Ducati Riders

[kenshin]

it normal unless it beyond 105..

 

Okie... Any idea on e fuel consumption as well? His quite puzzled as its his 1st sports bike...

[1961]

any bro out there knows anything difference btw the original "yellow" colour fairing 1098 and the red fairing ones

 

heard there are only 3 units in town

[Naked1]

any bro out there knows anything difference btw the original "yellow" colour fairing 1098 and the red fairing ones

 

heard there are only 3 units in town

 

No difference at all.

[b3nn]

guys, those who went for the WSBK sunday ride, anyone got speeding ticket?

[O-Y-H]

guys, those who went for the WSBK sunday ride, anyone got speeding ticket?

 

Not yet... fingers crossed. You did?!?!?

[fesa7044]

guys, those who went for the WSBK sunday ride, anyone got speeding ticket?

dun think so ,mate.

we 're right on the LEGAL limit !

 

<!--url{0}-->[/img]</p><p> Valentino Rossi tucked in at full noise on the 1000cc Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP bike. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> The world

If you've been having trouble comfortably wrapping your brain cells around the concept of what were once proud national symbols of excellence changing countries, such as the Malaysian-owned Lotus, the Chinese-owned Saab and MG or the Indian Jaguar and Range Rover, then please be seated before reading further. It seems that India's Hero MotoCorp, the world's largest manufacturer of both bicycles and motorcycles is considering the purchase of Italy's deeply loved manufacturer of sports motorcycles, Ducati.

 

To think that a brand that so closely aligns with Italian excellence and pride might become a symbol of India's rise to power is possibly unthinkable to the Ducati faithful, but the cold hard facts are that Ducati is up for sale, with a reported price tag of around a billion dollars, and with its own MotoGP programme, superbike heritage, technology and design, it's the perfect fit for a company like Hero that has 3,000 dealerships and needs a new non-Honda range of motorcycles just a few years from now.

 

Hero has grown rapidly as India has motorized, and recently ended its 25 year association with Honda Motor Corp. With cash reserves believed to be in the vicinity of US$1,000 million dollars, the company is now in acquisition mode as it seeks to replace Honda's technology with its own.

 

Most major automotive and motorcycle manufacturers have built their company on the home market initially, and Hero already has built itself a sizeable fortune selling low-priced scooters and motorcycles to the world's second largest country.

 

Just as automotive manufacturers are lining up for a crack at the burgeoning Chinese automotive market, the opportunity in India may be trailing the Chinese market penetration of the automobile, but the opportunity is even greater.

 

In 2009, China had a per capita vehicle ownership of 128 per thousand people (0.128). If it had the same per capita car ownership figure as the US currently has, there's be double the number of cars on the planet. Remarkably, China's per capita vehicle ownership levels are the same as America's were in 1923.

 

India's population will be the largest of any country 30 years from now - 1.5 billion human beings.

 

India's vehicle ownership ratios are currently the same as America's were in 1912 - when the Model T Ford was top seller.

 

Between now and when the Indian population can afford to buy cars, they will buy motorcycles. Last year just shy of 10 million motorcycles were sold in India, and Hero MotoCorp is planning to sell that many of its own brand just four years from now.

 

Hero famously got its start manufacturing bicycles for the home market in 1956, evolving from a family-owned bicycle parts business established in post-ww2 Amritsar. As India's massive population needed transport the company's bicycle manufacturing business grew every year, becoming the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world during the 1980s.

 

Using the cash generated by the bicycle business, Hero diversified and in 1984, partnered with Honda to create Hero Honda. The company's success has been astounding since.

 

By 2004, Hero Honda had become the world' largest manufacturer of two-wheelers, driven by its dominant 50% share of the Indian market.

 

The high standards of the company's manufacturing capability need little validating other than a list of clients for which it manufactures a comprehensive array of high tech parts, from engines to entire vehicles - Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, Rotax, BMW, Bosch and LG.

 

In 2010, Honda sold its shares in Hero Honda to the Munjal family and has set up in India to produce its own motorcycles independently, while Hero Honda has become Hero MotoCorp and intends to go it alone. The upside of owning its own technology is that it can apply its massive manufacturing scale to supply motorcycles worldwide, and obviously, Ducati's global network provides another opportunity for expansion.

 

The contract with Honda involves the continued supply of Honda models and technology until 2014 - after that, all Hero's designs and technology will need to be licensed, purchased or developed.

 

Acquisitions is the route the company has decided to take and it recently entered into a partnership with Erik Buell which might well see Erik one day given the opportunity to design whole motorcycles without needing a legacy powerplant. That's exciting in its own right.

 

As I write this, I am wondering just what the general reaction of Ducati fans might be. If Ferrari, a company so closely aligned with Ducati that they share race sponsors and even press events, were to be offered for sale to any foreign company, I suspect there might be government intervention.

 

That's unlikely to happen with Ducati - it's clearly for sale and money talks all languages, so unless an Italian buyer emerges, Hero MotoCorp might well become the proud owner of one of Italy's most visibly successful companies.

 

It's far too soon for any indications on what Hero might do with the Ducati brand and its technologies but anything is possible. If you have fears that the Ducati name will be discontinued, fear not - there's plenty of life in the company yet, just maybe not in Italy.

 

Iconic national symbols have been treated well by India in the past, with Range Rover and Jaguar strengthening their positions under Tata, and even the Royal Enfield Bullet is still manufactured and sold in India.

 

It's also quite ironic that Hero's main local competitor, Bajaj Motors, owns 40% of another iconic national motorcycle manufacturer - Austria's KTM. Bajaj recently opened 34 KTM stores in India and is heavily promoting the Duke 200 sports bike to the growing sports bike market.

 

One of the strongest possibilities if the Ducati sale goes through to Hero, is that we are almost certain to see small capacity Ducati sports bikes again.

 

 

 

 

independent Comments

 

 

As my British grandfather said once, when he read about Britain's intention to legalize homosexuality: "No, this world is useless, it has no future!". I would like to see him today, in this globalized world. Brands will no longer be objects to inflame national proud. They are just commodities, traded by stateless, asemic capitals.

Radford- March 6, 2012 @ 03:18 pm PST

 

 

Well,I've seen the Indians come a long way-early 80's and you'd have to have been desparate to buy a Baja scooter. Just like Korean cars,they are biting at the heels of many other brands now. Just keep and encourage the engineers in Italy and it will end up OK.

But I wonder if the head of VW will be a late charger in the race to own Ducati.

gragraposker- March 6, 2012 @ 05:03 pm PS

 

 

The title mentioned "The world's largest motorcycle manufacturer", which, I understand, refers to Hero MotoCorp, while the Company was only referred to as "the world's largest manufacturer of both bicycles and motorcycles".

Well, the world's largest manufacturer of BOTH "bicycles" and motorcycles does not necessarily is the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer!

MotorCraze- March 6, 2012 @ 06:45 pm PST

 

 

Dont know why people have such a inferior outlook on indian companies.

Everyone knows how much jaguar and landrover brand sales have increased worldwide after takeover by TATA.One can very well be assured that the Brand heritage of ducati would not be affected after takeover by Hero motor corp.

And Hero motor corp is not a bicycle manufacturer!

NandaMarch 7, 2012 @ 06:31 am PST

 

 

As a long-time Ducati fan and owner (I currently have 5, ranging from 1950-2000), I can't justify buying another if they are no longer an Italian company. It goes beyond a flag-waving symbol of nationalism; Italians have a centuries-old legacy of craftsmanship, and it shows in the products they produce and the pride that goes into producing them. Without Italian leadership, I fear that craftsmanship will be lost to the accountants.

Having lived in Asia for a while, and seeing that the first and foremost goal of any business is profit; leaving brand history, image, and quality a distant second, I simply can't see the company continuing along the same path. Ducati has built a rabid following because of the blood, sweat, and tears that are poured into everything they have created, not because there are dealerships on every corner and are sold simply as commodities.

erock5000- March 7, 2012 @ 06:56 am PST

 

 

The Ducati brand will remain unaffected and will remain Italian, only the ownership changes. This is because as noted, the nationality itself too is a brand, doesn't change and sells well. The foreign company will be foolish to lose the company brand image. Range Rover and Jaguar do not feel Indian. Only ownership changes.

Plus, profit too keeps the company going and finally in the position to purchase higher brands, enriching themselves.

If we only think of craftsmanship, finally a company goes bust and has to be sold. But it's not black and white between craftsmanship and profit, everyone tries to do best.

Saify- March 7, 2012 @ 08:26 am PST

 

 

If the sale goes through I'll be selling all of my Ducati's, they can take all of our IT jobs for less pay but I'll not own a Ducati if it's owned by India, not to mention what Erik Buell might do to the design. I've already seen some impact of this sale, poor settlement of the fuel tank issues with ethanol, less support to events.

Two Lane Fun- March 7, 2012 @ 01:22 pm PST

 

 

Do not assume that the Indians do not feel passion,a while back I was on a religous pilgrimage in India.I ended up at Guru Sika,went into the little cave on top of the mountain to seek enlightenment with the holyman-we ended up talking about cricket. As I said before,leave the engineers in Italy and let them be-and all will be well. When the company is in the hands of people who understand the industry(not Bankers),the employees and artisans will be better. The bosses know that what wins on sunday,sells on monday. Where's the problem?

graposker- March 7, 2012 @ 01:36 pm PST

 

 

I've been around bikes and owned bikes going back into the 1950s. Ducati back in the day had a lousy reputation for quality control. One of my school friends had a small Ducati, new, with only a few miles on it. The frame snapped in half on the way to school one morning. Lately things have gotten a lot better for Ducati. But an infusion of big money such that their technology can be expanded and the best tooling for new factories could bring huge gains for any company and maybe even the public as well. Efficient production can lower product prices so quality can actually go up even while prices go down.

As far as where an item is made I can tell you that I purchased a lot of brand new Volkswagons. The best I ever purchased was cranked out in Mexico. Yet at the dealerships customers have no clue and pay extra for "Wolfsburg" produced VWs. The new and better factory is in Mexico.

Temkar- March 7, 2012 @ 09:15 pm PST

 

 

what u guys reckon?

who wans to go first?

[jackyneo]

There is a used M900 at Minerva Motor, dk if you'll be interested.

haha.. thanks bro! i currently more into sportbike. But out of curiosity. how much u selling? Haha..

[Gtvteomc]

Hi,

Anyone change aftermarket side mirror for your 1098, where can I buy? Thanks.

Regards.

[talkingcock]

By right, 24000km the previous owner should have done the major service.. You could go to Minerva and check out the service records of the bike 1st and see what he have done so far on the bike

 

From there you can roughly gauge what needs to be done next coz if I'm not wrong the 24000km service is change of belts, timing chain, valve clearance and all..

 

 

If the previous owner never go back agent...than is a big headache...anyway thanks for the advise...will go check with the agent

[talkingcock]

Hi, any Ducati Hypermotard 796/1100 riders here? would like to ask some questions. Thanks

 

oredi reply you...we can share with each other

[Doremi]

haha.. thanks bro! i currently more into sportbike. But out of curiosity. how much u selling? Haha..

 

Why dont you post what you want exactly in one single post? First post says class 2. Second post says sport bike. Third post says cc? Fourth post says year of production? Wasting of bandwidth here.

[Brandonwang]

why dont you post what you want exactly in one single post? First post says class 2. Second post says sport bike. Third post says cc? Fourth post says year of production? Wasting of bandwidth here.

 

lol.....................

[fufu]

hi, i wan to go worx motorsport but not sure of the location. anyone noes?

[germs7]

Hey guys! My bro just got his 848evo last week... And we just realise that e fuel capacity is 15.5L haha... Just wondering Wat is e avg FC u guys have on this beauty?

 

congrats on his evo, must be enjoying it! i get between 180km (mostly traffic and city riding) to 220km (80% highway riding) before the reserve light comes on. on average its around 190km before I fill up the tank.. I manage to get in around 10litres, so doing the math, its about 18 - 22 km/l. im on stock exhaust and ecu.. hope it helps

[Naked1]

hi, i wan to go worx motorsport but not sure of the location. anyone noes?

 

10 Kaki Bukit Road 2 ,#01-04 First East Centre Tel : 66361655

[fufu]

10 Kaki Bukit Road 2 ,#01-04 First East Centre Tel : 66361655

 

thanks

[kenshin]

congrats on his evo, must be enjoying it! i get between 180km (mostly traffic and city riding) to 220km (80% highway riding) before the reserve light comes on. on average its around 190km before I fill up the tank.. I manage to get in around 10litres, so doing the math, its about 18 - 22 km/l. im on stock exhaust and ecu.. hope it helps

 

Thanks bro! His getting around e same FC as well

[jackyneo]

Why dont you post what you want exactly in one single post? First post says class 2. Second post says sport bike. Third post says cc? Fourth post says year of production? Wasting of bandwidth here.

Do i offened u in anyway i posted in such way? waste of namdwidth? im just answering to another guy question. And i said more into sport bike(ducati sport bike are mostly class2). If u donno the meaning of more into? What ur rage about?

[Naked1]

In fact now all the latest ducati's are class 2.

[geeteethree]

Audi to buy Ducati?

[fufu]

Just curious... Anyone did groundings on their bike? Is it useful?

[Richards]

Looking for a Ducati Supertouring (ST4s preferably) anyone knows of a seller of one of these do PM me. Cheers.

[batmeon]

anyone interested to get a db killers/silencers for their termis..? i got extra since i'd collected my stock parts.. only use fa one day & took it out, still in packaging.. mine is 1098(not the slash cut termis) & i believe it is suitable fa 848/1098/1198 also wif termis..

[vik]

Any recommendations for tyres for 848 and how much,which shop?

[talkingcock]

Hi just to check for 1L of fuel to travel about 18km is it normal for HY motard. New in ducati bike. Tks