The company will be tying up with Hero to develop, manufacture and sell the bikes in India.
Close on the heels of BMW and Harley-Davidson, Ducati has begun working on entering the entry-level sports bike segment in India. The Italian manufacturer will be joining hands with Hero just like BMW has an alliance with TVS and KTM has an alliance with Bajaj. This will be done to take leverage of the wide-reaching network of Hero.
Ducati has chosen Hero as it happens to be the only 2-wheeler manufacturer in India that isn’t in a joint venture with anyone else. Also, Hero happens to be the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer which brings with it, its share of advantages like a huge manufacturing capacity and wide-reaching dealership and after-sales network.
The Ducati 300cc bikes are still in their nascent stages but it has been confirmed that they will be single-cylinder motorcycles. Oil-cooling too will be provided. If you are thinking why we are saying ‘bikes’ then that’s because Ducati will be launching not one but two 300cc motorcycles. One of them will be a scrambler and the other will be more adventure focussed. The engine will be completely produced in India by Hero if the alliance does go through. This is the same strategy as that used by BMW on its G 310 R and G 310 GS bikes.
Since the bikes will be developed with Hero, the latter might also go ahead and use the technology to introduce its own motorcycle(s) in the future. Part sharing will take place for cost reduction and better pricing. Hero has a presence not only in tier-2 cities but also in tier-3 cities, giving it a huge number of touch points. Its dealerships are likely to be modified to accommodate the more premium, Ducati 300cc bikes.
There are no details about the launch timeframe yet but we think it will be in the later part of 2019 or in 2020. The entry-level premium bike segment is heating up with KTM, BMW and Bajaj already selling their products and Husqvarna entering it next year with its Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401 motorcycles. What Ducati is doing here with Hero isn’t something new. The strategy is being followed by its competition, KTM and BMW and has worked well for both of them, more so for KTM that can be credited for changing the entry-level sports bike scene.
Ducati 300cc Bikes
– The bikes are undergoing development, one will be a scrambler and other an adventure tourer
– They will be developed and produced in a joint venture with Hero
– Hero might also use the technology and parts for making its own new motorcycle(s)
Source – BikeWale.com
