As the baby boomers start to die in mass numbers there won't be as many drunk and fat people to buy Hardleys, and the rest of us tend to purchase performance. It's a good move for Hardley imo.

I forsee







    One piece race suits....with tassles.

My guess is this is more about marketing and branding than it is about moor'sickles.  They want a brand that evokes passion and heritage but that they can sell to younger and/or more performance-oriented people.  A brand people can wear on their sleeve (and boy will they ever sell a lot of sleeved items to put the brand on).

I think MV's F4 is one of the last truly exotic supersports.  Even the 1098 does not have the level of detail and quality in every piece down the last fastener that MV has on the F4  (ducking the flamethrowers for that one).  I just hope like hell that HD doesn't change that. 

I feel sorry for the Walmart employees that are now going to have to learn how to pronounce Agusta & Cagiva

Quote from: Evil_Ductator on July 11, 2008, 10:39:25 AM
Even the 1098 does not have the level of detail and quality in every piece down the last fastener that MV has on the F4  (ducking the flamethrowers for that one).  I just hope like hell that HD doesn't change that. 

They'll just dip all those fasteners in chrome and release the 'Skull' edition MV.

Quote from: Rotten Randy on July 11, 2008, 10:46:59 AM
They'll just dip all those fasteners in chrome and release the 'Skull' edition MV.

HD has had periods of trying to break into racing.  That's where the V-Rod engine came from.  Maybe an MV-A partnership will bolster that effort.  More likely, though, it will just mean a bigger dealer force for those Italian brands in America and their US brands in Europe.

I sat on a Hardley recently and it felt like a quality product, about as good as anything else. Better HD buys MV than the Chinese or AMF. Nothing wrong with a Harley in my view other than I don't particularly like them.

I don't have a problem with a nice cash influx for MV, provided:

HD doesn't decide that MVs are not expensive enough for a high-end lifestyle product and jack up the MSRPs.

HD has nothing to do with the MV designs and product development, they've been doing just fine as it is.

HD starts selling MVs in CANADA! We are still waiting up here.

So does this mean I get to tease Alan and Felicia on their Cagiva Gran Canyons about their Hogs? 

What would be particularly interesting is if HD shops start supporting (or at least order parts for) the older Cagiva bikes. Would be truly ironic if he had easier local access to a dealer network out here in the sticks with the GC than we do with Ducati!

Quote from: ODrides on July 11, 2008, 12:30:19 PM
HD has had periods of trying to break into racing.  That's where the V-Rod engine came from.  Maybe an MV-A partnership will bolster that effort.  More likely, though, it will just mean a bigger dealer force for those Italian brands in America and their US brands in Europe.

HD actually had a long stretch of race winning.  The XR750 won many a flat-track championship. 

I actually really like the new XR1200 (replica of the 750) but it's only for sale in Europe for the time being.

Quote from: sbrguy on July 11, 2008, 08:35:34 AM
the real question is why?

why would HD want to buy a motorcycle company when moto sales are down overall and mv is inherently a very expensive product almost more so than even the HD products.

Insulation.

Most MV owners are not effected by downturns in the US economy.  Many H-D buyers are middle class (not all but a good portion) who are effected by the current state of the US economy and not able to buy new H-Ds.

Castiglioni strikes me as a very Intelligent man, who would only appear to have MV's best interest's at heart, I can bet he will make sure there are all sort's of clauses in any purchase contract to ensure that MV/Cagiva is allowed to go it's own way.
Also he and and his son are quite large Stake holders within the company (37.25%)  The good thing I see with MV is they do have designs in the pipeline for future products and new engines (A single and a triple).

HD also had a chance with Buell to go after the Japanese brands and give the buying public a choice to get a Japanese performance bike, but made by an American company, But as a number of designers and engineers keep saying is how does Eric buell and his designers just keep missing the mark so much, time after time?!?

They had a chance with the 1125r, but it's as ugly as a hat full of arseholes, they have tried to hide so many design flaws by painting everything black (It just doesn't work) And a number of Magazine writers have complained about overheating/shuddering front brakes and a number have gearbox problems on the same rides, but mainly the looks, I remember one scribe if he owned one claiming he would only bring it out at night, beat it senseless, then lock it back in the basement and if asked deny any knowledge of such an ugly abomination. Tough way of describing Eric Buell's pride and joy at the time.

I think this is a good Idea for HD, MV riders are very one eyed about there bikes (not unlike HD riders) in that the brand and the bikes can do no wrong, and they will spend a fortune to purchase there beloved product.
It will also help MV with more buying power and shared components between the 3 brands (Sorry 4 if you allow for Buell) They may not share much, but every little bit helps.

I think it could be a very good thing for both MV and HD...... we shall have to just sit back and watch what happens.

HD has to put MV back into racing!  You cannot sell performance machinery without performing(winning).  Ducati and Suzuki gain recognition this way.  It will be interesting to see which direction this will go.