Why are Ducati Motorcycles so expensive?

Question

Are you paying for the name? or are the standard parts on the Ducati motorcycle better then the standard parts of the popular Japanese motorcycles? Does it have a better ride and feel? Is it worth paying twice as much for a motorcycle?

Answer 1

The Ducati's are relativly low volume production and are pretty much hand built. They have what could be considered a lot of custom made parts. The Buell handles real well but still has 50yr old 'technology' the Ducati may not be totally reliable but has even more character than any HD and is a little bit cheaper. not much good unless you intend going quite quick though.
Some of the parts are better quality and dont need changing, even for racing. Its like asking why is a Ferrari so expensive?
Ducati have also won a lot of world championships, when did HD win anything where other manufacturers were allowed to compete on equal terms?

Answer 2

Well, I'm sure part of it is the name. They are finely crafted Italian motorcycles with an excellent reputation in racing. They have some unique technical developments, and always strive to make their engines the finest possible ( in their opinion, of course...).

I personally don't think their standard parts are necessarily better than Japanese parts. In fact, because of some of the advanced designs they use, Ducatis actually tend to be somewhat less reliable. The ride and feel is supposed to be outstanding, especially if you are looking for a racing style bike.

My Dad had a Moto Guzzi; those are much better for general use, and got MUCH better fuel mileage. But they also tend to be more expensive than similar Japanese bikes ( of which there are darn few....) or even some Harleys.

Whether any bike is worth more is, in the end, a question only you can answer. As much as I love the engineering in a Ducati, I bought a Suzuki that had many similar features, and fit me better, both in the saddle and in the pocketbook. I know darn well that I won't be doing any racing any time soon, so I simply didn't need that much motorcycle. And the reliability is a bonus, as well.

Answer 3

The Duc is a hand-crafted, sexy, fast, prestige machine. Riding it is a sure sign that you are: a) a serious rider who has the bucks to ride only the very best; or b) a wealthy poseur.
As far as being "worth" the money ... in America, probably not. It is twice the cash of the equivalent Japanese race machine, harder to get serviced (and far far more expensive!), and will not hold its value as well as, say, a Beemer, or an HD (although it will do better on resale than the Japanese machine).
If you want technology and speed, go Japanese. If you are into style, with performance and prestige too, go ahead and get the Ducati. Or an Aprilia. Or an MV Agusta. All about the same in terms of curb appeal and street performance and resale.
Cheers.

Answer 4

Ducatis are not cheap to maintain at all. Specially the newer models because you cannot due your own maintenance unless you buy the specialized tools (VDST). The regular oil changes are not that bad, a couple hundred bucks. The expensive bits come at the major service intervals. You have to adjust the valves and such (7500 mi) which can cost upwards of $1,000

Answer 5

Are you too proud to go second-hand? If not you can get a good deal on a used Monster etc...If you really really wanna go really really fast, a high end Duc' is the ticket...either that or maybe an Aprilia...

Answer 6

Because its italian, very few made , they cant make the cost affordable because they dont have the production skills of the japanese, or the demand. I've always wanted one just because they are known for being very fast, so for me it would be the name.

Answer 7

My advice is get a Buell. I have 2006 xb12x Ulysses. Can't say enough about handling, power. Money in your pocket is the best money.

Answer 8

just wait till you find out what it costs to have that desmodromic valve system adjusted.Fine motorcycle though,sexy just like italian cars and women.