Four new 'high-end' models on the way

[ducpainter]

You drive trains??

Old as dirt...

but still funny.

[duc_fan]

 

Sorry, that was supposed to be "enginerd" not "engineer"... damnyouautocorrect...

[Speeddog]

Old as dirt...

but still funny.

Back in my college days, a fellow engineering student went home to South Carolina for the holidays.

<Gramps>
"You've been going to school for 3 years and you still can't drive a train?"
<Ann>
"Uh, no gramps, not yet." 

[zooom]

scrambler mule out on the road...

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/bikes/ducati-scrambler-spy-photo/

[Skybarney]

Rumors on another site elude to a water cooled 145hp 1200 and 1200s Monster for 2014.  Just a rumor though.

[Raux]

the 1200 Monster is a sure thing.

and S version would be an additional model I guess? but don't think that is the 4th model

[zach (Slag)]

Panigale R Superleggera

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/rumors/ducati-1199-panigale-r-superleggera/

[DRKWNG]

Panigale R Superleggera

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/rumors/ducati-1199-panigale-r-superleggera/

"Similar to the Ducati Desmosedici RR launch, only pre-selected Ducatisti will be given the opportunity to own one of the  Panigale R Superleggera. The chosen few will receive a special access code from their local dealers, which will then allow them to order the Superleggera from Ducati."

Douche move

[caperix]

Panigale R Superleggera

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/rumors/ducati-1199-panigale-r-superleggera/

Interesting, though I wonder where the 40 lbs loss will come from? Carbon Frame? Will they make enough of them of homologate for WSBK?  With talks of Honda bringing out a new V4 RC bike this could be a good.

[ChrisK]

"Similar to the Ducati Desmosedici RR launch, only pre-selected Ducatisti will be given the opportunity to own one of the  Panigale R Superleggera. The chosen few will receive a special access code from their local dealers, which will then allow them to order the Superleggera from Ducati."

Douche move

You're right. For a brand that is well-documented as struggling right now, this doesn't seem like the right direction to go... at least in terms of growing a customer-base. I can understand not wanting to give in to the market by creating high-volume, low-dollar bikes - this preserves their brand image by not doing so... but spending a majority of your resources, time, and energy on creating a bike that 99.99% of potential customers won't be able to own... is just dumb. Congrats on creating your 65K bike that will probably get spanked by a 15K S1000RR.

[JohnEE]

You're right. For a brand that is well-documented as struggling right now, this doesn't seem like the right direction to go... at least in terms of growing a customer-base. I can understand not wanting to give in to the market by creating high-volume, low-dollar bikes - this preserves their brand image by not doing so... but spending a majority of your resources, time, and energy on creating a bike that 99.99% of potential customers won't be able to own... is just dumb. Congrats on creating your 65K bike that will probably get spanked by a 15K S1000RR.

Where is this well-documented struggling info? And the info that they spent a majority of R&D on the superleggera?

[ChrisK]

Where is this well-documented struggling info? And the info that they spent a majority of R&D on the superleggera?

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought that new bike sales for Ducati were in decline? I was also under the assumption that this is what sparked the VW purchase, so that VW could provide assets, resources, etc in order to turn sales around? Maybe I've been thinking about it all wrong this whole time.

I think there's another thread about this, but here's a link to the article:

http://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2013-ducati-q1-sales-down-5-2-under-audi-ownership/

I guess the 5% decline last spring can be considered both a bad thing, because it was a 5% decline, or a good thing when you consider Ducati says that demand declined by 17%.

Also, I would hope they're using a ton of resources to build a bike they're charging $65,000 for. If they're not, then it's even more of a joke to me. Aren't all Panigale's built in their own factory? Just seems silly to me, given the fact that, according to most people, the Panigale still isn't the best all-around superbike on the market - even though it's thousands of dollars more expensive than ALL the others.

[duccarlos]

Ducati was for sale forever. At one point there were rumors that Mercedes would buy them. Ducati has mostly seen growth for the past few years, with only the wholesale slowdown of the motorcycle market causing any impact.

Simply speaking they are aware that the Monster will always sale well. Their view has always been to reflect a premium brand image.

[ChrisK]

I get that they always want to be a premium brand image, but even with the Desmosedicci they produced a couple thousand. To only make 100 of a particular bike just doesn't make sense to me. You know they're going to spend and spend promoting the thing at shows, events, etc. so will it be worth it?

I guess if VW is funding it, why not? Maybe that's the mentality.

[duccarlos]

Have you ever heard of the Supermono? Superlight?