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Message started by gerald.hughes on 04/19/12 at 07:43:28

Title: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by gerald.hughes on 04/19/12 at 07:43:28

Well, it seems that Volkswagen is buying Ducati.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/volkswagen-group-adds-ducati-to-product-portfolio/?hpw

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by Serowbot on 04/19/12 at 07:51:15

That hurt... :-?...

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/19/12 at 08:05:09

he Volkswagen Group, which owns Audi as well as low-volume ultraluxury brands like Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti,

Doesnt seem like a bad thing to me.

Back in the day, there was a Big, well equipped drilling company in Odessa, Thompson Drilling & there was a much smaller, kinda shabbily equipped company ( I know, I worked for them for a while) Hillin Drilling ( Yea, that Hillin,, Bobby Hillins dad ). There was a guy who worked for Thompson drilling who was fiercely loyal to that company,,
A guy who knew him & wanted to goad him walked up to him in a bar & told him Hillin had bought Thompson,, & a fistfight ensued..

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by Stimpy - FSO on 04/19/12 at 08:23:52

Oh my, it is happening before our eyes
and still nobody can see the big picture.

Soon there will be only 10 big companies left.
One for energy, one for pharma, one for transport,
one for tech, one for banking, one for agro, one for
chem, one for media, one for food, an so on, all
owned by the same 5 fücks.

This of course is a bad thing people.

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by verslagen1 on 04/19/12 at 09:01:13

I guess they needed an engine for a twizzy knock off.

maybe they'll call it a ducky ;D

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by Stimpy - FSO on 04/19/12 at 11:30:27

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiNr2plofKE[/media]

:D

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by Arizuno on 04/19/12 at 18:15:36

It's not product that counts, it's return on equity. You don't believe me, ask Roger Smith. Buona fortuna, Ducati.

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by LostArtist on 04/19/12 at 18:21:06

Audicatti???

Ducadi?

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by mpescatori on 04/20/12 at 02:30:32

It is sad and most fortunate at the same time.

Ducati produced some extremely valid motorcycles in the 1970's but couldn't keep pace to the mass-produced Hondas etc.

When first introduced to Europe, the Japanese bikes awed the public with four-cylinder engines and shiny looks and bikes that could lope as easily as scream away.

On the other hand, Harleys, BMWs, British and Italian bikes all had their "character", you could lope along on a Guzzi or a BMW, you could cruise all day on a Harley or a Brit bike, you could race the wind on a Ducati or Norton Commando...
...but you couldn't do it all on one bike.

But the plus side for the conoisseur was that while European bikes had good handling and brakes, the japanese were absolutely hopeless.
"Widow maker" was the nickname for Kawasaki and Suzuki two-stroke triples, but Kawa 900 and Honda 750s didn't fare much better.

The point is that while the Japanese were capable of "reinventing" what the Europeans had just phased out (see the custom cruisers, or the big enduros, or the crotch rockets) the Europeans were unable to copy the Japanese and create multicylinder Eurobikes.

Guzzi heald fast to the V-twin.
BMW Held fast to the flat-twin.
Ducati held fast to the L-twin.
Harley held fasdt to the V-twin.
The Brits died and rose and died and rose and...

Nowadays, BMW, Triumph, Harley, Ducati, they're all back with "new, old school design" but the bikes are seriously modern despite the looks.
Nothing to do with the old school engineering of the 1970's and 80's.

Ducati has now been bought by Audi.

Rover was bought by a chinese motor company and is now back in business, albeit only in China and the UK.

Let's hope Audi will put more than just money in Ducati, and some fresh young mechanical engineers and industrial designers to produce new, "better than ever" Dukes.

8-)

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by TestPro on 04/20/12 at 15:01:18

After Audi gets their German management team in place, Ducati will be driven into the ground with process and regulation. All of the innovative engineers will have their creativity stifled and will leave in less then two years. In order to increase profit margins, more parts will be imported to reduce costs. The company will eventually be absorbed with just a name to put on the cheaper imported Chinese bikes. I have lived this story before.

So it is written, so it will be done.

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/20/12 at 17:00:48

Good post, Pesci..

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by mpescatori on 04/22/12 at 13:46:42

3A386A61636D383E080 wrote:

Guzzi and Aprilia are owned by Piaggio.
http://en.moto-guzzi-club.com/graphics/gallery/full/233_2010-aniii.jpg Guzzi lineup

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery%20B/APRILIA%20TUONO%20FACTORY%2007.jpg Aprilia Tuono 2012

http://www.corriere.it/Fotogallery/Tagliate/2008/10_Ottobre/17/stor/03.jpghttp://blog.casase.it/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Piaggio-APE-MOCA1.jpg
World famous Piaggio TucTuc

I have seen a lot of improvement and Guzzi is revived. Aprilia makes baaad bikes, I have yet to see a japanese V-twin as baaad as an Aprilia Tuono.

Audi is just DYING to get their hands on Ducati's patented desmodromic valve timing.
I think (hope) things will improve. ::)

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by Serowbot on 04/22/12 at 13:49:47

Piaggio TucTuc... "World famous" everywhere but here...
I want one!... ;)...

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by gerald.hughes on 04/22/12 at 16:42:06

Now that is an RV that I could live with.

Title: Re: A Ducati Beetle?
Post by Stimpy - FSO on 04/23/12 at 05:17:09

yup, these little APEs are great, you find them
everywhere here in U-rop, kids with a learners
permit can drive the 50cc models starting at
14 years of age and small local companies
sometimes use them for delivering goods
or advertising.

Here is a brief history of them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaggio_Ape

They go from 49cc 2-stoke to 400cc diesel and
this is what they REALLY are under that cabin,
a vespa trike!

http://s11.postimage.org/51n3nibyr/Piaggio_Ape_MKI.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/lcn7jtogf/full/)
freehosting (http://postimage.org/)

-----------------------------------------------------------

Audi is just DYING to get their hands on Ducati's patented desmodromic valve timing.

Very astute observation.

Can't beat them? hell, then just buy em'