Is it all about the bikes for you or do you "buy into the whole lifestyle" and merchandising thing? For me I think it's mainly about the bike. In the main I find the majority of merchandise (no matter what bike brand) to be a tad tacky. There are some exceptions, like some T shirts, but not too many IMO. What do you think?
Love my bike bought into the merchandise too..... well you can't help it!! Couple tops a hoody a jacket Umbrella :-D think that's it
I have a couple of t shirts, a knock off mouse mat, and I'd be more than happy to buy my next girlfriend the bikini.......
I don't tend to buy into branding full stop, and would certainly never pay full price (i.e. rip-off price) for clothing because of the badge. The Ducati t-shirts I've bought have all been bargain-bin sale items (3 long-sleeves for a total of £50 at Ducati Aylesbury last year), a collared T-shirt for less than £20 end of line at Snells - otherwise, my Ducati related T-shirts are UKMOC club shirts and a prize. While I quite like showing a bit of "team spirit" at Ducati events like WDW or UKMOC club meets, I'm not a label victim. Ducati is slipping worryingly down the slippery slope to Ferrari-naffness in my books - the Ducati branded perfume promotion at WDW was a very bad sign ... So far at least, Ducati has escaped becoming the next must-have label for chavs or oikish wannabees thinking a brand can buy them class, in the way Burberry was a few years ago, or the way that originally yachtie-core brands like Helly Hansen and Musto seem to be infesting the high street today. If the Ducati brand did become too popular for its own good, being debased in this way, I'd probably send all the Ducati t-shirts to a charity shop, but would still keep the Monster as I love it to bits!
I've got a couple of t shirts and a crash helmet I hardly wear. As Mrs C says you can go too far . You end up looking like joey in friends when he pretended he owned the Porshe ! Also if you want branding and lifestyle buy a Harley !!! I buy because I like something not to fit in or look cool. I just dress like me.
Personally I don't have any Ducati brand gear, the wife only has 1 t-shirt which was reduced in the local shop. Would love to have some more but the prices are way to high. Wouldn't want to go the whole hog ( need a Harley for that?) but don't have a problem with sharing my passion for the brand provided its not going to mean taking out a mortgage to do so! Was offered a 1piece Ducati Corse set of leathers (2nd hand) for £750 but went and bought a brand new set (Ace leathers) for less than £300. No brainer IMO
I can understand buying T's or a hoodie from a fashion perspective, but buying Rossi leathers or Rossi helmet makes you look like a fashion victim IMO - unless of course you can actually ride like the man himself.
ive been totally sucked in to the duke thang , dont get me wrong ive not just bought my duke and bought the t/shirt!!!!!! .....much like i found the right girl for me , i found the right bike .........err four times .......im a sad nobba but im also a merchandise whore .....the ring the watch the wallet the t/shirt...............ive considered other bikes "oooh thats pretty" but pixie told me i would miss the duke too much ( i did it before withh a 996 to an 04 r1...hated it).............bikers in general are attention seeking whores/tarts (admit it) i just think ducati is special a unique owning experience like no other bike can match ....i wear the logo because im proud of it.....up to my first duke everything else was just transport.........right im off to get tattoo'd .......big logo shield on my back so i can bleed for bologna!!!!!!!!!!!:biggrin:
Duke, I've got the old crest tattooed on my right shoulder, I got it as inspiration to get myself a Duke whilst I was still looking. Very proud of it. I checked out loads of different ones before choosing as I wanted something that was a bit different. When I've worked out how to post pics I'll put one on my profile and put a pic of the ST3 up too!
fucking coooooooooooooooooooool............how are you finding the st? i was looking at a few for a possible training bike ??????
It was for the noise and performance. Like no other bike I have ever ridden. The looks and style came second I actually swelled up when I sold my 748 haha, when I sold my 1098S... Wasn't that fussed to be honest. However, missing having one greatly! But no bikes for me for a while. And when I do eventually, if I do that is. It will be a 748. Never before have I enjoyed a bike so much.
I don't have a problem with branded stuff per se, so long as I like the stuff and what the brand seems to stand for. Call me an old fart but so far as Ducati goes, I really don't like the way that they have gone recently. The newer bikes have lost much of the essential Ducati character in my opinion and the whole Ducati brand takes itself far too seriously and is too sterile, cool, sleek, boutique, designer lifestyle for my taste - everything from the 'Ducati Concept Store' to Ducati wine, purfume, luggage ... yuk. Of the bikes I own I'd be more likely to go for KTM branded stuff if anything - they have a much edgier, fun, street style about them and are also much less expensive than the Ducati stuff. It is all done by Kiska who I think are brilliant KISKA - Designing Desire
Purely about the bike, for me. I wouldn't care if it had another badge on it (whatever that badge was) as long as the specs were identical.
Although I've yet to embark on ownership as such, it was the bike that made me want a Ducati but I did order a cheap (for Ducati) t shirt last night. Some of the t shirts etc. look good but the rest of the kit is definitely bordering on tacky and I was also thinking it could easily go the way of Ferrari in the near future. The "lifestyle" marketing is just that, trying to sqeeze a few more Euros out of the punters but that is why companies exist at the end of the day I guess. I have always liked bike t shirts though but can't ever see me buying a Rossi branded item or any of the leathers, trainers, Oakleys etc. just because they have Ducati branding. This is just the way I see things though and other than the odd t shirt, I can't really see me spending much on merchandise. Bike parts etc. though? That's another thing altogether! :smile:
Nope, no branding for me, leathers, boots, lid, all nondescript and black, as said above, perfume, luggage etc, total naffness. not interested in that side of things at all. I ride a Duke because it suits me at the moment, if there was something else that did what i want better, and i could afford it!, then it would go.
