What you’re going to read next is not what you expect to read. This is not another motorcycle review, nor is it a report about a special event or a highlight of a new gadget or technology. This is a motorcycle dealership review.
In the Middle East, the most dominant motorcycle presence on our roads has mainly been American made tourers and cruisers with a scattering of Japanese motorcycles thrown in the mix. However; recently there has been an increase in European motorcycle; most noticeable of which are Ducati’s.
We sat down with Joel O’Brien; General Manager of Ducati Dubai; to find out why we have been recently seeing a resurgence of Ducati motorcycles and riders on U.A.E. roads and tracks.
Admittedly the motorcycle industry has suffered from a slowdown in recent years and that has forced manufacturers and dealers alike to rethink their approach to where the industry is headed and how to apply that to the way they interact with new and existing customers.
Ducati U.A.E. has clearly come up with a successful approach as their sales have recently defied the trend and have been steadily increasing. They are also projecting that 2018 would be a record setting year. The recent restructuring of the dealership, their transparency and open-door policies, as well as their increased involvement in, and support for the motorcycle community have been main contributors to their recent success. Joel also alluded to many more improvements to come in 2018.
Ducati is also moving their showroom to Sheikh Zayed Road; a location that would provide them with more visibility, increased space for bikes, riding gear and accessories and easier access for customers. They have also revamped their workshop bringing in qualified staff and up to date equipment.
To own a Ducati is to own a piece of racing heritage; which means that Ducati U.A.E. cannot forgot those of us who enjoy taking our bikes out on the track. They have expanded their operations to offer full and immediate support for riders during their time on the track and will also be holding training sessions for all riders interested in bettering their skill levels.
Ducati has always been synonymous with Passion, thrill, Italian style and an undeniable racing heritage; and Ducati U.A.E. are certainly on the right track in bringing those elements and more back onto the roads and tracks of the U.A.E.
We leave you with the full interview video below:
A big part of Ducati U.A.E.’s recent success has also been their newly strengthened relationship with the local D.O.C. (Desmo Owners Club). To find out more, we sat down with Lara Pepler; Director of Desmo Owners Club DUBAI; to find out how that relationship has been not only beneficial for Ducati U.A.E. but also for Ducati owners and riders.
Lara started riding at a very early age, and surely enough her start was on an Italian bike, and that explains her passion for bikes in general and for Ducati in particular.
Lara has been a resident of the U.A.E. for almost 20 years now and recalls how different riding was than what we enjoy today. There was no YAS Marina Circuit, no Dubai Autodrome and definitely the streets were not as good as they are today. Her past experiences with the dealership had some ups and downs, as her Ducati 916 SPS faced some technical issues and the dealership workshop at that time were not able to fix the problem and she ended up having to send the bike overseas to fix it. Fortunately; the situation has changed; and Lara has witnessed massive improvements in the dealership and the workshop.
The main change Lara had noticed is the level of transparency in dealing with customers and seeing who works on your bike and how they do it. That gives you confidence while on your bike that the people who worked on your bike are truly qualified. People at the dealership and workshop at Ducati U.A.E. are making the difference; said Lara; because the right people have been put in place to get things done the right way.
In her role as Director of D.O.C. (Desmo Owners Club); Lara also treasures the support the club is getting from the dealership; which helped expand the club, whether by having new members as a result of increased sales or being directly involved in more events and activities. She also listed many more benefits and privileges of being a member of D.O.C. (Desmo Owners Club); which you can see in the following video.
Lara is a great person and an inspiration to all riders, we truly enjoyed our interview with her, and we cannot portray enough her passion, so we leave you with the full video to see for yourselves, and share the Ducati passion.
