[33129]

Incentives are usually used to move product when inventories get to high. So what is the matter at Ducati? Too much production, not enough demand? Has competition stolen market share and is Ducati moving to regain long term profits through short term incentives? Are the new ugly bikes not working out? I always like to try to figure out what is going on with every move like this. What a boring old fart I have become.

 

[33129]

Gary Egan is an animal. That guy could ride a moped from Alaska to Florida.

 

[33129]

Thanks for the data. Looks like their "Harley" approach to merchandizing is doing well. The incentives are probably just a normal inventory reduction strategy. I don't want to see this company go bad. I may want to buy one of their retro bikes. I hope the ugly bikes don't bring them down too far. Gary Egan's exploits on the Multi-Spasm should help move a few.

 

[33129]

Well put. See if you can find a common thread among Coke, John Deere, Wrangler and Zeiss. You can find low price, high price, medium price but you always have delivery of the goods expected. ***** on exceeding customer expectations, just have the product to what it is supposed to do. The good mouse trap will often do. It's hard to build a better one and even harder to prove that it is better, cheaper, etc.

 

[33129]

Re: Ducati Valves

Amen. I can understand the desmo system popping up when valve spring materials wouldn't keep the valves from floating at high rpms. But that ain't the situation now. I can understand Ducati wanting to keep its differentiation but not at such a cost to the consumer. At racing speeds, sure: put the desmo in the 999. If you can afford that ugly mess you can afford the valve adjustments. But for the non-racing lines lets have something a bit easier to live with. Hell, Harley took the shake out of the Sportster.