Ducati offers to buy Aprilia
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press releases
are really funny for publicly traded companies. i am surprised ducati wants aprilia. the moto guzzi brand makes sense. i don't know much about the scooter business, but it seems to me it makes more sense to shut down the aprilia bike brand. they are direct competitors with the ducs.
are really funny for publicly traded companies. i am surprised ducati wants aprilia. the moto guzzi brand makes sense. i don't know much about the scooter business, but it seems to me it makes more sense to shut down the aprilia bike brand. they are direct competitors with the ducs.
Why America is so Beautiful
We can passionately express our differing views without necessitating physical conflict. We can lambaste a sitting president without governmental retribution. We can waste people's time with our diatribes. Sure this is may not be the right forum for such discussions, but then again maybe it is. We are all brothers/sisters on two wheels. The Captain, Kpaul, myself and whoever else can go about ripping on eachother all day, but I bet you if we were out riding and we saw something bad happen to our fellow biker, we would lend them a helping hand. Regardless of what is said on these posts. Sometimes, when I or others haven't taken things overboard, I enjoy hearing the opinions of other bikers on issues other than motorcycles. I had the misconception for a long time that bikers are in general anti-establishment, but now I know better. I wouldn't have known if others hadn't spoken up. I thank God for the Freedom of Speech. We may not all share the same views, but that won't stop me from buying my brethren the next round of brews.
We can passionately express our differing views without necessitating physical conflict. We can lambaste a sitting president without governmental retribution. We can waste people's time with our diatribes. Sure this is may not be the right forum for such discussions, but then again maybe it is. We are all brothers/sisters on two wheels. The Captain, Kpaul, myself and whoever else can go about ripping on eachother all day, but I bet you if we were out riding and we saw something bad happen to our fellow biker, we would lend them a helping hand. Regardless of what is said on these posts. Sometimes, when I or others haven't taken things overboard, I enjoy hearing the opinions of other bikers on issues other than motorcycles. I had the misconception for a long time that bikers are in general anti-establishment, but now I know better. I wouldn't have known if others hadn't spoken up. I thank God for the Freedom of Speech. We may not all share the same views, but that won't stop me from buying my brethren the next round of brews.
what bikes will survive?
Here's my guess.
The Living:
Guzzi cruisers for sure. What sells in the US market? cruisers by a landslide. There will probably be 1 or 2 V11 sporty models. The MG1 is probably going to stop with the couple hundred racing-only production run.
Ducati Monster 800+cc, ST family, 999 and 749, and Multistrada bikes will continue.
Aprilia Mille and Tuorno in probably 2 trim levels.
I desperately hope the 450 v-twin shows up in something. Probably a light streetbike (Monster 450) since Duc has a Monster 400. And maybe a Multistrada 450 with possibly a more dirt biased version but nothing really hard-core dirt. Think F650 dual-sport level.
The Dead:
Aprilia Futura, Falco, and Pagasus
All of Laverda - Triples aren't any of Aprilia's or Ducati's engineering competency. There isn't that much room for exotic bikes anyway. Binelli, MV and MuZ are all trying to fight for crumbs in too small a market in the first place. One of these will probably crash and burn soon too. Plus, what's the point of going up against Triumph which is the 'king' of triples? Triumph isn't selling bikes as much as they probably wish they were.
Here's my guess.
The Living:
Guzzi cruisers for sure. What sells in the US market? cruisers by a landslide. There will probably be 1 or 2 V11 sporty models. The MG1 is probably going to stop with the couple hundred racing-only production run.
Ducati Monster 800+cc, ST family, 999 and 749, and Multistrada bikes will continue.
Aprilia Mille and Tuorno in probably 2 trim levels.
I desperately hope the 450 v-twin shows up in something. Probably a light streetbike (Monster 450) since Duc has a Monster 400. And maybe a Multistrada 450 with possibly a more dirt biased version but nothing really hard-core dirt. Think F650 dual-sport level.
The Dead:
Aprilia Futura, Falco, and Pagasus
All of Laverda - Triples aren't any of Aprilia's or Ducati's engineering competency. There isn't that much room for exotic bikes anyway. Binelli, MV and MuZ are all trying to fight for crumbs in too small a market in the first place. One of these will probably crash and burn soon too. Plus, what's the point of going up against Triumph which is the 'king' of triples? Triumph isn't selling bikes as much as they probably wish they were.
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771 Posts
Not being privi to the back room high finance wheeling and dealing thats going on, we all are going to have to hold our breath until the deal is solid.
Personally, I don't see Ducati keeping any of the Aprillia motorcycles in production. Just would suck to much away from their bike sales. They basically want the boutique marques, and maybe the scooters (though thats not their thing really). They would keep some of the motorcycles going to keep people happy, maybe bring the 450 vtwin motor to production run in some form, but in the end the aprillia bikes are going to be a "red-headed step child" in the Ducati family.
I would like to see Ducati buy the Larverda, and Moto Guzzi lines, then have Aprillia use the Italian gov'mnt to stabilize the remaining company, 1st by repealling the helmet law (I'm no Abate member, but we really fight Darwin way to much).
As far as Ducati becoming the GM of motorcycles, it would take a serious change in corporate though process for Ducati to pull that off. Not to mention the marketing and redesign of the Aprillias bikes to make them more different from Ducatis, as to appeal to a different customer base.
My two pesos
Personally, I don't see Ducati keeping any of the Aprillia motorcycles in production. Just would suck to much away from their bike sales. They basically want the boutique marques, and maybe the scooters (though thats not their thing really). They would keep some of the motorcycles going to keep people happy, maybe bring the 450 vtwin motor to production run in some form, but in the end the aprillia bikes are going to be a "red-headed step child" in the Ducati family.
I would like to see Ducati buy the Larverda, and Moto Guzzi lines, then have Aprillia use the Italian gov'mnt to stabilize the remaining company, 1st by repealling the helmet law (I'm no Abate member, but we really fight Darwin way to much).
As far as Ducati becoming the GM of motorcycles, it would take a serious change in corporate though process for Ducati to pull that off. Not to mention the marketing and redesign of the Aprillias bikes to make them more different from Ducatis, as to appeal to a different customer base.
My two pesos
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3,415 Posts
Re: what bikes will survive?
Triumph is selling just fine, in the neighborhood of 28% growth last year, with backlogs on the Rocket 111 and the Thruxton.
They are moving away from the sportsbike market and expanding their core-competancy of cruisers and classics, but that's where the European and American markets are heading so it's just sound buisness practice.
Triumph is selling just fine, in the neighborhood of 28% growth last year, with backlogs on the Rocket 111 and the Thruxton.
They are moving away from the sportsbike market and expanding their core-competancy of cruisers and classics, but that's where the European and American markets are heading so it's just sound buisness practice.
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17,448 Posts
Re: Why America is so Beautiful
I have a hard time keeping up. It's probably all that dope I smoked in Nam while I was raping mothers and killing babies and burning villages under the direct orders from the highest levels of the military.
Anyhow..... Off the pigs! Down with ******! **** the Man!
I have a hard time keeping up. It's probably all that dope I smoked in Nam while I was raping mothers and killing babies and burning villages under the direct orders from the highest levels of the military.
Anyhow..... Off the pigs! Down with ******! **** the Man!
Joined
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295 Posts
Theromodynamics
Ducati has been on a sound financial footing for a while now. Though they have had the occassional bad quarter, they have been making steady profits. No, they're not Honda or Yamaha, but they have been doing very well in their core (European) market. So the company has the cash. In essence, the old rules don't apply. Ducati in the US has not been doing very well, for a variety of reasons, chief among them, the American obsession with horsepower (or Harley) and the Duc dealers' desire to assure that each customer spends as much on maintenance as on the bike.
Francis
Ducati has been on a sound financial footing for a while now. Though they have had the occassional bad quarter, they have been making steady profits. No, they're not Honda or Yamaha, but they have been doing very well in their core (European) market. So the company has the cash. In essence, the old rules don't apply. Ducati in the US has not been doing very well, for a variety of reasons, chief among them, the American obsession with horsepower (or Harley) and the Duc dealers' desire to assure that each customer spends as much on maintenance as on the bike.
Francis
Yeah, the sissy rainbow Euro that has gained 30% on the Greenback since its emasculation with a Rainbow background. And what ever happened to serial numbers that started with the initial signifying the issuing regional federal reserve banks? It's worse than going off the gold standard ...
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579 Posts
This sounds rediculous to me, unless they can have Aprilia at a rock bottom price.
Aprilia is/was struggling big time. All ducati had to do was turn up the heat on them, and watch them collapse, then pick up the pieces afterwards for pennies.
Aprilia is duc's most direct competitor. Taking them out seems to be the logical thing to do. You think honda would save Kawaksaki's butt in similar circumstances?
Aprilia is/was struggling big time. All ducati had to do was turn up the heat on them, and watch them collapse, then pick up the pieces afterwards for pennies.
Aprilia is duc's most direct competitor. Taking them out seems to be the logical thing to do. You think honda would save Kawaksaki's butt in similar circumstances?
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579 Posts
Re: Political B U L L S H I T
I'm going to have to side with the ********. wait. I am a *******. Ok.. I'm going to have to side with theCaptain and the boys.
I heard no crying when Kpaul went off on his rants.
I suggest that you problem is not with politics. You're problem is with that someone should dare disagree with you.
Let's face it... It's very offensive to the left-liberal mind that someone should disagree with them.
And now look what you did... You went and started another danged political thread.
Good thinkin'.
I'm going to have to side with the ********. wait. I am a *******. Ok.. I'm going to have to side with theCaptain and the boys.
I heard no crying when Kpaul went off on his rants.
I suggest that you problem is not with politics. You're problem is with that someone should dare disagree with you.
Let's face it... It's very offensive to the left-liberal mind that someone should disagree with them.
And now look what you did... You went and started another danged political thread.
Good thinkin'.
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