Ducati Motor Holding, the listed Italian motorcycle manufacturer, would consider a merger with US-based Harley-Davidson “anytime”, said Enrico D’Onofrio, CFO.
A merger with Harley-Davidson would be “totally complementary”, he said, responding to speculation in the market that the two firms had been in talks.
It does make sense, Harley is loaded, Ducati is small time... BUT this will only make our bikes EVEN MORE trendy then they already are. Think of all the ducati t-shirts and headbands to be sold. I bet this pisses off Harley owners more than it would piss off Duc owners
It does make sense, Harley is loaded, Ducati is small time... BUT this will only make our bikes EVEN MORE trendy then they already are. Think of all the ducati t-shirts and headbands to be sold. I bet this pisses off Harley owners more than it would piss off Duc owners
Just think of all the snow boards, bicycles, watches, and luggage that Ducati would start selling if merged with H-D. ;D
Oh wait, Ducati is already a trendy yuppie brand, just not quite as bad as the motor co. yet.
I think the dentists and bankers are still a little intimidated by the 'skill' required to ride a 'sportbike', and the lack of comfort. That is about the only thing keeping everyone with $10k extra from picking a duc up.
But bear in mind, Harley has a strong Italian connection in its history. Plenty of Harley-Aermacchi badged bikes still tooting around in Italy and Europe (100,250,400cc!!) .
It would not be crazy, business-wise. But only if both companies maintained their separate identities totally. It would be nice to have the Harley dealer network.
Also, consider that a typical Harley rider is not the same as a typical Buell rider. They are different, yet cohabitate.
I think the dentists and bankers are still a little intimidated by the 'skill' required to ride a 'sportbike', and the lack of comfort. That is about the only thing keeping everyone with $10k extra from picking a duc up.
I have been around the world 20 times and worked on every continent but Australia.
THERE ARE ******** EVERYWHERE.....
And, NO, not because I was there......... I don't think :
I GUARANTEE YOU ERIC BUELL WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A DS1100 to work with
I'd LOVE to have their new motor stuffed in a Monster esque chassis. Yeah you would have to stretch it out and it would weigh in the high 400's but 1400cc 115/115 HP/TQ .
Come to think of it we are probably a part of this whole thing and don't even know it.........
ANYONE SEEN THE LATEST MONSTER OF THE MONTH [thumbsup]
It is doomed to failure though, can you imagine the HD guys in Italy...........
"HALLL you meand we can drink at lunch....... Give me some of that...... guzzle guzzle guzzle as he downs the glass of chiante and asks for another downing it again like he would an Old Milwaukee [laugh]
By the time they left the two hour lunch NORM and the rest of them would all be slapping those fine Italian booties and heading for the local biker bar..........
And we think we have problems getting parts now :
i might consider pushing mine off a bridge... it's bad enough being lumped in with the typical ducati martians- i don't think i could deal with the cultural implications of such a merger. maybe i could get an sv.
and i'm a real yuppie. seriously. i have a subaru outback and recycle and everything!
Hmmm. I remember that also. It made me wonder "what would the boys in the back room at Bologna have to build to appease the Harley gods in Milwaukee?". Direct result was the first image of what I thought a Ducati cruiser/chopper would be and the Internet/magazine response it created. The feedback was so great that I ended up building it (and more for customers since)... and thus the creation of MotoCreations.
that doesn't mean anything. outstanding stock valuation doesn't give the company any capital, unless they issue more stock (which would dilute the price and drive it down).
stock price is just a psychological index of the perceived value of the company, i.e. what ppl are willing to pay for fractional ownership.
Ducati's numbers are better and they may actually break even this FY, but it is not a funciton of their stock price, in fact, it is the other way around.
I seriously doubt it would make any difference to us.
Ducati and HD both have very strong brand identities, there is no way in hell the bike designs or names would be merged.
You will never see Ducatis made in Milwaukee, and likewise, HDs made in Bologna, or HD leathernecks making Ducatis.
The fact is, it makes sense for a lot of reasons. It would combine the US operations for Ducati into HD's massive dealership and parts distribution network. You might see parts warehouses open up in the US for Ducati, which would service the huge North American market, for instance.
You might see ducatis in the same dealerships with Harleys. But COME ON, they are totally different markets through and through.
Plus, Italy has some fairly strict laws for foreign-ownership of Italian companies. They cannot **** with the current setup much at all. Ducati would be run as a separate, independent affiliate, not as a subsidiary. There would still be a Ducati CEO, a Ducati board all the way down.
f*cking posers. you guys need to look in the mirror. Ducati has been aligning itself with the HD business plan for years. If you can't see that you're blind. apparently you bought into the "image" thing, otherwise why would you need/want to sell your bike? other than the image it projects, what would change about it?
if a Harley/Ducati merger means more mainstream exposure to national and worldwide road racing I'm all for it. I couldn't care less who's wearing a ducati T-shirt.
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