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A Little Story For You
I was a Ducati Sales Rep between 2002-2004 and sold more 996, 748, 748R (including the one 748R Ducati sold directly to me which I raced in CCS) 998s and broke an all time record selling more Dukes in one year than the particular dealership had in THREE years! I think I still hold the record!
(Btw- this isn't a "toot my own horn" thread folks. It has a point.
For being one of the highest numbered Sales Reps on the East Coast I earned an all expenses paid trip to Napa Valley for the release of the 749 & 999 line - and got to ride them all before they were released to the public out on the beautiful vineyard roads of wine country! Not to mention First Class flight, transportation and an unreal first class hotel The main dealership dinner with all the other Ducati dealers across the country was truly unbelievable atop the Viansa Vineyard which must've cost them way over a million dollars easily! Those of you who may have attended these dealer events and new model launches can attest its FIRST CLASS GUYS!! **Big note: This is also where I was fortunate to meet one of my best buddies to this day, and the most stand up Ducati Dealer in the US- David Lillard of Redline Performance Motorsports where I have been blessed to obtain my best Superbikes near cost! A true friend who I have stayed in touch with he and his beautiful wife since that trip! (And she even races a 748R!)
WTF is your point Gunny?
Well, some of you may remember that in February 2002, on his first day of being appointed CEO of Ducati North America, newly crowned Joe Piazza (who came in from being Senior VP of Sales at Global Motorsports Group-which was the Company who owned Tucker Rocky, etc) made a VERY bold and self centered move. He literally moved DNA HQ from its home in New Jersey out to his backyard in Cupertino, CA for what he said was
"A normal Corporate thing to do when a company was not doing that well."
Let me tell you guys, this guy was a total Toolbag and wouldn't speak with anyone beneath him, unlike the fantastic successor Michael Lock who literally gave out his personal cell number to me, and everyone else he met during his tour of EVERY Ducati showroom across the country. He said to me "Hey of you ever come up with an idea which you think may better the Company give me a shout" Lock was truly first class and put the Co back together during his reign IMHO. Ok, back to MY story.
Well as easy as those previous model bikes went off the showroom floor for me, I must admit that selling the 749/999 series models was an extremely challenging and uphill battle in that year afterward! The Testastretta engine was new with their Desmodromic Variable Timing (DVT) and a big leap for potential new Ducati owners used to the older engines. Moreover, and what most EVERYONE noticed immediately, people just did not like the double sided swingarm, dual headlights atop each other, design and feel of those bikes! As difficult as it was I tried my best to use these "features and benefits" - as you Sales guys know, as selling points - saying they would be collector items one day due to the first double sided swingarms blah blah blah. Somehow I pulled it off but the general consensus was Ducati truly effed up everything with these designs and ruined the company. In an interview with Michael Lock in subsequent days he was asked these questions:
"Mike, You could really look at the 999/749 situation and how it all played out, and if it would've been worse, it really could've sunk the company. Because the decision to green-light that thing is a reason the stock tumbled, and worldwide Ducati hit a big speed bump because of that bike." AND ALSO
"Weren't you surprised that TPG didn't do enough market research to know that the 999 was going to be controversial, to say the least. It almost ruined the company!"
We ALL have our favorite Ducati models and the many attributes which make them our faves. Several members here have up to 12 Ducati's in their own garages today (I actually know of one member here who may have more than that!) Many of us have owned numerous models over the years, sometimes wanting the newest upgrades and hottest models on the market. To many around the world they are the symbol of status and style! So many celebrities own them including Brad Pitt, Michael Jordan, Guess who literally was the first American to purchase one of the very first Desmosedici RR's off the line when they were only being discussed for release? Friggin Tom Cruise! And then of course we have idiots like Justin Bieber dropping his standing still.
Personally I have owned 6 different Ducati's in my lifetime and miss certain things about all of them! I admit that one mistake I made was trading in my 1996 Supersport 900SS/SP for the 1198s Corse, despite it being a Limited Edition and all - which then was subsequently sold to obtain the 1199s Tricolore I have now. No doubt the 900 SS (which had a 944 "kit" dropped in it along with many other engine upgrades) and it's 2 Valve engine was unreal when it came to low end torque!
In summary (PHEW huh?) I figure we all own a Ducati for different reasons and those of use who track or race them are definitely doing what the Superbike line is made for IMHO. Its just something special between us all and things like this forum enable us to share experiences, bikes, mods, and stories like this novel I just wrote! -lol. Though I don't get out on mine much at all anymore (You all know the reasons why behind that by now) , and pretty much consider my Tri a "Show Bike" due to the Bling Factor and all - I still love reading about all the stuff here as often as I can. Matter of fact I was just talking to another "founding member" back from when Duc first started the site - and we were laughing at how it seems we are reading about all the same issues all over again with the new 1299 members who are new to the forum. The "Heat, Smoke, Stalling, Seats, etc etc" because these are ALL the exact same issues we all dealt with when we bought our 1199's when they were first released! I also had to laugh about the one post which said "Why are there so many threads about the 1199's when this is supposed to be a 1299 forum?" - LMFAO! I will leave that one alone
All I wish is for all of yoo's guys to stay safe out there and never forget these A-Holes in cars who do everything else in their cars but pay attention and drive the damn thing straight! How many times do we end up reading it in the news "I never even saw the motorcyclist!" and someone ends up dead! I am sure we all know someone who was killed on a bike in our lives, and I know some members who were actually present when this occurred too! As someone who has seen WAY TOO MUCH death first hand- I just don't want to read here that it was any of the membership of this great Ducati forum! Thanks for taking the time to read my long ... story folks!
Semper Fidelis,
Gunny Fitz
Figured I'd toss in some pics of my bikes over the years here, rather than more words. Good call huh?
I was a Ducati Sales Rep between 2002-2004 and sold more 996, 748, 748R (including the one 748R Ducati sold directly to me which I raced in CCS) 998s and broke an all time record selling more Dukes in one year than the particular dealership had in THREE years! I think I still hold the record!
(Btw- this isn't a "toot my own horn" thread folks. It has a point.
For being one of the highest numbered Sales Reps on the East Coast I earned an all expenses paid trip to Napa Valley for the release of the 749 & 999 line - and got to ride them all before they were released to the public out on the beautiful vineyard roads of wine country! Not to mention First Class flight, transportation and an unreal first class hotel The main dealership dinner with all the other Ducati dealers across the country was truly unbelievable atop the Viansa Vineyard which must've cost them way over a million dollars easily! Those of you who may have attended these dealer events and new model launches can attest its FIRST CLASS GUYS!! **Big note: This is also where I was fortunate to meet one of my best buddies to this day, and the most stand up Ducati Dealer in the US- David Lillard of Redline Performance Motorsports where I have been blessed to obtain my best Superbikes near cost! A true friend who I have stayed in touch with he and his beautiful wife since that trip! (And she even races a 748R!)
WTF is your point Gunny?
Well, some of you may remember that in February 2002, on his first day of being appointed CEO of Ducati North America, newly crowned Joe Piazza (who came in from being Senior VP of Sales at Global Motorsports Group-which was the Company who owned Tucker Rocky, etc) made a VERY bold and self centered move. He literally moved DNA HQ from its home in New Jersey out to his backyard in Cupertino, CA for what he said was
"A normal Corporate thing to do when a company was not doing that well."
Let me tell you guys, this guy was a total Toolbag and wouldn't speak with anyone beneath him, unlike the fantastic successor Michael Lock who literally gave out his personal cell number to me, and everyone else he met during his tour of EVERY Ducati showroom across the country. He said to me "Hey of you ever come up with an idea which you think may better the Company give me a shout" Lock was truly first class and put the Co back together during his reign IMHO. Ok, back to MY story.
Well as easy as those previous model bikes went off the showroom floor for me, I must admit that selling the 749/999 series models was an extremely challenging and uphill battle in that year afterward! The Testastretta engine was new with their Desmodromic Variable Timing (DVT) and a big leap for potential new Ducati owners used to the older engines. Moreover, and what most EVERYONE noticed immediately, people just did not like the double sided swingarm, dual headlights atop each other, design and feel of those bikes! As difficult as it was I tried my best to use these "features and benefits" - as you Sales guys know, as selling points - saying they would be collector items one day due to the first double sided swingarms blah blah blah. Somehow I pulled it off but the general consensus was Ducati truly effed up everything with these designs and ruined the company. In an interview with Michael Lock in subsequent days he was asked these questions:
"Mike, You could really look at the 999/749 situation and how it all played out, and if it would've been worse, it really could've sunk the company. Because the decision to green-light that thing is a reason the stock tumbled, and worldwide Ducati hit a big speed bump because of that bike." AND ALSO
"Weren't you surprised that TPG didn't do enough market research to know that the 999 was going to be controversial, to say the least. It almost ruined the company!"
We ALL have our favorite Ducati models and the many attributes which make them our faves. Several members here have up to 12 Ducati's in their own garages today (I actually know of one member here who may have more than that!) Many of us have owned numerous models over the years, sometimes wanting the newest upgrades and hottest models on the market. To many around the world they are the symbol of status and style! So many celebrities own them including Brad Pitt, Michael Jordan, Guess who literally was the first American to purchase one of the very first Desmosedici RR's off the line when they were only being discussed for release? Friggin Tom Cruise! And then of course we have idiots like Justin Bieber dropping his standing still.
Personally I have owned 6 different Ducati's in my lifetime and miss certain things about all of them! I admit that one mistake I made was trading in my 1996 Supersport 900SS/SP for the 1198s Corse, despite it being a Limited Edition and all - which then was subsequently sold to obtain the 1199s Tricolore I have now. No doubt the 900 SS (which had a 944 "kit" dropped in it along with many other engine upgrades) and it's 2 Valve engine was unreal when it came to low end torque!
In summary (PHEW huh?) I figure we all own a Ducati for different reasons and those of use who track or race them are definitely doing what the Superbike line is made for IMHO. Its just something special between us all and things like this forum enable us to share experiences, bikes, mods, and stories like this novel I just wrote! -lol. Though I don't get out on mine much at all anymore (You all know the reasons why behind that by now) , and pretty much consider my Tri a "Show Bike" due to the Bling Factor and all - I still love reading about all the stuff here as often as I can. Matter of fact I was just talking to another "founding member" back from when Duc first started the site - and we were laughing at how it seems we are reading about all the same issues all over again with the new 1299 members who are new to the forum. The "Heat, Smoke, Stalling, Seats, etc etc" because these are ALL the exact same issues we all dealt with when we bought our 1199's when they were first released! I also had to laugh about the one post which said "Why are there so many threads about the 1199's when this is supposed to be a 1299 forum?" - LMFAO! I will leave that one alone
All I wish is for all of yoo's guys to stay safe out there and never forget these A-Holes in cars who do everything else in their cars but pay attention and drive the damn thing straight! How many times do we end up reading it in the news "I never even saw the motorcyclist!" and someone ends up dead! I am sure we all know someone who was killed on a bike in our lives, and I know some members who were actually present when this occurred too! As someone who has seen WAY TOO MUCH death first hand- I just don't want to read here that it was any of the membership of this great Ducati forum! Thanks for taking the time to read my long ... story folks!
Semper Fidelis,
Gunny Fitz
Figured I'd toss in some pics of my bikes over the years here, rather than more words. Good call huh?
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