Audi's $1B Bet on the Affordable Superbike

[maamoot]

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/audi-s-1b-bet-on-the-affordable-superbike-zkc4bFvdQ1ySAqBCIzz6DQ.html

[BSJ]

Audi must have known what they were getting into.

[Kwasaki]

Yep ! probably to do with making a tax decission.

[dave_boo]

Bit sad a top marquee has to rely on such 'pedestrian' bikes to remain afloat.

If I could justify the cost I would get a Ducati my skill levels holding the bike back be damned.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[JonnyF]

Bit sad a top marquee has to rely on such 'pedestrian' bikes to remain afloat.

If I could justify the cost I would get a Ducati my skill levels holding the bike back be damned.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Are you referring to the 795? I wouldn't call that pedestrian, it's still pretty exotic when compared to... lets say - the new CB*500 range.

[VocalNeal]

Honda sells something like 4M bikes a year in Indonesia sure they don't cost $70,000 each but say 1500 so to compare Ducati would have to sell 85,000-ish bikes at 70,000. They sell about 10,000 a quarter so 40,000 a year

So Honda's revenue in Indonesia is larger but bikes cost less so maybe Audi is correct? They have to sell more lower cost bikes. Not more higher priced bikes.

The article was from Bloomberg so it is less about motorcycles than % information for stock gamblers.

[maamoot]

will be interesting to see which engine they put in the Monster

[nikster]

It's generally easier to downscale from a premium product than it is to upscale from a value product. So I think Ducati's going to be all right on design alone.

KTM and Ducati are doing all the right things to hit the growth markets, Honda of course keeps killing it from the low end. BMW is missing out; Triumph might yet change course.

There will be a low displacement scrambler from Ducati soon- imagine it's a 250cc or 300cc cafe racer for 200k baht, would be highly competitive with Honda & Kawasaki here.

[Wong!]

It's generally easier to downscale from a premium product than it is to upscale from a value product. So I think Ducati's going to be all right on design alone.

KTM and Ducati are doing all the right things to hit the growth markets, Honda of course keeps killing it from the low end. BMW is missing out; Triumph might yet change course.

There will be a low displacement scrambler from Ducati soon- imagine it's a 250cc or 300cc cafe racer for 200k baht, would be highly competitive with Honda & Kawasaki here.

I read (and talked to the company who is building a new BMW dealership in Udon) that BMW were also developing smaller bikes and they will be made in Thailand along with one or two mid-range bikes.