Boom goes Ducati! - Sales up 43%

[ChrisH]

Here I see new Monsters and 848's more then I see other Duc's, but in the last 2 years I see an ever increasing number of Duc's across the board.

[TAftonomos]

You'd think with sales figures like that they would be more responsible dealing with the tank issue.

Why bother?  If people are obviously still buying a defective product....no real point in "fixing it".

I want a new MTS bad.  More so than BJ bought a 999....  but with the way I've been treated by the local dealer, it sure makes it hard to support him or the product which he sells.

[hbliam]

I have yet to see a Diavel.

Based on price, I doubt there are that many being sold.

Enough that they were sold out last year. I ordered one and had to wait three months for it. Ducati sold over 1200 Diavels in '11.

[Massinova]

I'm kind of surprised.  Seems like a lot of Duc dealers have closed their doors the past few years.  ...and this forum is not as active like it used to be.

[Travman]

I'm kind of surprised.  Seems like a lot of Duc dealers have closed their doors the past few years.  ...and this forum is not as active like it used to be.

Which really doesn't mean anything. Ducati has had some lame dealerships, especially the add-ons to multi brand dealerships.  The good dealers are selling the bikes. The dealers with Ducatis on the side and without decent technicians have closed.

I think you are right about less traffic on the board.  Ducati's increased sales aren't from Monster sales. So no surprise we don't see non-Monster owners here.  Also, perhaps new generation Monster owners aren't as interested in the board.  Maybe they mod their bikes less so they are less interested in finding inspiration and sharing ideas. Maybe long term owners are done modding and have less to post.  Not sure.

[Preisker]

Maybe they don't come here because of the constant crying about the gas tanks.   How many pages is it?   The same thing for dozens and dozens of pages? 

Ducati is building quality bikes these days.   Sh!t, even my 01 has been dead nuts reliable, at least right up until the starter issue going on now, for about 4 years.   I'd probably buy another.   If we hadn't just bought that damn Escalade, I could buy all kinds of other sh!t.

[Vishwacorp]

I read "Boom goes Ducati" and expected a video of somebody's belts going. Glad to see that wasn't the case 

[duccarlos]

I haven't seen a huge drop in postings, but there is only so many times someone can discuss picking between the Exbox and Boomtubes. I also don't see many owners of the new Monsters customizing excessively, probably that will change as the new model gets more "mature".

I read "Boom goes Ducati" and expected a video of somebody's belts going. Glad to see that wasn't the case 

 

[Preisker]

Customizing excessively, ain't that the truth.  I'm looking at either a KTM 990 Superwhatever, or a 1200 Multi or Streetfighter.   Pipes and PC are going to be about it.   As far a pouring money into Rizoma this and that, isn't going to happen.   I need that money for tires and whatnot.  Not sure what I'll get, not particularly brand loyal and pretty damned impulsive when I buy something.

[muskrat]

Get a metal tank so you won't have to read the 1100 pages about expanding tanks 

[Glass_Darkly]

Here in the south west of England I hardly see any ducatis only ever seen 1 diavel down here. I suppose the ol Devonshire folk just ain't into there red superbikes.

[Travman]

I haven't seen a huge drop in postings, but there is only so many times someone can discuss picking between the Exbox and Boomtubes. I also don't see many owners of the new Monsters customizing excessively, probably that will change as the new model gets more "mature".

You're right.  There could be just as much traffic as ever, but I've become a little jaded.  It is hard to get excited over exhaust mods we have seen before.  I pretty much just want to see cool mega projects like TruckinDuc's bike or the 2V engines in a SBK frame projects, or DucStew's work.

I don't think the new Monsters will customize more as they mature.  Things are just different now.  At one time is was just so cool to put a SSA from a 916 onto a Monster.  Now it is no big deal to see a SSA on a new Monster because they come that way.  Plus with this recession fewer people are dropping the money for big mods.  Also dumping carbon fiber all over your bike just isn't as cool in 2012 as it was 10 years earlier.  

BTW, my post count now matches my birth year.  I shall now retire from the board.

[muskrat]

I believe it's a combination of both.  People are changing and don't find as much fun in mods like some of us do and the other half simply doesn't care to spend another $10k on a bike that cost $12k to begin with.
Me, well every city I travel to I must find a Duc shop and drop in to "buy" shit I don't need just for fun.

[Massinova]

Which really doesn't mean anything. Ducati has had some lame dealerships, especially the add-ons to multi brand dealerships.  The good dealers are selling the bikes. The dealers with Ducatis on the side and without decent technicians have closed.

Interesting comment. Our Oklahoma Dealer (BWM/Ducati) was rated as "Ducati dealer of the year" several years ago.  They sure were great dealers, but their service was pathetically horrible.   I was not surprised that they closed their doors several months ago. 

[triangleforge]

A slumping market can actually be a great time for niche players like Ducati (and BMW) to make an aggressive grab for market share, and Ducati has certainly made the most of it.  In the last few years when the market-dominating Japanese players were retrenching, shuttering assembly lines and sitting on increasingly dated models (and, tragically, getting swamped by a massive natural disaster), Ducati was swinging for the fences with genre-bending models like the Multi & Diavel.

Posting percentage gains like those gets harder and harder the more market share a given player controls, but Ducati's still playing in the single digits as a percentage of the total market, so there's plenty of room to grow.

Here's a good look at the overall motorcycle market for 2011 - http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/first-half-2011-motorcycle-sales-figures/