This past Friday, I picked up my 2003 Aluminium from Europa Macchina (Lewisberry, PA, near Harrisburg), where it underwent the cam and lifters update. Because I just bought the bike this past summer and because the previous owner believed that his dealer performed this update (which he did not), the update is roughly eight or nine years beyond owner notification. So I looked long and hard at MG dealer reputations to find one I trusted to do this work.
Europa Macchina is not your average MG dealership. I've never seen such a complete assortment of new machines in one place. I had been in touch with Lori there, and she assured me that they would do the update. Once I arrived, I knew I had made the right choice. I'm not going to say that I would eat off the shop floor (that would be hyperbole), but I wouldn't be afraid to walk barefoot over most of it. This is a very professionally-run establishment, with much of their business being the restoration of high-end motorcars. The fact that technicians who routinely handle automobiles worth 50 times as much as my motorcycle were working on my bike was not lost on me.
Lori really went to bat for me. I have no idea how much effort it was to convince Piaggio to pay for this work; I only know that she was successful. And looking at the bike afterward, I can't really tell that anything was disturbed; it's that clean. Oh, yeah, I can see fresh valve cover gaskets . . .
I'd just strongly encourage anyone thinking about a new one to go there first. If you wouldn't be happy with the treatment you receive there, I wonder if you'd like ANYWHERE.
Thanks to Lori, Walt, and Jerry (the tech who did the work).