Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 1198 / 1098 / 848 > UK prices.....are we screwed again?

[Rod]

Originally Posted by rockhopper

Also the market in the US is huge compared to the tiny number that will be sold in the UK.

Yes but even so the difference between the two prices is HUGE. You can't write that all off to just one cause. Ducati stated that it's aim was to sell more and become more competitive, both on the track and in the showroom. I am not advocating they pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap, but they would do well to explain to their customers just how they can justify these extra costs. The American dealer network campaigned with Ducati to lower the MSRP of the 1098 range and GOT what they wanted. Let's us hope the UK dealer network and Ducati Coventry have the backbone to do the same or at least TRY to level the playing field. As consumers in the UK this sucks big time.

[moto748]

Why pick on Ducati? It's true of everything from cars to Levis: what it costs in pounds here, it generally costs in dollars in the States.

They have the massive market, and with it the opportunity to bully suppliers into the lowest prices.

[Ray]

Exchange rates and taxes make a big difference.

The dollar is weak at the mo' so it does make the Bikes look cheap when going USD to GBP, not sure about going Euro to USD tho' or Euro to GBP.

I'm not so sure the issue is with Ducati more with Gordon Brown.

If the dealer network on the US managed to get a good deal they have maybe committed to buying a boat load of bikes...........ok if the demand meets that supply, not so good if it doesn't.

Is Ducati USA owned by the Bolgna mob or just an importer??

Ducati is seen as premium brand in the UK and that means a premium price.

I'd say getting a 1098 at a cheap price is not a good deal in exchange for having George Dubya running the country but there again we aint' doing any better over here


Ray.

[moto748]

Gordon Brown doesn't set the exchange rates, and the VAT rate has been unchanged for yonks.

Now if prices in the UK were shown to be higher than in a comparable European country, that might be more worthy of debate.

[bradders]

how much will it be in Italy? or France? Germany? think these are better gauges, and looking at the bikes in Germany earlier this year ours are cheaper!!

[Bionicle]

Bradders your correct over in the UK they are cheaper than Germany, and as for Denmark, you get two in the UK for the price of one in Denmark

[mbracing748]

It would be nice not to pay over the odds all the time. The old days of imports have put pay to that.

Buy french or spainish versions and bring it back. Does it really make any difference to there it was purchase, all UK dealers have to honour the warrenty.

However French versions maybe cheap to buy but they had a 100BHP limit.

[yeti]

No two ways about it, we are gonna get screwed. I would wager that even the European prices will be less than good old rip off Britain.

If I had a tall enough soap box I would suggest we all stand together and refuse to buy the bikes at UK rip off prices, but sadly there are just too many lemmings out there so it wouldn't work, and guess what? We get SCREWED AGAIN!!!!