my fear of the new ducati - Ducati.ms

sloppyjoe · Nov 18th, 2006, 10:03 pm

my biggest fear being a owner of fine italian machine for years now is this...

i fear that ducati is trying to lure over riders from the jap brands. i fear that the owners of the new bikes will be former gixxer owners looking for a bike to feel like they have big balls rather than a real tool. i fear that with the lower purchase price that a rush of riders will but the new bikes and when it comes time to maintain them let alone do any major repairs they will not be able to and the market will end up with alot of unkept bikes. i fear the XX9's and the 916 style bikes will drop in price to the point that any punk ass shithat can buy one and bling it out with candy paint and chrome.

i bought into the ducati brand because i finally got to a point in my life where i could afford to play on the bikes that really stirred my soul. and that is what these bikes are about. soul. i dont think many riders coming from the jap market will get that or do get that. if we wanted bikes that make the magazine editors wet then we would all be on gsxr's and R1's. we buy ducati because we get what comes from the folks in italy. its about a connection to your machine.

i know we are suppost to all be riders, but in reality ducati is the very peak of the motorcycle world and i fear ducati has put in a escalator to the top of that peak.

then again i could be nuts

Mapless · Nov 18th, 2006, 10:42 pm

You worry about the Jap bikers, I'll tell you what they've got over most of 'us'.

When a new bike from the big 4 is released, it's pretty much a matter of 'I like it' or 'I don't like it'.

Look at the crapfest and division the 1098 and 999 caused within the Ducati 'community'. xx8/xx6 owners can't be happy with their bikes of choice, they've got to rag on the xx9 owners and deride their choice, then you've got the 1098 bandwagoneers jumping down everyone else's throat, us poor xx9 owners have to constantly defend our choices to everyone else...

You like Ducati or not. You like a particular MODEL of Ducati or not. It's sad and playing directly to the same stereotype that's plagued HD for years, that of allowing your bike of choice to dictate who you are and what you think without allowing it to remain quite simply what it is.

It's a motorcycle. Period. No more, no less.
All this crap is downright tiring.

ZXDavid · Nov 18th, 2006, 10:49 pm

I doubt those kinds of folks will ever buy bikes like Ducatis. That cant stretch them and bling them out ghetto style. Those kinds of folks never buy vtwins either. They stay in town on straight roads and do wheelies and stoppies and crash all the time. Its a image thing with many of them. Iam speaking in general terms and not condemming the whole lot but a large portion do these things.

pizza · Nov 19th, 2006, 12:01 am

thats ok let the squids buy ,then wreck em, then I can buy parts all day for my project!

sloppyjoe · Nov 19th, 2006, 12:06 am

true.

**John** · Nov 19th, 2006, 12:19 am

I hear you but nothing will change. We will get welcome converts, but these will be quality people like us, a little uppity and really arrogant. Just the way it should be. Just kidding of course.

Its great to attract more Ducati riders, but this doesn't change the fact the bikes can be expensive to maintain. This in itself is a turn off for many prospective buyers. Even at $15K for a base 1098, thats still a chunk of change for most people, especially when you can buy a top notch liter bike for $10K-11K.

I read some of Japanese brand websites, my take is they like the Ducati but don't like the price.

sloppyjoe · Nov 19th, 2006, 12:21 am

true. we will see. i'll get over it. maybe

DucDucGoose998 · Nov 19th, 2006, 12:27 am

Wow I can't believe how insecure some people here are. I for one will welcome any new Duc rider, I personally would like to see a few more running around..........John

sloppyjoe · Nov 19th, 2006, 12:29 am

im sure you would. your in kennewick!!!

DucDucGoose998 · Nov 19th, 2006, 12:54 am

No kidding, but you know, almost every single person here who rides doesnt ride a Ducati and they're still super people. Theres def squids but they seem to shy away from organization, so I dont run into them much. Just move down here and you'll have no worries. And hey I don't think you'll see a huge dive in price on the terblanche, or tamburini bikes. I think the tamburini bikes have stabilized for the most part and you'll see the 999 bikes stabilize at the higher end of that for a while. Either way my next bike will be an 888 to put next to the 998, now that'll be cool

......John