Ever Been Low Balled With A P/x Valuation By Ducati Main Dealer?

Moto Rapido are essentially a tier 1 customer dealership as is known in the car world.
They are so popular, and have such a good reputation, and that coupled with a high net worth customer base, means that they can afford to take the stance they do.

They have enough turnover to not want or need the hassle of taking trade in - as there is a nice queue of newcomers to ducati who just want new, or riders well off enough to not bother with the figure as long as they just get new.

Also a dealership like that doesn't really care about non PCP customers where sales are concerned - PCP is easier for them as it gives a guaranteed buy back at the end of the term. Saves all the hassle of messing around with Mr Jones trying to squeeze an extra grand because they skinned him for five in extras only three years prior.

That little bit further and you have Snells in Alton. Still at this point in time, just nice people to deal with.

Ducati is on the crest of a popularity and cultural and lifestyle icon wave at the moment, its been a long time coming in fairness. Your customers are of a certain kind of person, not the sort of underbelly scrapings that Suzuki or mainstream jap dealers have to deal with on the most part. Ducati owners rarerly hold their bikes together on a shoestring or are in the position where they're asking if the old oil can be strained and put back in so to speak.

With that comes a different attitude from dealers. Some like Rapido can sit on their laurels and not have to worry what you think. Its not like the old days where your loyal customer base and repeat customer was paramount because everyone thought your stuff was unreliable overpriced rich boy tat.

Also never forget, dealers are there to make money, the bikes are just a medium to do it with. You're of no use to them unless you can put regular money in the till and come back and buy another bike in three years. They'll give you a coffee and a biscuit to buy your trust, and that coffee will cost you an optional 500 quid extra. They're not a nice club or a kindergarten. You going in with a bike you've owned for 25 years, loved to pieces and has been through every trauma and high spot in your life means nothing to them. It's still a 25 year old bike worth a grand in glasses guide.

In the case of the OP - they'd be very happy to see you sell the thing privately, go to them for a new bike on PCP, and keep coming back to them a the end of the term. With PCP you have your guaranteed buy back value, and there's no awkwardness.

At the end of the term, if the bike is in the condition yours is, they will have leeway to offer a bit more on top of the buy back value (subsidised by Ducati) as goodwill and the perception of a kind dealership goodwill gesture for your loyalty.

But first you have to buy into it on their terms not yours. Sadly its the way the motor industry works now, cars and bikes. Moving volume is what's important, and if the salesman has a stream of people at the door, he's not going to shave his margin on a bike and his target to keep you happy. He might do it if you were interested in doing a new PCP agreement - his bonus as a dealership from the mfr will be far greater than the individual commission on a single vehicle if he can hit unit volume and PCP sale targets.

That said 25 year old bike owner is liquid gold for the parts and service department. BMW and Mercedes dealerships love these guys , they get offered a 'vintage / heritage vehicle labour rate' and they pay full dollar for the parts, as they love the vehicle so much that they're blind to massive parts bills to keep the car going.

It's there loss at the end of the day

 

To be fair she was happy with the MV after a test ride of a few hours. Me, I wasn't relaxed as I was concentrating on metering the sporty power delivery and razor handling. Added to which less luggage space and rider/pillion accommodation with no top case option. Top case not only adds luggage space but as important extra stability for her. All of this would, I know, with the MV, make touring over many days far less enjoyable for both of us. I'm away three times this year, two solo, the other a trip to the Dolomites with her joining me.

She does have a full bike licence and is 6' tall, the MV would have suited her apart from the fact that it's many years since she's ridden and she'd rather be on the back. Can't have everything...

 

Next to her I'd be like Warwick Davies next to chewbacca

 

Sounds like the smell of their own success has now numbed them to the reason they became successful in the first place.
Steve Hillary's Moto Rapido was a very different animal.

You're right to look after number 1, especially in this marketplace.