I really can't believe that 3 (or is it 4) years on from the introduction of the 999 the debate about the 916 shaped bikes being better is still droning on. God it's boring.

Ducati owners are not to blame for Ducati's financial woes, only the Ducati management team are responsible for that.

People report that the 999 shape isn't selling as well as the old bike but that overlooks the fact that most of Europe is in recession and in the UK (and the US) the financial community is now very worried that personal borrowing is at an all time high. When people are mortgaged up to the hilt and credit cards are bouncing off their limit there are no bikes today that are selling as well as they were a few years ago - you only have to look at the number of dealers that have gone under to see that, not just Ducati dealers but Jap dealers as well.

The other thing that the simplistic "Ducati are in trouble and it's all the 999's fault" arguement fails to recognise is that it's only in the sportsbike obsessed UK that that arguement may have any validity. Elsewhere it's always been recognised that the Monster has always been Ducati's biggest seller, even in the 916/996 glory years and lately the Multistrada has been the biggest seller in France and Germany. Not surprisingly, other manufacturers have seen the success of those bikes and climbed on the bandwagon. Whereas a few years ago if you wanted a bike like a Monster, you bought a Monster 'cos it was pretty much on it's own as a soulful Italian naked. Now you've got Benelli, MV, Moto Morini, Aprillia all wanting a slice of market share to name a few. And the Multistrada has got new competition from KTM, BMW's have even got a bit funky and the Japanese are falling over themselves to get into that 'do anything' niche.

Selling motorcycles is a tough market with intense competition as the customer pool dries up and Ducati are on the receiving end with less resources to fall back on than the Japanese manufacturers - whose motorcycle divisions are all at the tip of a industrial conglomerate iceberg.

I don't have the answer. If I did, I'd be in the marketing department of a major bike manufacturer earning big bucks for going on press days on exotic sunny racetracks instead of being behind this desk

I'd like one of them - but if they are the same height as the last 2 years Monster range, then I'll still have to keep my existing monster:( (which I do love, but equally love the looks of the proposed HM) and NO Ducati - I dont want the smaller engined version:devil:

Maybe Ducati should check as to how many DP lowered seats they are now having to sell for the Monster range (or check the forums as to how many have to get the existing cut down) - and then think about how many sales they might be losing to people purely cos of the height issue alone (with salesmen not mentioning the replacement seats - or shops not having them on for folks to try).
Snotty (2001 M600) is far lighter than Tango (2005 M620) and also shorter by 1 & half ins too.

BINGO !!!!!

For what its worth, here is my 2p

I ride a 97 ss and its my first bike, so i guess my opinion counts even less than all of you haha.

Anyway..

Ive been a fan of Ducatis since the late 90s, and never actually thought id own one.

When i was looking for a bike, the first bike shop i went to was the Ducati dealer, and yeah, i couldnt afford a new one, or even one of their second hand ones.
I figured id have to settle for a japanese 400 or something.

As it goes, i got a good deal on my ss, and the insurance is actually cheaper than a Jap 400 (go figure).

I think whoever said that it was the marketing people not doing their job properly really hit the nail on the head.

As a new biker, i see the monsters or smaller capacity SSs as ideal.
It's a shame the entry level monster is so much money for what it is, and new smaller cc SS's dont exist.

Personally i really like the 749/999. I feel the shape is a grower. i saw my first one up close in January and hated it, but now id love one.
But, even if i had the money for one, i doubt i would buy one.
The servicing costs/dealer hourly rate put me off.

Cy

one thing to note tho, is that the M695 is cheaper to buy than the 620 it is replacing - and that it has a much longer mileage service interval.
Someone must have listened somewhere............

Now, Ducati - just sort the rideheight out for us who dont have long legs, whittle the weight down a tad more - and I will go shopping - for that yummy HM:cool:

All Ducati need to do (and I'm sure its a lot easier to say than to actually achieve) is to improve reliability and reduce servicing costs.
£950 for a 12,000 mile service for a 749S is just stupid.

Yep the monster is Ducatis bread and butter, get that wrong and Ducati will be in trouble. S4RS yes please.

Not too keen on the idea of 1200cc, sounds like a motor out of some milwaukee iron.

With me smug face on I think I've got the best of both worlds with me 998, 999cc mota, 916/996/998 looks, glacial depreciation.

Ducati built their image on racing bikes that were also style icons. Sure they are still winning races but the style is no longer to everyones taste.

In some sense Ducati are in a similar position to their Cousins down the road at Ferrari, the current Ferraris are much better to drive than their predecessors but the looks with all the air inlets (a la 360/430) are not the design classics in the aethestic sense that their predecessors are.

Ray.

You only take a hit if you sell:eureka: so just keep it and start a collection.

Mike

Interesting comments and a good read :)
I think 999's are dropping so much value because the customers who always bought Ducati don't like the shape and aren't buying new or used versions of this particular bike especially in the UK.

Maybe I need to spread the word, most bikes in the UK cover low miles and are a weekend toy so servicing costs aren't a major problem I should be telling others who have never ridden a Ducati sportsbike to go and try one.
Trouble is the figures in a magazine are what people base their buying decisions on and that can't show just how good the bike is to ride :(

Anyway I've got a Vauxhall cavalier for sale if any of you 1990's style addicts are looking for a car :bouncy:

[Edited on 16-5-2006 by couchcommando]

how about a Vauxhall Viva to match my new bike ?