Nicky's new toy

[desmoquattro]

I dont think thats going to be the case here.. certainly not harleyesque. Buyers of Ducatis will continue to be a niche group and pretty brand loyal IMO. Having Nicky on the GP9 isnt ganna be like a NASCAR racer driving around in the newest American made POS sedan in a commercial  - Thus causing NASCAR fans to go out and buy said vehicle.Motogp doesnt get that kind of exposure, not to mention The majority of motorcycle advertising/exposure to the general public seems to be MotoX and the stuntbike thingy.  At least that what im thinking at the moment ( then again im an idiot)

No, your thinking is fairly on point. I think another limiting factor here is Ducati's production capacity...currently around 40k bikes per year.

[Buckethead]

BINGO!.....looks what its already doing here

Not to mention the U.S. is Ducati's biggest market.  Nick will have a home for a long time with Ducati b/c of the sales figures he will garner here, and the direction Ducati is taking with its new bikes/branding.  I hate to say it, but it is very Harleyesque.   Hopefully, Hayden's sense of style will mature and carry over to his wardrobe

Funny you should mention that. My supervisor at work drives a red Chevy Avalanche, the hood and tailgate of which are both blue with white stars. I figured he'd get a kick out of the testing livery, so I emailed him the pic.

His response, verbatim, was "Thats awesome! To bad its not a Harley Davidson or a Buell."

[Desmostro]

No, your thinking is fairly on point. I think another limiting factor here is Ducati's production capacity...currently around 40k bikes per year.

...aaaaaand don't think they're not going to get the boy a little more "on brand."
Not saying I think they're probably going to pick out his undies for him, but he's going to be hanging out with a Italian garage/team - I can't imagine they wont throw a few tid-bits at him around how to interface with the public wearing Duc colors. - He'll have to grab it all and make it his if/when he starts kicking ass and sticks with.

Hope so.

  I just thought of what Lance Armstrong did for bicycling winning the Tour so many times.
He met the president.
It became a much more widely accepted sport after a couple of years and races made it to US TV.  
People don't throw beer bottles out of cars at me as much.
It wouldn't be at all bad if we had an 'merican making our sport a little more "ok" in the public eye. We catch so much hell from stereotypes + dumb-asses riding POS bikes. Positive publicity would be a blessing for moto'cycling.

Maybe I'm asking too much? We'll see what happens.

[darylbowden]

It wouldn't be at all bad if we had an 'merican making our sport a little more "ok" in the public eye. We catch so much hell from stereotypes + dumb-asses riding POS bikes. Positive publicity would be a blessing for moto'cycling.

Maybe I'm asking too much? We'll see what happens.

It's not like he hasn't been racing in GP for the last 5 years (not to mention Hopper and Edwards and plenty more before them).  He's only going to a new team and an Italian one at that.  I don't see how that would have any impact on American attitudes towards motorcyclists.

[Capo]

It's not like he hasn't been racing in GP for the last 5 years (not to mention Hopper and Edwards and plenty more before them).  He's only going to a new team and an Italian one at that.  I don't see how that would have any impact on American attitudes towards motorcyclists.

And won the world championship

[gm2]

I dont think thats going to be the case here.. certainly not harleyesque. Buyers of Ducatis will continue to be a niche group and pretty brand loyal IMO. Having Nicky on the GP9 isnt ganna be like a NASCAR racer driving around in the newest American made POS sedan in a commercial  - Thus causing NASCAR fans to go out and buy said vehicle.Motogp doesnt get that kind of exposure, not to mention The majority of motorcycle advertising/exposure to the general public seems to be MotoX and the stuntbike thingy.  At least that what im thinking at the moment ( then again im an idiot)

And whats with people baggin on Haydens fashion sense (or lack of it) ?

At least he's not sporting gold "TEEF" and a big-ass clock around his neck

all things being relative, it does have an impact.  you can't draw NASCAR parallels.. i don't think that nick is about to start showing up in McDonald's commercials.  but the USA is ducati's biggest (? -- if not, damn near) market and since the introduction of the 1098/848 you only see more and more of them on the street.  yes, the whole sport is still niche.  but taking that into account it still quite a coup to have the good looking, charismatic, recent world champion american on their bike.  esp if, apparently/hopefully, he can ride the thing when so far only 1-in-7 can.

[Capo]

all things being relative, it does have an impact.  you can't draw NASCAR parallels.. i don't think that nick is about to start showing up in McDonald's commercials.  but the USA is ducati's biggest (? -- if not, damn near) market and since the introduction of the 1098/848 you only see more and more of them on the street.  yes, the whole sport is still niche.  but taking that into account it still quite a coup to have the good looking, charismatic, recent world champion american on their bike.  esp if, apparently/hopefully, he can ride the thing when so far only 1-in-7 can.

Yup Mr Hayden is now a member of this thing of ours.

[Desmostro]

Ya and that. The point I was trying to make was hoping he would start winning again now that he's on Ducati, not that he's new to the sport.
Fingers crossed. 

And won the world championship

[Jester]

good looking, charismatic, recent world champion american

You been hitting some of Nicky's cornbread again?   

For whatever reason that just made me crack up lol. 

[gm2]

...yeah, i should have put that sentence in quotes.  or italics.  or both.   =)