Harley Davidson to bid for Ducati

Oh no, that's sad news
Hopefully volkswagen win the bid, perhaps they will get rid of the big cat and still achieve the emissions results...

I don't think it would be a bad thing for Harley to be involved. They would probably be more enthusiastic about building motorcycles than the Volkswagen/Audi group.

That would be the worst thing that could ever happen to a motorcycle manufacturer, to be taken over by the manufacturer of agricultural machinery. I would have to switch back to BMW.

Motomillion said:

I don't think it would be a bad thing for Harley to be involved. They would probably be more enthusiastic about building motorcycles than the Volkswagen/Audi group.

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Erik Buell might not share that opinion. :frown2:

Fredinfrance said:

That would be the worst thing that could ever happen to a motorcycle manufacturer, to be taken over by the manufacturer of agricultural machinery. I would have to switch back to BMW.

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My sentiments exactly! :|

Fredinfrance said:

That would be the worst thing that could ever happen to a motorcycle manufacturer, to be taken over by the manufacturer of agricultural machinery. I would have to switch back to BMW.

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It worked out well for MV Agusta. $1 sale comes to mind.

AHAMAYfrank said:

It worked out well for MV Agusta. $1 sale comes to mind.

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Funny that you say that. I don't think that I have seen an MV on the road around here for years.

It could easily be a cashed-up Chinese manufacturer with the engines manufactured in China and assembly of the bike in Italy like what happened to SWM.

The minute I read this, I was like, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!:crying:

Not a good idea...

I don't like Harley. I don't want them to own any part of Ducati. Let's hope they don't win the bid. BUT...I sure as h3ll don't want some Chinese company to own them, either. That would be the worst!!

I really don't know what would be worse. Ducati being owned by a Chinese company, or by Harley Davison. If they get purchased by Harley Davison, I wouldn't hear the end of it from my Harley riding contemporaries.

I don't think Harley would be that bad. It costs a fortune to manufacture anything in the US so I think they would just leave manufacturing as is. I'll take them over Royal Entfield or some other Asian company that is likely to move some manufacturing to Asia.

They had MV Agusta and Buell made a mess of both of them. The panigale super glide - 1000 lbs bike with 63 hp in Ducati Red. The sportiest tractor in the fleet.

If this happens, the Supersport S is the last Duc I'll ever own. Back to BMW, or even Moto Guzzi. The backlash in the US, particularly in California, Ducati's largest market by far, would be so huge the brand would simply disappear within a few years.

Motomillion said:

I don't think it would be a bad thing for Harley to be involved. They would probably be more enthusiastic about building motorcycles than the Volkswagen/Audi group.

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I guess one could say Harley's are almost motorcycles. Sort of.

While I have nothing against Harley Davidson it just not the culture that surrounds Ducati.

I hope that who ever does win the bid is smart enough to do nothing other than support what is already working. The reason Ducati is even a marketable asset is the fact that it's doing so well with a very strong growth trajectory.

I'm not a fan of Harleys myself. But just because they buy Ducati, it doesnt mean they'll move operations or make Ducatis look like Harleys. It's pretty common in the auto world for different companies owning unrelated brands...The indian company TATA owns jaguar and Land Rover. It's only done a world of good to both brands (cash injection)

Harley Davidson is not TATA Motors. They'd waste no time chrome plating every part possible on the Diavel, adding a fairing the size of Cleveland, and the remainder of the model lineup would become an afterthought.