Ducati Vespa of Santa Barbara

You like coming in and being ignored than this is your place
Was in the market for a new bike the scrambler has my eye and no one ever acknowledged us let alone greeted us.
Okay your loss I was ready to spend the money in hand.

Gavin is great, I buy and sell motorcycles all the time about 4 a year (my wife hastily informed me) and it was a breeze buying from him. So much so, I went back and bought another bike couple months later. I trust his opinion on things, the sale was smooth and I would definitely buy here again. Everything he said about both bikes is true and exactly how he explained them. I was at first hesitant because of the expense of Ducati and that SB prices seemed higher than say down in 1000 oaks, but the negotiating was reasonable and I am happy with my purchases. Highly recommend this shop.

I have just purchased my second bike from Santa Barbara ducati, not only was I given the best deal of all other dealers (and I shopped all over the U. S) on my 821 Monster, I was treated with great professional courtesy from both Carlin Dunne and Gavin Gottfried as well. Paperwork was ready, transaction went smooth and the bike was picked up on time as promised.
Both Trevor and Carlin have a wealth of racing experience that would also benefit anyone interested in customizing these fine motorcycles.
Jean– Pierre

I went for an oil change, waited for 45 minutes [totally reasonable] and was charged for 90 minutes. That was the second chance I gave them because I had hoped the first visit that went South was just a bad day. Not so.

The worst service evet! And the attitude is even worse when you point something out to them. I will take my business to Moto Loco, where they treat you with friendliness and respect.

Best experience for buying a new motorcycle. I have asked many questions and felt that the conversation was like with a long time friend. I was impressed by the Hyperstrada and within an hour I was allowed to try one. Its an incredible motorcycle with lots of power, an amazing sound. and drives very smoothly. I got a good deal with Carlin (Ducati Specialist) and he is delivering my new Hyperstrada to my home!
If you have the money for a Ducati, these guys will certainly treat you well!

Riding with friends on a five day tour when my buddy’s Multistrada broke its tail light mount. We called Santa Barbara Ducati to see if they could help. They gave us directions to the store, and we arrived at 5:20. Carlin Dunne and his team brought the bike right in, and stayed and worked on my friend’s bike until it was fixed. They had to pull an assembly off a new bike to get us back on the road. First rate emergency service from a really cool Ducati shop!

Have come in many times for service on my multistradas. This last visit however was something I thought that I should write a review after. I came in to get a quote on tires, not only was I given a promo quote the price was awesome, the same as buying them online. I asked for a appointment and was given the time and date I asked for. Brought the bike in and was written up even before they opened and in a short time. At the end of the day I came in to pick up the bike, it was ready, clean and the bill came in under what they had originally quoted me. When looking the bike over the work was done in a professional manor, old wheel weights removed and glue cleaned off wheels. Will be back when the bike needs something else.

I will start off by saying I did not buy my Ducati here, i wish I would have (my next bike will be purchased here). I live in Bakersfield and ride my bike almost 3 hours to Santa Barbara for my services. They have treated me like a life long customer.
The service department at the dealership I purchased my bike from did not impress me much. This sent me on the hunt for a trust worthy shop for maintenance. I read a few reviews for Ducati of Santa Barbara and it felt like a good match. I have ridden my bike down here 3 times for updates, oil change, and to fix a couple corks that came with the bike from purchase. They have got my bike dialed in and have fixed any concerns or problems I’ve had with my bike. The kind of guys that listen to you and actually fix the problems the first time around. One of the mechanics races on a Ducati, hes easy to talk to and has a lot of knowledge, feels like an old friend. I met there new service manager (Tony) yesterday, probably one of the nicest guys you will meet. He’s one of those guys, you couldn’t piss off if you tried. he’s got a good attitude and 30 years experience working on these bikes.
if your looking for a great Ducati dealer/​service department give these guys a shot.
They impressed me enough that I opened a Unilocal account specifically for this review.

I just purchased a bike from Carlin. The transaction went very smoothly, he gave me a very good deal, all the paperwork was ready when I arrived at the shop and he went through all the paperwork with me. If only all the dealerships could be that good. I highly recommend them.

I’ve taken my bike to this shop multiple times for service and every time, it’s been one drama after another, primarily because Trevor, the owner, injects him into the service process. He should just let the tech people do their work.
In the most recent drama, it took them almost two months to figure out that all I needed was a $ 10 part — because Trevor had made wrongful assumption about what’s causing the problem — apparently without actually diagnosing the problem.
Trevor had me pay $ 500 to order parts I didn’t end up needing. Still they charged me $ 300 (3 hours labor) to replace that tiny part, saying the installation was complicated. Trevor then had the audacity to say that had I taken to bike to another shop, I would have been charged $ 450 (!) for same labor. Well, I checked with two other repair shops and they both said it’d be ½ hour labor — $ 50
$ 450 vs. $ 50. … Hello.
What Trevor does is outright fraudulent. I think his staff mechanics are fairly competent and knowledgeable. Trevor needs to just let his tech do their work. If I never go back to this shop, it will be too soon.

One thing missing nowadays days is that fun, friendly, small shop feel. To me Ducati of Santa Barbara has that quality. For a small shop they sure do have a good selection of bikes, apparel and a lot of their history (pretty cool). Upfront in the showroom area Maddy and Carlin have it covered they are both really friendly, knowledgeable and down to earth. Around back in the service area Tony, Trevor and Nelson are all really cool guys. One of the most important things to me is having piece of mind with a mechanic. To me Tony gives me this piece of mind. He is very meticulous, knowledgable and great to talk with, A +. I love leaving a shop with no worries. I’m really happy having a shop like this and would highly recommend them.
Happy Diavel owner

Always come here for maintenance or parts for my 2009 Suzuki GSXR 750. Great service. Wish they stayed open til’ 6 on Saturday though!

I live in the Bay Area and drive 5 hours to trade here. I do so because by and large they are old school Ducati and Italian bikes and are one of the last in California. Trevor knows his stuff – yes he does not suffer fools gladly — but I don’t go there to get my ego stroked, I go to Trevor to get something done right. I have bought bikes here and have turned numerous friends onto them who have bought machines also, and are happy. Trevor has restored several bikes for me, and I have been very pleased with the work, and the price.
Carlin continues to go from strength to strength on the race circuit — a seriously good rider, like his old man.
I will trade here as long as I can throw a leg over.
Fragile egos should get their arses massaged elsewhere.

I’ve been to a dozen Ducati shops over the years from GA to (now) CA. This one is by fat my favorite. Came in late on a Friday to by some accessories and got a little carried away and didn’t factor in installation time. The mechanics put aside their work to get me taken care of before the shop closed. A dick move on my part, but they were in no way upset or rude and did a great job of installation. For that I shall have all my service done their from now on. And I’ll update if anything changes. Good or bad.

I had visited several other shops in So Cal when I had purchased my first Ducati and was sold on SB Ducati for how they work with you versus being seen as just another sale. I am very much out of their area so it is a long haul for me to get to them from LA but very much worth it. I had purchased several new bikes over the last 15 years to race and ride and noticed thru experience you cant beat what they have to offer. Its one thing to just be sold parts and services which is what I find most of the dealers are mainly about but these guys actually live and know what they have.
The reality is don’t expect to match to bargain costs for parts because you are pretty much on your own most of the time. Have to appreciate this shop for what it is when it comes down to experience and resources because Ducati’s are unique bikes to work on and having someone in your corner means the world of difference.

Ducati SB has always been my go shop for anything Vespa related. I recently purchased my first pink Vespa a few months ago after going into the store about 5 times before making the purchase. The staff has always been super helpful and has been wonderful about answering all of my questions. When I finally settled on the pink beauty, the transaction was profession, smooth and pretty easy. I will be recommending this shop to friends and I can’t thank Carlin and his team enough for taking such good care of me! Thanks again!

Having friends that love this shop I would often go in and oggle the bikes and even though I never bought anything they were always helpful and courteous to me. They occasionally gave me a good-​natured ribbing that I should upgrade my BMW to a Ducati but that is because Ducati’s are as much a religion as a bike to real Ducatisti. And these guys are the real deal. They invited me to go with them to the track day with them a couple of years ago and a guy I didn’t recognize at first came up and clapped his arm around Trevor in a hearty hello and Trevor turned to me and said «Shannon I would like you to me Doug Polen. I knew then that I was in real moto racer company. When I finally decided to forgo the BMW GS and instead go with the Multistrada, I called up to ask for pricing. Carlin said I have your bike sitting right here just come on down and we’ll take care of you. Take care of me they did, not only giving me a great deal on the price for a new 2013 Granturismo but staying open an extra hour while dealing with the paperwork and making sure it was clean and had a tank full of gas. While I was standing outside after Carlin had locked up 5 minutes earlier a group of about 5 business men walked up to the freshly closed shop and were looking through the windows and Carlin reopened the shop so they could look around.
I just finished my 600 mile service and took it back to the shop at 3pm on a Friday because that was the soonest I could get out of work. They fit me in for the 2 hour service and had my bike ready so I could use it for the weekend. While I was waiting I struck up a conversation with Trevor about my love of bikes and he showed me a beautiful bike he was building for a museum exhibit and then he proceeded to show me pictures of Carlin as a kid in the pits with him working on Marco Lucchinelli’s bike. He took me through some incredible pictures of motorcycle history being made around him. Can Trevor be prickly at times? Certainly, especially when you treat him like a common parts peddler but give him just a little respect and he is also generous with his time and his sage advice straight from the pits of some of the fastest racers of our times. If your are looking for a friend and someone to suck up to you, buy a puppy but if your are looking for a REAL motorcycle shop were legends pass wisdom from generation to generation then look no farther than Ducati of Santa Barbara. They are dedicated, professional and knowledgeable and will go the extra mile to take care of their customers whether it takes 30 minutes to make a sale or 3 years like mine.
If you can’t fathom paying msrp for a power commander at a retail store then you might want to try ebay. If you want price tags hanging from every bike try your nearest Japanese bike retailer they will be happy to accommodate you. Ducati of Santa Barbara is a premium dealership for a premium product and the friendly sales staff will be happy to tell you how much a bike costs. In the years I have been going there they have never treated me poorly and have always returned the respect that I give them.

I have been a repeat customer of Ducati SB due to their expertise on Ducatis. However, I regret to say this is the last time I will visit their shop. I went late in the day for a minor check up before a long ride, but was told I needed new tires for such a long ride. I agreed, and was told I would be given a price quote. An hour passes, and Trevor (the owner) comes out of the back with a bill in hand for work that was clearly already done. Seeing the price as nearly double what a tire change had cost me in the past, I simply asked for a breakdown of the prices. Of course, without asking, I was given the most expensive tires they had among a variety of tires. Trevor proceeded to mock my name, yell «Take them the f**k off», and display the worst customer service I have ever received, even as I handed him a $ 600 check.
I’d suggest letting Carlin run the shop.

This is an awesome dealer. While they primarily sell new Ducatis, their pre-​owned inventory includes a variety of bikes at extremely competitive prices. I have purchased a used Monster and KTM Duke here in the past 2 years and have left happy with the deal each time. The sales staff is knowledgable and not too pushy.
The thing I really like about this place is the people who work there really ride. Carlin won the Pikes Peak race last year, Trevor has been around racing for years, and the whole staff can talk bikes. It is a true motorcycle shop.
Whether you come in to drool at the Desmocedici they have in stock or to pick up a bike, you can’t go wrong.