Twisting Asphalt - A SoCal Ducati Motorcycle Blog

The guys over at RoadRacerX have published an interesting Q&A with Ducati CEO Federico Minoli that delves into the company’s perception of themselves and some of the other brands. Of interest is Minoli’s take on what makes Ducati different then Honda both on the track and in the showroom. I was particularly intrigued by his analogy to Apple Computers, which seems like a natural model for a comparison. Nice to see that the head of Ducati ‘thinks different’…

We don’t want to do big numbers, like Honda does. That creates a product that must be different. If we build a product very similar to Honda, Honda will always win, so we have to make something which is different, that people feel a strong attachment to. If you think about it, it’s like Apple computers versus the other computers: You want to be proud to have an Apple, and you’re proud because you’re different: I have an Apple; I’m diverse; I pay a small premium. The Apple gives me exactly the same functionality, as our bike gives you the same functionality, but on top, it gives you the fact that you belong to something. That’s why we’re very proud of out technical solutions, that make us different from Honda. We’re very attached to the desmo, to the twin, to the trellis frame, to the sound that we make. And we will protect and defend all these features, and that is a totally different philosophy from Honda. Honda is trying to build the most efficient bike. We want to be efficient, but on top, we want a bike that has the personality, the character, that goes with Ducati. Our museum is a good example; the bikes evolve, but they’re always identifiable as belonging to a certain brand.

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