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Motogp crapenings.

Discussion in 'General' started by Dave K, Apr 20, 2020.

  1. Robby-Bobby

    Robby-Bobby Steeltoe’s Daddy

    100% wrong.

    The new age Ducati customer could give two flying fucks about racing. I'd say with my 25 year history at ducati (until last year) the last 10 years, Ducati customers have changed significantly. Look at their model line for example. Every model back in the 2000's used to be race derived. Now its scramblers (hipsters), multistrada (old adv guys), and the sport customers in general just want something fast. I cant tell you the last time we had sold team style shirts, hats, or anything. Even when Nicky was Ducati, we rarely sold race related stuff.
     
    turbulence likes this.
  2. Dave K

    Dave K DaveK über alles!

    Nicky was a freak. That dude, even if people didn't know who he was or what he did could sell sawdust to a sawmill.

    Put his picture of him up smiling selling gopher shit flavored cereal and you'll sell out.
     
    SGVRider likes this.
  3. nigel smith

    nigel smith Well-Known Member

    When it comes to sales, you can't compete heads up with the Japanese manufacturers. They sell an efficient, perfectly engineered appliance. Ducatis have always had soul. A lot of that soul originally came from selling race bikes with lights as street bikes, but you have to follow the market. I have a lot of Ducatis, but I haven't purchased a new one since 1998. When your customer base ages out, you have to find new buyers. Also, Ducati Scramblers were their biggest seller back in the day, long before Rob was born. I had one then and I have one now.
     
    G 97 likes this.
  4. SGVRider

    SGVRider Well-Known Member

    True, but Ducati up to that point was doing extremely well. Given their previous results, it’s easy to see why they wouldn’t think Stoner was the difference the first few years.

    It’s also philosophical, isn’t it? If the best rider on the grid can go faster with my bike than any other bike, but my other riders suck on it, don’t I have the best bike around? That’s a high risk strategy but that shit has worked for Honda. Without our boy Marc that RCV would belong in a dumpster. Of course, that strategy also requires Honda level resources, commitment, and competence. So maybe it’s a poor strategy for our Eye-talian friends.

    I don’t doubt you or your personal experiences with Ducati. Branding is incredibly powerful though. If Ducati stopped racing today sure their sales wouldn’t evaporate overnight. What about in 10 years though? Without the Ducati mystique what do they really offer over competitors? Branding has a cultural meme effect. Even if a customer doesn’t directly care about racing, they still subconsciously absorb branding efforts.

    Without performance and engineering legitimacy how does a premium brand perpetuate itself justify its price point? I think they’d be a pasta-flavored Harley Davidson. Ducati products offer zero price/performance benefit over Japanese competition. They might have a few niche products that the Japanese don’t offer, but they only manage to sell them because of the Ducati image.
     
  5. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Yeah but you're a furriner with furriner thinking :D
     
  6. vfrket

    vfrket Lost Member

    So you are an old man hipster? First generation, so to speak.

    Walk around the gym locker room air drying your junk and talking to everyone in your PBR hat?

    Heh
     
  7. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    In Europe it'd matter a ton - Rob is just talking US. In the US they are a pasta flavored HD, they're not putting out a product that is markedly better for less money than other like products. They're selling an image every bit as much as HD does.

    I like mine for the same reason Nigel does, they have soul. But that's the same reason people like Harleys. I can get a bike as good as the Multi or the Hyper for less than either cost but they would not be as enjoyable for me to ride. Downside to owning them is the lifestyle Ducatisti :crackup:
     
    turbulence likes this.
  8. nigel smith

    nigel smith Well-Known Member

    I'm perverse enough that I actually raced Ducati Scramblers in the woods and on MX courses. In fact, Rob's dad built the killer motor in my AHRMA bike.
     
  9. Robin172

    Robin172 Well-Known Member

    So I just imagined racing from 1975 to 2007?
     
  10. pickled egg

    pickled egg Tell me more

    I would say their streetable variants in race series have a greater draw sales-wise than the winglet piglet under Dovu.
     
  11. nigel smith

    nigel smith Well-Known Member

    Truth be told, you might not even be real.
     
    Gorilla George likes this.
  12. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    In the world of Broome - yep!
     
    Gorilla George likes this.
  13. HPPT

    HPPT !!!

    Not when one of your other riders was a championship contender the year before and suddenly isn't it threat for race wins. Or when a guy could show up for a wildcard on the previous generation and put it on top of the box and suddenly now most of you regulars can't do anything with your bike. That certainly invites a few questions.
     
  14. Robin172

    Robin172 Well-Known Member

    Actually, the way my wife and kids listen to me you might have a point.
     
  15. ShadowBoxer

    ShadowBoxer Well-Known Member

    No the pilot won the championship ...
     
  16. dsapsis

    dsapsis El Jefe de los Monos

    On what distant planet would an 8-year retired racer compete against Marc? Oh wait. Right here. :D
     
    turbulence and Jedb like this.
  17. nigel smith

    nigel smith Well-Known Member

    Casey beats Marc, hands down. At a fishing rodeo.
     
  18. sheepofblue

    sheepofblue Well-Known Member

    It is not all about selling super bikes. Manufacturers also perfect technology and improve durability etc. Prime example look at Suzuki's valve setup, without MotoGP it would not have been created.
     
  19. prospected

    prospected Well-Known Member

  20. Dave K

    Dave K DaveK über alles!

    Horseshit. Gardner.

    Great rider but the manufacturer made a totally unrideable bike in '88, the year after he won the championship on a POS and he came second. He came second to a team with another great rider on a better riding bike.

    The rider could be the best in the world and still not get it done. Schwantz was the GOAT but he stuck to Suzuki and only got one championship. On a Yamaha or even the Honder he'd have more championships then Rossi has teeth.

    A great rider on a great bike is gonna win. a Great rider on a POS is gonna Mamola every year. A good rider on a great bike is gonna Kocinski.
     

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