They will be looking at all the bikes they aren't selling to those who plumped for the Aprilia, BMW, Katoom etc. The market for their niche is big enough. The problem they have is probably eroding market share in this niche. But you are right to suggest that the niche itself may well be shrinking, or at least not expanding, which makes things doubly difficult. When the 916 came out, it was the must-have in that niche. Their subsequent bikes have never really achieved that status.
I think ducati are trying to become a 'trendy' brand. That's all well and good if you want to attract buyers with disposable income, who don't know a lot about bikes. Those though, who remember the racing days, where the brand was built on those successes will turn away as the product gets more diluted to appeal to the masses.
If a manufacturer of anything manages to turn their branded goods into a fashion icon, and builds sales on that basis, it can shift a lot of product - for a few years. But anything which is fashionable soon becomes unfashionable. Nothing is more unsaleable than the year before last's fashions. I hope Ducati management have a plan B - what to do to stay in business if and when sales figures tail off.
By "trendy" do you meant "style over substance"? Or do you just mean fashionable? Or lifestyle? I don't think you can chuck the "style over substance" insult at them, just because they currently aren't winning races. They still make extremely good products. They have arguably been fashionable ever since the Guggenheim put a 916 in their New York museum in the 90s. I see no change here. They are still almost certainly the most fashionable motorcycle brand as far as the non-biker brigade are concerned. If you mean "lifestyle", then BMW and Harley already are, and there is clearly money in it, so why not? I am interested by what you see as "diluted product". Which of their bikes is diluted? They make the most powerful cruiser, the most powerful and sophisticated adventure bike, a cutting edge super bike, the nuttiest supermoto. Do you mean that the die-hards will abandon the brand if it becomes mainstream popular? It won't anyway, because it is expensive. Motorcycling has become a mainly disposable-income-financed leisure activity so it makes sense to sell expensive products (and their trappings).
Ducati are following the HD business model to create a "lifestyle" brand. I knew it was the case when I bought into the brand a year ago but it really hit home whilst I was on holiday and I read a couple of Ducati Redline magazines I had saved on my iPad. 80% (if not more) of the magazines covered Ducati branded apparel and extra's. Their bikes were coincidental.
But just because its fashionable doesn't necessarily mean its any good. Now I'm not saying that Ducatis aren't any good, but in the rush to be 'fashionable' and boost sales are they releasing the best that they can or what they deem good enough to appease the masses. for me the 1199r is a point in case. IMHO I think it was a bit of a cop out. Just enough to call it a 'R', but not enough to make it stand out and show the best that Ducati can produce.
That is exactly what Ducati are doing, and their market share is healthy for it. But in producing lots of different themes (Multi, Diavel, etc), they're clearly trying to hedge their bets for the future. I for one think they need to try a little harder. He should be eyeing up dorises in swimsuits, not bloody reading... If it's fashionable, it's rarely worth the money except in terms of cachet.
Hang on a minute, for the last couple of years the racer types on here have been trying to tell me Ducatis are thoroughbred race machines built for serious racer types, and now you're telling me they're actually a 2-wheeled Abercrombie and Fitch clutch purse... Mind you, that would explain their current racing results...
Before the 916 and the Monster, a Ducati was very much an enthusiasts' brand. You either took on board the "temperament" of a Bevel, knowing that it would probably be breaking down the whole time, or you stumped up money for a 500cc Pantah when that same money would buy you a Japanese 1000. You had something different, and there was always prestige attached to Ducati ownership, but no one much cared. Also throughout the 80s Ducati were always threatening to go bust, even if the Castigliones did impart some financial stability. But Ducati only became "fashionable" in the 90s with the 916, and then probably the Monster.
I agree, it was the Monster 20 years ago that drove a whole new revolution of naked bikes, virtually every manufacturer has now produced a Monster style bike. The Monster also brought Ducati into the mainstream.
