What I hate about Ducati…

[patroldawg]

This thread made me reflect and really think about why I recently decided to pull the trigger and buy a Ducati after riding japanese bikes my whole life... And it really boils down to the actual motorcycles they build.  All the other peripheral crap is exactly that--peripheral.   Seeing ducs on the street and racing on tv over the years was pretty neat, but the first time I saw e. boz in person on the 999 at daytona in '04 I was hooked. Then seeing over 1000 (perhaps a couple thousand) examples of ducs at laguna seca's ducati island every year... I came to the conclusion I couldn't take it anymore.  So, I bought  one! it has exceeded my expectations, so far.  I haven't had this fun on a motorcycle in a LONG time!

The buying experience was unlike any other, too. I bought my monster from AMS dallas. jeff nash is a first class owner, and his reputation is deserved, in my opinion.  I'm the common everyday dopey bike owner, and jeff treated me first class. very humble dude.

[Labbedds]

You'll eventually succumb to having your triumph parked next to all the ducs and think, "what was I thinking" 

Let me know if you're looking in Summer, I'm probably going to be selling the s2r so I can go to europe before school and my life is over.    [moto]

[fastwin]

patroldawg,

Yo dude, your profile doesn't say much about you but I live in the DFW area and live and breath Jeff and AMS. I can only assume you live close to here to have done business with AMS. We have a very freaking active board on the DFWM section of this board. Check in with us please. We would love to have the extra company to anything we do. Rides, lunches, Super Bowl parties, more rides, dinners, happy hours, etc. ... it goes on forever. If you are nearby please chime in with us on the DFWM board and show up for whatever. Hope to see you soon!!

[DrNo08]

I must say that the "Fashion Shows" with the boy band dancers are a disgrace to everything moto.  Wretched.   I was literally embarrassed the first time I saw that crap.  I couldn't help but think "Is this a kick-ass-and-take-names motorbike company or a fuking teeny bopper party?  Maybe they don't realize it but my 13 year old step sister isn't considering buying a Ducati.  She's not inside their target market.

[He Man]

isnt that the way things are over there? Trendy?

I mean a lot of people like to put the tag "european standards" on their items. It seems Ducati is doing that as well.

[Raux]

This thread made me reflect and really think about why I recently decided to pull the trigger and buy a Ducati after riding japanese bikes my whole life... And it really boils down to the actual motorcycles they build.  All the other peripheral crap is exactly that--peripheral.   Seeing ducs on the street and racing on tv over the years was pretty neat, but the first time I saw e. boz in person on the 999 at daytona in '04 I was hooked. Then seeing over 1000 (perhaps a couple thousand) examples of ducs at laguna seca's ducati island every year... I came to the conclusion I couldn't take it anymore.  So, I bought  one! it has exceeded my expectations, so far.  I haven't had this fun on a motorcycle in a LONG time!

The buying experience was unlike any other, too. I bought my monster from AMS dallas. jeff nash is a first class owner, and his reputation is deserved, in my opinion.  I'm the common everyday dopey bike owner, and jeff treated me first class. very humble dude.

too bad some of the people Jeff has working for him (Scott in Dallas specifically) aren't the same type of people.

[slim_grizzy]

I watched that whole video and absolutely NO ducatis.... now to find those 80's chicks... tight jeans, WHERE ARE MY TIGHT JEANS, MOM!!!!!

Great trip down memory lane.

Seriously though, the Ducati brand is good for the company.  Most of us don't buy everything Ducati nor do we live in a Ducati house.  If you don't like the stereotype that is going along with it, then maybe you want to find another company that's not trying to build a brand.  In the end, I dont mind be confused for a good looking guy that oozes sex appeal, even if they are 80s chicks.  Fortunately the redneck, beer-drinking, bar-fighting, tattoo branding was already taken.  Count your blessings!   

[danaid]

I don't want nor do I need a lifestyle identity, Ducati. I don't need to be sold - that by owning and riding this motorcycle I'm going to be associated with a hip young rich Italian/Latin crowd that wears all the latest Euro-Latin styles and ignores the best looking girls. I'm a middleclass, middle aged, white American dude who wouldn't hesitate to scrump till dawn if one of those 20-something cuties even hinted at the possibility.

OK I'll admit, a cool vintage looking leather jacket does go along with the bike in a certain way that I find appealing.  But believe me it doesn't make me look in the mirror and utter the words; “Ricco-swavee'…” And if said jacket even hints at Dolce Gabbana anywhere on it …You can keep it.

? , WTF, ?, It's no longer the 1970's pops. Ducati is first an Italian brand, second a world brand. Look outside of your tiny bubble.

[desmodue]

The whole marketing "plan" is misguided at best. The whole concept of trying to recreate this perfect marketing scheme that Harley has been credited with is basically...wrong. First, Harley didn't create the demand for their product by hiring some Madison Avenue genius. The demand was there, it was there first, for whatever reason the appeal of riding a Harley, being the "rebel" is a formula that couldn't be created by a marketing team. The reason Vaughn Beals and his team bought Harley from AMF was because they knew that in all the world, only two brands have such strong name recognition that just licensing the logo would generate large sums of cash. Coca Cola and Harley Davidson. Harley did maximize the potential and really did an excellent job of enhancing and exploiting the brand recognition to its fullest. But...if Ducati or any other motorcycle company thinks that success can be duplicated by ads, fashion shows, or whoring out the name on consumer goods, they will fail. Miserably. Ducati saw their core market as middle-aged white men, and needed to find a way to get 20 somethings off their GSXRs, CBRs, etc. and onto Ducatis. This is where the whole "damn you're so cool if you own one of these" scheme came from. From the notion that if you ride a Ducati, you're one of the cool kids. It won't work, not in the long run. Sure they can create a short span where the hype will entice the fickle fashionistas, and the band wagon jumpers to drink the kool aide. But eventually the limited success they build will be the downfall, as they sell more product they will lose one of the main objects of desire they were selling. The limited availability, the idea that the owner was one of the few lucky enough to be in the in-crowd. The targeted market section will move on to the next greatest thing. Icons are slow to evolve, and rare.

[Big Troubled Bear]

I for one will do my own thing and keep on riding the bike until it can`t go no more, to hell with all this image shit

[EvilSteve]

@desmodue

The angle that Ducati are currently taking is to reduce the number of bikes sold, increase the average price (and margin) and remove the low end bikes from the range (have you noticed that the 696 is the only bike they sell for less than $10k?).

The fashion items and cups (wallets, glasses, co-branded bags, hats, money clips, watches, etc, etc.) are selling the exclusivity of the brand to people who want to feel like they're part of the club but that strategy doesn't every actually put more people on Ducatis or reduce the price of Ducatis. It increases the profit margin of Ducati the company.

If they get it right (no forgone conclusion of course), they can have their cake and eat it too.

[mitt]

There was a good quote in the latest cycleworld with respect to the latest review of the guzzi griso.  Something along the lines of "at least one Italian company hasn't gone completely mainstream and still has its quirks"

mitt

[NvrSummer]

This whole thread and 'brand' idea reminds me of a favorite little quote.....  

You're not your job.  You're not how much money you have in the bank.  You're not the car you drive.  You're not the contents of your wallet.  You're not your make the beast with two backsing khakis.  You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.

[ducatiz]

There was a good quote in the latest cycleworld with respect to the latest review of the guzzi griso.  Something along the lines of "at least one Italian company hasn't gone completely mainstream and still has its quirks"

mitt

that's an interesting way of looking at it.

on the other hand, i bet Guzzi would love to have Ducati's sales numbers. 

[sroberts152]

And service quality... I looked at a Griso and the sales guy actually talked me out of it by saying they had one in their shop they had been waiting for a part on for 6 months from Guzzi.  6 Months of having my bike down?  No thank you.