bring my wheels in they change the tire while I wait at a discount.

WTF, You have to pay to wait?

But I get a discount on the fee they charge for waiting! Those plastic chairs have to pay for themselves!

I got my bike back. I called, got a recording and an email address. The email address bounced. I went to their webpage and signed up for some spam from the dealership. I got a confirmation via email and replied to THAT note. The note was forwarded to the shop where everyone appears to be working on the remodel. They handed over my bike and told me they checked the map and it was the most current one (they did that two visits ago). I rode it home. This morning, there wan't any surging when I started the bike. The dealership admits to doing nothing. I think Piaggio is putting scooter ECUs in these things to save money.

Anyway, happy to have my bike back. Rode it for a couple hours on the slab today. Traffic was terrible and I had to split lanes the whole way (rode up to Malibu). The bike is running well and I guess I should just quit complaining.

Joe, I'm hoping to get some sense out of the importer here in the new year but I'm not holding my breath.

I don't know if Paul and Christian have got any further with unravelling the MUIG3 mapping secrets?

Pete

I would love to recommend my man Sean at RTL MOTO in Santa Ana but I don't know if he has the electronic wizardry to deal with ECUs.

DM

Since I have a few v7 maps read out now, what I can say the difference between the first v7II maps(4533v740) and last(4533v796) is huge. There is a warmup map to fiddle with, if that is the only problem to solve. I did that with my stelvio too, and found that what fts me, won't fit another bike. So its an individual tuning thing, but easy, you can't break a thing. Just lookup the temperature the bike has at start, and on the line you richen the first quarter of the table, take 10%
Just selct the cells to change, and goto to the top enter number 10 and choose multiply 1.1

Put it in the bike and try, to much do a but less. almost there, do a bit more.

John, Your bike ran good while it slept inside and was a bit warmer maybe?