Volkswagen to make motorcycles?

Should Volkswagen start building motorcycles? Apparently VW chairman Ferdinand Peich has said that he wishes that VW had bought Ducati when it had the opportunity to do so more than twenty years ago.

Now news has emerged that VW is thinking of collaborating with Austrian bike maker KTM to produce motorcycles. VW has already helped KTM build its first road car, the X-Bow, which also uses an Audi 2 litre engine.

The question is whether the bikes would be branded VW, or whether they would be branded something more upmarket, like Audi. After all, BMW has a successful motorcycle business and an Audi bike, or perhaps even another one of VW’s sportier brands, like SEAT, would make good sense in terms of market positioning.

Then again, the VW badge is regarded as mid-level prestige in most countries, so VW Motorcycles just might get up.
World-wide, and in Australia, motorcycling is growing in popularity, and it’s been a long time since a new brand emerged onto the market.

Should VW build a range of motorbikes? And if so, would you cross-shop a VW bike with the likes of BMW, Ducati and others? Or would you regard the VW brand as too car-focussed and lacking in heritage?

ALSO SEE
KTM'S X-BOW

Pic taken from : AutoExpress