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Ducati, with all their commitment to stay out of entry-level motorcycles segment i.e. 300cc category, might very well be looking into this segment as well for a strong future (here in India at least). And for this, the Italian giant like many others, might be looking to partner up with an Indian brand. And, the rumor mill has churned out the name of Hero MotoCorp for this seemingly delicious tie-up.
This isn’t the first time these kind of rumors have been flung in the world of internet though. The main reason behind this seems to be the fact that Ducati is one of the very few motorcycle brands that haven’t tied up with an Indian manufacturer yet to produce a smaller capacity motorcycle. The Harley-Davidson is also eyeing the sub-500 cc segment; and makers like BMW, KTM and Triumph are already in partnerships with TVS and Bajaj respectively. So it might be high time for Ducati to tap into this segment in order to ascertain its presence worldwide.
The reason why the name of Hero MotoCorp keeps coming up for this tentative partnership also has quite a few reasons. Firstly, Hero MotoCorp isn’t currently tied up with any other manufacturers like TVS and Bajaj are. Secondly, Hero has had a long and successful stint with Honda and Eric Buell (without the adjectives long and successful). Thirdly, Hero was rumored to be buying the Italian Brand but that ‘rumor’ never saw the light of reality. And finally, Hero has denied partnering up with Harley-Davidson who are also looking for a partner to foray into this segment.
If this rumor of Hero tying up with Ducati sees the light of the day, the concept of the deal might very well be similar to what KTM and Triumph have with Bajaj and BMW Motorrad has with TVS. This means Ducati would partner with Hero MotoCorp to build a premium small-displacement motorcycle, with the Italian brand doing the design and R&D work, while the Indian company would produce the machines.
It is most likely to be this way as if Ducati does plan to foray in a very crowded entry-level premium segment, they will need a local partner. The Ducati-Hero marriage might follow in the footsteps of BMW and TVS arrangement when it comes to developing the platform. The difference might arise in the distribution channel. While BMW and TVS have separate distribution channels, Hero and Ducati could try the Probiking approach.
From Hero’s point of view, this partnership seems certainly likely, as the competition continues to do so. A little less likely from Ducati’s point of view considering Ducati’s continued commitment to stay out of this space. But in order to have a strong future, Ducati’s decision to maintain the status quo might be out of the picture or else it might very well be sold by Audi AG (SOURCE).
Not much can be said about all this at the moment but if these rumors were to materialize, then we’d say that the future of the Indian motorcyclist seems delightful. I mean who wouldn’t want a naked 300cc (Monster 300 against G 310 R and Duke 390) or an ADV tourer, (Multistrada 300 against the G 310 GS) or maybe even a sportier one (Panigale 300 against RR310 or RC 390). Based on how nice that sounded, we’ll just keep our fingers crossed for something like this to happen.
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This isn’t the first time these kind of rumors have been flung in the world of internet though. The main reason behind this seems to be the fact that Ducati is one of the very few motorcycle brands that haven’t tied up with an Indian manufacturer yet to produce a smaller capacity motorcycle. The Harley-Davidson is also eyeing the sub-500 cc segment; and makers like BMW, KTM and Triumph are already in partnerships with TVS and Bajaj respectively. So it might be high time for Ducati to tap into this segment in order to ascertain its presence worldwide.
The reason why the name of Hero MotoCorp keeps coming up for this tentative partnership also has quite a few reasons. Firstly, Hero MotoCorp isn’t currently tied up with any other manufacturers like TVS and Bajaj are. Secondly, Hero has had a long and successful stint with Honda and Eric Buell (without the adjectives long and successful). Thirdly, Hero was rumored to be buying the Italian Brand but that ‘rumor’ never saw the light of reality. And finally, Hero has denied partnering up with Harley-Davidson who are also looking for a partner to foray into this segment.
If this rumor of Hero tying up with Ducati sees the light of the day, the concept of the deal might very well be similar to what KTM and Triumph have with Bajaj and BMW Motorrad has with TVS. This means Ducati would partner with Hero MotoCorp to build a premium small-displacement motorcycle, with the Italian brand doing the design and R&D work, while the Indian company would produce the machines.
It is most likely to be this way as if Ducati does plan to foray in a very crowded entry-level premium segment, they will need a local partner. The Ducati-Hero marriage might follow in the footsteps of BMW and TVS arrangement when it comes to developing the platform. The difference might arise in the distribution channel. While BMW and TVS have separate distribution channels, Hero and Ducati could try the Probiking approach.
From Hero’s point of view, this partnership seems certainly likely, as the competition continues to do so. A little less likely from Ducati’s point of view considering Ducati’s continued commitment to stay out of this space. But in order to have a strong future, Ducati’s decision to maintain the status quo might be out of the picture or else it might very well be sold by Audi AG (SOURCE).
Not much can be said about all this at the moment but if these rumors were to materialize, then we’d say that the future of the Indian motorcyclist seems delightful. I mean who wouldn’t want a naked 300cc (Monster 300 against G 310 R and Duke 390) or an ADV tourer, (Multistrada 300 against the G 310 GS) or maybe even a sportier one (Panigale 300 against RR310 or RC 390). Based on how nice that sounded, we’ll just keep our fingers crossed for something like this to happen.
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