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[KGB]

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a10201666/harley-davidson-ducati/

[coloradotom]

Interesting. More telling is that BMW want's no part of it.

[charles05663]

Maybe it will be a reenactment of the Battle of Buell Run...

 

[Twolanerider]

Buell.  MV Augusta.  Harley has done soooo well with its forays in to sport or other bikes types before.  Hell, they even sold boats a bunch of years ago.  That didn't float either.

Mother Harley can barely manage its own niche barely satisfactorily.  It's not like they really need to split their focus again.....

[Ironhorse]

Maybe it will be a reenactment of the Battle of Buell Run...

 

Or as they say in the south, the battle of "Mans asses". You know,...for saddle comfort.

[coloradotom]

Buell.  MV Augusta.  Harley has done soooo well with its forays in to sport or other bikes types before.  Hell, they even sold boats a bunch of years ago.  That didn't float either.

Mother Harley can barely manage its own niche barely satisfactorily.  It's not like they really need to split their focus again.....

Well, they've been heading towards AMF v2 for some time now... Maybe they should by a company that makes nice walking shoes while they're at it.

[charles05663]

Well, they've been heading towards AMF v2 for some time now... Maybe they should by a company that makes nice walking shoes while they're at it.

I was thinking that and walkers too with little tennis balls on the back legs and flames on the sides.  Heaven knows with the average age of the Harley rider this will be their next big market.

 

[coloradotom]

I was thinking that and walkers too with little tennis balls on the back legs and flames on the sides.  Heaven knows with the average age of the Harley rider this will be their next big market.

 

And the gold carts again! You know to get around those giant retirement complexes.

[Twolanerider]

I was thinking that and walkers too with little tennis balls on the back legs and flames on the sides.  Heaven knows with the average age of the Harley rider this will be their next big market.

 

Oh good grief; what a snowball that could start.  That's only the tip of the market!

HarleyWorld:  The Retirement Village for Those Who Previously Dreamed They Were BadAss.

See "Sportster Town" for those seeking higher density and less expensive senior accommodations while still looking forward to every Thursday night's walker races and the weekly (bus) ride to Cracker Barrel!"  For those still unsure of their upcoming status we highly suggest "Dyna-ville."  We were never quite sure what to make of this one either!

If you've still got both hips and eat before 4:00 PM on weekdays you should definitely consider our "Softail Community."  You can relax a little, take advantage of the OTB in our Screamin Eagle Rec Center, swim, walk the "Twin Cam Trail" and wear your leathers every Tuesday night on the "Springer Outing" to Golden Corral!

If retirement in comfort while seeing the sites is your goal definitely check out our "Touring RV Park."  Short term or long term rental spaces available.  All hook ups.  All synthetic fluids for any tanks.  Enjoy the "Road King Trail" for your evening post hip replacement PT walks and see America's Highways with nightly showings of such greats as "On Any Sunday," "Easy Rider," "The Motorcycle Diaries" and anything by Steve McQueen nightly in the Tour Guide Lounge and Pavilion (Screamin' Eagle appetizers extra).

 

[Road Dad]

I understand why WV is selling. That was just a matter of time after exit of CEO. Does not fit with BMW, no great surprise there.

I don't believe HD will buy them, not a good fit. (We are not talking an asset purchase, that would change things)

[mark]

I can see why BMW isn't interested...they'd be competing with themselves.  Based on their track record, HD always fumbles when stepping into the sport bike market. 

[grc]

Harley management needs to learn how to run Harley properly before acquiring another motorcycle company.  And as a person who has always admired Ducati's, I'd hate to see Harley screw that brand up.

Jerry

[muddypaws]

Harley get your own house in order first.

[ultrarider123]

Harley get your own house in order first.

Well said.  The old mote and beam analogy from Mathew 7:
3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

[G 97]

Harley must diversify if it wants to remain relevant.  I honestly think that Harley is serious about letting Ducati operate the way it has been operating. The current CEO of Harley, Matt Levatich was the head guy over seeing the MV Augusta acquisition. I have to believe several lessons were learned during what turned out to be a debacle for Harley. Admitingly, the turn down in the economy didn't play well with the timing of this purchase but looking back its clear to see several critical mistakes were made.

Ducati represents a lot of benefits that quiet simply MV Augusta didn't possess. The most critical being the dealer network. Ducati's current dealer network has been gradually transformed and improved to where it is, in many cases, industry leading. Harley can simply plug and play into this current situation with out even having to do anything with their current dealer network. I don't see Harley inter-mingling these two brands and I see zero likely hood of any dealer crossover like what they did with Buell and to a lessor extent MV.

Harley shutting down Buell and jettisoning MV had much to do with the economic turndown at the time rather than them being mis managed.  Harley's management team is also vastly improved and several prior roadblocks that existed in the past don't exist today.  There is little doubt in my mind that Harley can succeed with this acquisition.  In a lot of ways they have little choice as their core demographic customer continues to age while making fewer purchases.  If the MoCo wants to be viable in the future they must diversify.