Despite Ducati's dominance in MotoGP and its string of commercial successes, the Italian brand is preparing to venture onto slippery ground. Not on the tracks of Aragon or Mugello… but into the world of high-end cycling. A market already saturated and in turmoil, where KTM has publicly admitted to having overextended itself.
However, Borgo Panigale charges ahead headlong. From March 2026Ducati will offer a full range of road bikes, gravel bikes and electric mountain bikes, developed with Diamond — an Italian company specializing in carbon fiber frames and cycling equipment. The goal: to transpose the DNA Ducati — sleek design, pure performance, prestige — in a similar… but very different universe.
It's hard to ignore the timing. While Bajaj, industrial partner of KTM, now qualifies the bicycles and e-bikes as one of biggest strategic failures of the group — a loss-making activity, lacking synergies, which weighed down the finances at the very moment when the motorcycle market was experiencing a slowdown — Ducati does exactly the opposite.
At KTM, we are talking about a financial "burden". At DucatiWe're talking about an "opportunity." Two diametrically opposed visions... for the same product, or when Ducati embraces a market that KTM calls a "catastrophe."
To avoid missteps, Ducati has surrounded itself with references from Italian cycling: Elia Viviani, Olympic champion: consultant to instill the spirit of competition, Vincenzo Nibali, legend of the Grand Tours will be the guarantor of performance on the road, Lorenzo Suding, multiple downhill champion will play the electric mountain bike expert.
Is Ducati writing a new successful chapter… or is it reliving the economic fiasco of KTM?
To conclude: Ducati wants to play in the big leagues, right from the start.
The bikes promise ultralight frames, premium aesthetics, and a clearly sporty—and undeniably premium—positioning. There's already talk of prices to match the image. Ducati Expensive, even very expensive.
The bicycles will be sold at select dealerships. Ducatiand in specialist cycling shops. The goal: to appeal to both Ducati enthusiasts and cyclists who appreciate beautiful machines, even without a motorcycle license.
Historically, motorcycle brands have often struggled with this diversification. Zero industrial synergies, volatile margins, fierce competition… and an electric bike market experiencing an overproduction crisis. Hardly a smooth ride.
More Borgo Panigale It relies on the power of its image. And on this conviction: the bicycle is a new tool for expressing Italian style and mechanical performance. One question remains: Ducati Is she writing a new success story… or is she reliving the economic fiasco of KTM ?
The answer will come in a few years. And perhaps on a bike path, before ending up on trail .
