Harley to buy Ducati

K

K3lly

New member
The scary thing is from a marketing\financial perspective this makes perfect sense. Neither brand would pull owner's away from the other. Ducati could use a cash infusion and Harley\Buell hasn't had a winning race bike in decades (drag racing excepted).

If it happens I hope that HD has the sense to leave Ducati largely alone. Perhaps simply helping them scale motor manufacturing so Ducati derived motors could be used in HD products. I sure don't want to see pushrods put into a Duc.

Buell would be the big loser here. I like the Buell people (not overly crazy about the bikes) and they've needed a motor for years. Talk to any of their people doing demo rides or at the races and it's obvious all those corn fed midwesterners are bike nuts to the extreme. I'd hate to see them left out in the cold but that could happen as well. But give Eric a 1098 motor to put in one of his frames and it could get real interesting......
 
I recall in the mid-70's when Harley had a deal going with Aermacchi, an Italian company that made Harley's 125 and 350. And the 125 was a two-stroke! At those sizes, of course, Harley wasn't cannabilizing the sales of its larger bikes.

But it probably wasn't selling a ton of them either, except to folks like my friend whose dad wouldn't let him buy any motorcycle that wasn't "American".
 
I would not be surprised by a Harley-Ducati merger. Harley would benefit from the v- twin technology that Ducati has. Harley caters to "older" riders (Average age in low 50's) Ducati caters to somewhat younger (35). This would broaden the age group served by the "New" company. Also, Harley has much deeper pockets and would be able to help Ducati to develop more products. I look at Harleys as if they aren't so much motorcycles as they are couches. They don't turn, accelerate, brake or handle. Other than that they are great !!! If it helps Ducati I'm all for it....if not I think it would be a big mistake.
 
Back
Top