Ducati & Enfield

[smeghead]

I just read ont tinternet that Enfield could acquire Ducati. That's an interesting acquisition if it comes off. Being owned by the Indians hasn't hurt Land Rover/Jaguar.

[MrGrumpy]

All sorts of possibilities spring into view - would Ducati go back to bikes like they were making 50 years ago like Enfield???

[2wheelover51]

Well they've already had their developement work done for them. I've seen a V-Twin made with two bullet cylinders and heads..

[The Bern]

would Ducati go back to bikes like they were making 50 years ago

If they did there's every possibility that sales would improve, sadly what they are producing these days looks like the same crap as loads of others. If you're gonna build a motorbike make it look like a motorbike, not something that was bunged together in a back street garage by a load of knobheads/wannabe's

[wozza]

Well they've already had their developement work done for them. I've seen a V-Twin made with two bullet cylinders and heads..

I take it you haven't seen the new Royal Enfield Himalayan then?

[horobags]

I like the look of the himalayan, quite radical.

[smeghead]

http://www.ducaticlassics.com/images/mo ... s/49/9.jpg

It would be lovely to see these again.

[2wheelover51]

It says a lot for the way bikes have "developed" (eg. "Agressively styled" impractical garage toys) that a bike made form following function and as conventional as the Himalayan is considered "radical". No criticism intended Horobags.
The early Ducatis were indeed works of art, beautifully advanced, and engineered streets ahead of our British bikes (like the early Jap bikes). In fact the more I've thought about it over the years the more cerain I am that the British bike industry deserved all it got, much as I loved my old BSAs..

[kishan]

build quality and reliability will improve then compared to the italians haha

[horobags]

I like the look of the himalayan, quite radical.

I had a quick look at the Himalyan on display at the NEC show last year. After admiring the clean lines of the Royal Enfield Classic range earlier, the much talked about Himalayan was a disappointment and styling wise a mess. If you want to pay good money for a new bike that looks like something bodged together in a lock up as a winter rat bike then it's ideal.

apparently the finished ( UK ready) model has had a few last minute mods and changes. The first Indian home market model had a few issues that the factory sorted before export started , costing them little to repair and develop so they wouldnt have to pay UK workshop rates for any warranty work.
I did see one ride past when I was in Goa in feb, it looked quite quirky and sounded nice.