After a long time, the brand name Ducati has been associated with Hero MotoCorp in the industry. A recent report claims that Hero and Ducati will form a partnership to take on the popular 300cc segment in India. The motorcycle will carry a single-cylinder engine, most probably using streetfighter body design to take on rivals like BMW G310R and Duke 390 in India. If plans are not that specific, they can produce multiple models based on the same frame and basic design lines. Before this report, Hero and Ducati have been associated with each other during the Volkswagen emission scandal times.
The rumor of Ducati’s sale by the group and purchase by Hero MotoCorp did rounds on the internet for a long time. Ducati has aggressive plans for expansion in India and other developing countries, leaving them with great support if they join Hero MotoCorp in this way. The entry-level, premium motorcycle will be designed by Ducati in Italy and manufactured by Hero in India. This will help them keep the cost under check and also, rival other brands like KTM and BMW in their own game. The trend started with KTM and BMW took it further by partnering with TVS for G310R production.
The market share for Ducati will definitely rise as their most affordable Scrambler is still expensive for the majority of buyers in India. The new 300cc motorcycle could be placed well under INR 3 lakh. The report even claims that adventure tourer segment will also be preferred along with a naked roadster. Hero MotoCorp has officially denied its presence in Harley Davidson’s plan for manufacturing a 250-500cc cruiser. One can expect a four-valve, liquid cooled engine for maximum performance on their new motorcycle. They can name the motorcycle Ducati Monster 300 to get the benefits of a large fan following of Monster series.
