A link to MotorcycleUSA.com Euro Gossip was passed along to me this evening, and apparently they’re reporting that Ducati isn’t exactly swiming as a company…

Ducati continues to struggle, and that is official since the publication of its first half year trading figures. They took advantage of Stock Market regulations and delayed the results in an effort to be able to paint a rosier picture with a new investor in place.

However, that has not come to fruition yet and the figures show a 14.6% drop over the previous year, or to use cash figures 128.7 million pounds ($223 million) down! Bike sales themselves were down 15.7% and apparel was also down 7.7%. Ducati bosses were putting a brave spin on the figures stating that the 4000 pre-sold Classics will bring things back into line and they only expect a pre- tax loss of 1.3 million pounds ($2.25 million) by the end of the year. Meanwhile in London, two of Ducati’s biggest flagship stores have closed their doors for the last time due to cash flow problems!

None of this gloom however, stopped it launching the new ST3S with ABS and higher spec suspension and wheels at the recent UK show. Along with this was a 999R Xerox WSB replica of the machine ridden by James Toseland and Regis Laconi. It has a 150 bhp version of the Testastretta motor with black Ohlins forks, and higher spec rear shock with separate adjusters for high- and low-speed damping adjustment.

Now I’m not sure this is exactly news to anyone who follows Ducati on a regular basis, but one would have to think given the rather immediate and positive public reaction to both the new Hypermotard and the S4RS things might be looking up…