Ducati will consider a Harley Davidson merger "Anytime"

this rumor pops up from time to time... it will never happen. Harley is monolithic, the company moves slower than their bikes. the board will do NOTHING that even remotely messes with the "image". Buell is bad enough, Ducati doesnt fit the HD biz model.

 

What are you doing on here? Go Get Married already!

 

Ducati and Harley?........wow thats an interesting mix

 

no more interesting than Chrysler/Mercedes. there are some wierd ones out there.

 

and just look how *cough* Cough* successful that was, Daimler had to PAY someone to take chrysler off its hands

 

I doubt it.....Italians and Americans have a very "casual" business relationship at best.

Ducati is owned by an American Company anyways (TP group), so this must be their idea of a business merger.

 

Of course Ducati would consider it! Duh!

Would Harley consider it? I doubt it.

 

I sure as hell hope Ducati doesnt merge. Ducati needs to stay in Italy and be pure. Dont let an american loud ugly bike company take you over.

 

Absolutely! Or any of those money grubbing American private equity funds like Texas Pacific Group... oh, wait... never mind!

 

Ugly? Harley makes some of the most beautiful bikes in the world...while Ducati's perform and sound good, good looking they're not...

 

Eye of the beholder…

Granted, a Harley engine is more aesthetically pleasing than Ducati’s but dollar for dollar I took a 1098S over anything that HD has to offer.

BTW, lot’s of merger comments here; http://www.ducati.ms/forums/showthread.php?t=23814

 

ugly?
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thats funny you say that, because I can guarantee you that Harleys in stock form are probably quieter than Ducatis. When people start wrenching on them, well thats another story.

 

...Duc`s with push rod valve gear being riden by black leather wearing grey beards on their way to cash a welfare check, while the obligatory fat tatoo sporting mother of 5 bas$#@d kids smokes a Camel filter on the back. In matching white trash loser outfit of course. Can`t wait. Jerry

 

Ducati's ugly?.......the 916, 999, Monster, 1098?

 

ugly there is not one bike on harleys list that tops this and i might add harley with the exception of the vrod has made the same crap for years unreliable crap at that.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

FYI, Harley demographics have changed since the 60s...the last I read the average Harley owner was between 35 and 55 with an average income in excess of $100k...hardly a welfare recipient... while I sold my Fatboy a few years back, I now ride an American Ironhorse LSC chopper and most of the guys I ride with are fellow lawyers and a few orthopedic surgeons with Harley's all of which are earning between $500k and to over a million a year ...no welfare checks for us...I would suspect that the average Ducati sports bike owner would be much younger and thus make a lot less money...as far as tattoos are concerned, while I have none, I do note a lot of wealthy pro-athletics, musicians and F1 drivers do have them...oh yea, Michael Shumacher owns several Harley's and used to have one flown to every F1 race so he could ride it while in town...but, then again he does have a tattoo and did wear black leather when he rode...but, I suspect his checks were larger than the average welfare check...

 

The demographics are actually older. Much older. Wealthy yes but 45-65 is more likely

 

Thank you for setting the record straight.

I could not have said it better myself.

 

Interesting.....I didn't know MS like them so much. Does he own any sportbikes (Ducatis?) I know he rode a Ducati GP bike at Mugello once, but I am curious to know if he has a motorcycle collection of sorts.

 

http://motorbiker.org/motorbiker.nsf/a696d6e662987839c1256c1a00426b64/724fb4e59339fcfec1256c60004ee287!OpenDocument

 

You don't know much about the motorcycle market, do you?

And I'm a Ducati owner, for whatever that's worth-- but your description of Harley owners is absurd.

 

Yea, the owner of the company where he works probably rides a Harley...

 

Yes Harley owners may make more money or what have you. They are old geezers who dont like sport bikes because "it hurts the back" I really dont see why anyone could like a Harley over a sportbike. They are slower, take longer to brake, handle worse, they all look the same, 90% of people who ride them only do it for the "hardcore" image. I'm sorry, I just dont get Harleys.