Ducati sales down 5% in first quarter 2013

[Drjones]

Wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to see a ST4 revival one day as there are those who want a full fairing mileage eater.  It'd take either A) Ducati having the capital resources to support two bike lines with very similar market share or B) the "dual sport" fad waning off enough to kill the Multi and bring back an ST.

[Slide Panda]

I don't really see that happening.

No one really looks at the Multi as a DS bike. Despite Ducatis insistance that it's '4 bikes in 1' the masses have (rightly IMO) decided that it's a great light sport tour bike.

Bringing back the ST would compete for the market share with the Multi - which is hitting it out of the park by all reasonable measures.

[JohnEE]

I don't really see that happening.

No one really looks at the Multi as a DS bike. Despite Ducatis insistance that it's '4 bikes in 1' the masses have (rightly IMO) decided that it's a great light sport tour bike.

Bringing back the ST would compete for the market share with the Multi - which is hitting it out of the park by all reasonable measures.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Asphalt and Rubber has some great pieces about the Ducati business plan. They have a bike in almost every segment, to the scorn of some of the ducati faithfull. But doing that allows them to pour money into R&D so we can get crazy bikes like the 1199 which drives interest in their other bikes.

My break brief breakdown of the line up
SBKs           - 848/1199 - It will be interesting to see the 848 successor to say the least.
Cruiser        - Diavel      - Ducati's push to grab some of those baby boomer dollars away from harley/other cruisers bikes with big MSRPs
Standard     - Monster   - The money maker. Bring riders into the ducati fold early and you can get them for life(or a SBK or two).
Adv/Touring - Multi        - As slide panda said, more of a sport tourer than a true adv bike. Ties into the racing culture with pikes peak.
Naked SBK   - SF848      - The odd bike out. Maybe they update it with the new baby panigale motor. Maybe we get our wish for a new S4.
Motard/DS   - Hyper      - What segment would you put the motard in? It's too heavy/powerful to be a supermoto. Looks like a DS but has none of the off road capability.

[Slide Panda]

My break brief breakdown of the line up
SBKs           - 848/1199 - It will be interesting to see the 848 successor to say the least.
Cruiser        - Diavel      - Ducati's push to grab some of those baby boomer dollars away from harley/other cruisers bikes with big MSRPs
Standard     - Monster   - The money maker. Bring riders into the ducati fold early and you can get them for life(or a SBK or two).
Adv/Touring - Multi        - As slide panda said, more of a sport tourer than a true adv bike. Ties into the racing culture with pikes peak.
Naked SBK   - SF848      - The odd bike out. Maybe they update it with the new baby panigale motor. Maybe we get our wish for a new S4.
Motard/DS   - Hyper      - What segment would you put the motard in? It's too heavy/powerful to be a supermoto. Looks like a DS but has none of the off road capability.

Putting my prognostication hat back on - I came damn close with my Multi 848 predictions in that HyperStrada - I see the SF getting dropped. Might take a couple years, but in that time frame we'll probably see that transition to a more and more reaching 100% water cooled bikes. So at that point, we have water cooled monster(s) again. Water cooled Monster is really the niche that the SF occupies. No way the Monster will go away - they sell too many. So, in Thunderdome style... two bikes enter, one bike leaves.

I'd call the Multi a Sport Tour vs Tour. At least to me a tour bike is a gold wing or big bimmers etc. I see the multi competing more with the Triumph Sprint and such

Hyper - that's a hard on to peg. Motard ergos - but without some of the abilities (DS stuff). But it has that Hooligan appeal of the motard that keeps it attractive. Sitting on one, you look all responsible, upright- tall in the saddle like a good-boy bike, not some villainous shoulders down, ass up Sport biker, oh no no no! But whack the throttle on a hyper and that f'er goes! Eh, like I said, hard to peg a label too, but Ducati did create something with appeal in that.

I might think that Ducati would do a 'select' (my term) line again, like the Sport Classics (not sure why the stopped anywho...) at some point - but they have the get 'that bug' again. 

[muskrat]

Looks like the Japs got the Motard to mate somewhere down the line http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/624/16172/Motorcycle-Article/2014-Honda-Grom-First-Look.aspx 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=I2FNtbgXgPA#!

[SpikeC]

 Does Termi make a pipe for it?

[Slide Panda]

Looks like the Japs got the Motard to mate somewhere down the line

iz bike?

[triangleforge]

If one parent was a Motard, the other must have been

[Kev M]

All air-cooled Ducati motors will be gone within 3 years (my prediction).

HIGHLY doubt that, but if it happens it will strictly be a marketing decision for Ducati. But I suspect they'll keep something around longer....time will tell.

[Speedbag]

So is HD suddenly going to be out of business or have to resort to using V-Rod motors in all their bikes? I guess I am confused about that even being a possibility.

Any year now there will be a water-cooled H-D in the traditional 45-degree layout. It's inevitable.

Their air-cooled stuff has such lean calibration to make EPA regs it's crazy, and they run super hot. There is programming in the ECU to cut ignition and fuel to the rear cylinder at a certain temp (like during parades or idling in traffic) in order to keep things cooler. 

Back to Ducatis, has anyone ridden the new HM with the 11-degree engine? I looked at one today, and it made me all tingly. 

[muskrat]

a power commander and you're done.  Thanks Cali.

[Travman]

Any year now there will be a water-cooled H-D in the traditional 45-degree layout. It's inevitable.

Their air-cooled stuff has such lean calibration to make EPA regs it's crazy, and they run super hot. There is programming in the ECU to cut ignition and fuel to the rear cylinder at a certain temp (like during parades or idling in traffic) in order to keep things

You're right. Coming soon in their touring bikes.
http://thekneeslider.com/harley-davidson-water-cooled-heads-patent/

[Slide Panda]

Oh those will be fun to work on. My house has less plumbing

[Speedbag]

a power commander and you're done.  Thanks Cali.

 

[Bill in OKC]

The new Indian/Polaris Thunderstroke engine is air cooled.  Polaris would have designed it to hang around for a while.  I hope Polaris is not the only company that can build EPA legal air cooled -oil too- V-twins in the next few years.  Indian and Victory.