[SteveFord]

This is probably old news to all Ducati fans but I just read about Audi (who is owned by VW) purchased Ducati for 1.1 billion dollars.
I hope this is a good match for Ducati.

[FullRangeMan]

After WV/Porsche bought Lamborghini and Bugatti this both small brands lift off to success.

[SlushPuppy]

I don't know what their motivation was, but I like the idea of a high-tech car company owning them. Audi has a great design team. It will be interesting to watch.

[FullRangeMan]

Uh, Lambo just released some pedlary in gold plated finish, a tablet and a Iphone or something like it, obviusly at premium price$...

[doug s.]

I don't know what their motivation was, but I like the idea of a high-tech car company owning them. Audi has a great design team. It will be interesting to watch.

audi wanted the engine technology that ducati uses in their latest sprotbike, the panigale.  90 degree v-2, no walve springs, (desmo actuated walves), 1199cc, 195hp.  this 361lb dry weight sportbike retail pricing starts at $19k.  considering that this kind of performance would cost >$80k even a few years ago, and not be street legal, it is truly amazing.




doug s.

[Rclark]

Audi/Ducati. If you're going to have a pairing you could do a hell of a lot worse. Hopeful improvements: ability to produce stock motorcycles that run smoothly without needing the aftermarket Termignoni treatment (Doug, I think you said they've gotten better at this already), and further refining the bikes to where they aren't the maintenance hogs they've been in the past and recent past.

[doug s.]

Audi/Ducati. If you're going to have a pairing you could do a hell of a lot worse. Hopeful improvements: ability to produce stock motorcycles that run smoothly without needing the aftermarket Termignoni treatment (Doug, I think you said they've gotten better at this already), and further refining the bikes to where they aren't the maintenance hogs they've been in the past and recent past.

there isn't a motorcycle made that someone won't be putting an aftermarket exhaust on, ducati or otherwise.   i have three bikes, one italian , one japanese, one american.  i have three bikes w/aftermarket exhausts. 

and it is not that ducati's aren't reliable or are maintenance hogs, it's that there there are not as many folks that know how to work on them.  my '78 ducati darmah, while not as reliable as newer bikes, still does ok...     it's no worse than any other bike of its wintage, and a bit better than many.  i wouldn't hesitate to get on any well-kept duc and ride it anywhere.  the only issue i would have w/riding any 35 year old wehicle on a long distance trip is that sometimes even simple parts will take some time to obtain.  and any wehicle that was rare when it was new is affected even more so by this.  i wouldn't hesitate to use any ducati mfr'd after the early 90's as a daily rider.  well, on second thought, i would awoid the water-cooled 916's; as they can be a bit maintenance intensive...

doug s.

[Berndt]

I put over 20k on my stock hypermotard.
Gave new meaning to unintended acceleration!
I don't think Audi can squeeze the soul out of Ducati.
Hope they don't kill the motogp team...

[catastrofe]

This is probably old news to all Ducati fans but I just read about Audi (who is owned by VW) purchased Ducati for 1.1 billion dollars.
I hope this is a good match for Ducati.

I'm waiting for the AWD motorcycle.  Too bad they can't call it Quattro....

[Berndt]

The DucAudi 5000!
Officer, I was just sitting in the slow lane and the thing took off!

[JohnR]

further refining the bikes to where they aren't the maintenance hogs they've been in the past and recent past.

Seriously. Where did you read that? Any actual experience?

[doug s.]

Seriously. Where did you read that? Any actual experience?

exactly.  which is why i posted what i did, prior.  it's funny how impressions are made on folks who really don't have much experience w/bikes.  bmw's, for example, have stellar reputations for reliability; those who have owned them know it's not always quite like that.  the reality is they're ok, but still have their issues...  and, many bmw owners also upgrade their exhausts, btw.   

doug s.

[Berndt]

I remember when I was getting my bike serviced in '08, the service manager said that Ducati was responding to the perceived excessive maintenance regiment by updating the valve train to be able to have 7500 mile maintenance intervals. In the 22k miles I had mine the original shims were still in place.

[Rclark]

It's pretty common knowledge that any Duc pre '09 at least requires a very expensive maintenance schedule, and it's also pretty common knowledge that the bikes run rough unless you spring for the factory upgrades. Hence, my three previous bikes were Hondas.

[JohnR]

So... no actual experience? Just repeating what you read somewhere?

[Rclark]

I didn't want to have the experience, so no. Buy you see a lot of them for sale right before their big first maintenance hit. No John, didn't buy a duc, but I sure as hell researched it.

[JohnR]

The "first big maintenance hit"? When is that exactly?

[Rclark]

It depended on the bike. For many it was after a few thousand miles and was very expensive. You saw lot of bikes for sale just before that mileage.

I'd still love to ride one though.

[JohnR]

A few thousand miles eh.

What happened in 09? Just curious. Not really been following the news.

[Rclark]

They saw it was a problem. One of the main advertising points for the new bikes around that time was less frequent and less costly maintenance. Like it was emphasized on their website, for example.

However, on engines, evn the new Streetfighter was reviewed to run poorly without the factory Termi exhaust and CPU upgrades.