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[geezerglide]

A friend of my daughters who rides Ducati was told by one of the Ducati dealers that their is talk of Harley purchasing Ducati, anyone hear of this rumour?

I had heard that Ducati may be in financial troubles.

geezerglide

[49445CVO]

Interesting

[Gecko]

For what purpose?  So they can run it into the ground like Buell?  Or re-sell it at a loss?  If they didn't realize Buell riders were different than Harley riders, they are really off thinking Ducati fits.

[bandit]

If it's true, their goal is clear to me.

1) after getting tired of riding Ducati, or any faster sport-bike like Buell, MVAgusta
they hope the customer will change back to HD

2) raise their market-shares in segments, where they actually have no selling items

3) change the view of the shareholders from the actual problems to a "new challenge".

[grc]

We really don't need the incompetent management of H-D screwing up another venerated brand; they haven't fully completed screwing up the Harley brand yet, and they're not that great at multitasking.  And if memory serves me, they recently pizzed away many hundreds of millions buying up MV Augusta only to turn around and divest themselves of MV Augusta at a loss. 

H-D needs to fix their own brand and products, and not follow the path of the American auto industry with the "acquisitions followed by fire sales" mentality. 

Jerry

[CVOTequila]

Hmmm I have been thinking about buying a Buell just becuase the H-D dealerships are selling them for a great price....maybe I should wait on a Duc.   

[AZ SESG]

Hmmm I have been thinking about buying a Buell just becuase the H-D dealerships are selling them for a great price....maybe I should wait on a Duc.   

  My son recently purchased his new '09 Buell 1125CR for less than $8K.

  I agree with all those who have said, the MoCo needs to focus on H-D!

[marshall10]

Maybe they want the Desmodromic valve technology to uh, ahh, make their bikes more UNreliable....

[grandpadoc]

Reminds me of my wife buying a new pair of Italian shoes she doesn't need or will wear just cause their on sale.    Doc

[ice6900]

This really pi$$e$ me off, Buell motor cycles are still for sale at the normal swiss 2010 selling prices, where as the rest of the world can have a bargain on a no-longer produced product, advertising at the open days in march were come and see the new 2010 BUELL MODELS, I believe Buell sales in Switzerland topped the world wide sales per population.

Have Moco divested of MV Augusta yet,  i havent heard any new news?

[Chains]

Maybe they just want the motor clothes line to prop up the economy in their Chinese factories.

[Ultra2010]

That was going around about a year and a half, maybe two years ago..........

[Puzzled]

This has been going around for close to ten years now.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2002-Nov/021104c.htm

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/minoli.htm

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/14/ducati-considering-harley-davidson-merger/

As posted already, Harley has no business with a Sport Bike Based company. They are cluless when it comes to these style bikes, they should stick to tractor like air cooled bikes.

I absolutely love my 08 Buell 1125R.

[grandpadoc]

That wet Buell should have set the trend for Harley. Rotax engines power almost every premium toy worth having and I'm surprised they just didn't buy Harley, but they prefer not to contaminate themselves with retailing. A Harley-Rotax alliance would be a brand that would cross over every segment of the motorcycle industry and get the MoCo going again. Third world countries will always need a cheap air cooled engine to power water pumps and run farm macinery though, so we still should always be able to buy parts for our old bikes.    

Doc

[hooligan]

  My son recently purchased his new '09 Buell 1125CR for less than $8K.

  I agree with all those who have said, the MoCo needs to focus on H-D!

I've been looking for a ulysses if you see a good deal let me know.