#volkswagen

According to Reuters, the list of possible suitors for the rumored  Ducati sale has grown to include the Benetton family in an effort to return the Italian manufacturer’s ownership to Italy. Among the bids that Volkswagen has received for the Italian marque, Edition Holding (the Benetton family’s investment firm) has reportedly made a $1.2 billion offer. Included in the companies supposedly vying for  Ducati, readers may be interested to learn that Bain Capital (which owns a piece of Can-Am parent BRP), Eicher Motors (the company that controls Royal Enfield) and Polaris Industries (parent company of  Indian Motorcycle) are supposedly in the bidding along with, most notably,  Harley-Davidson. However, the inclusion of HD in this list is now in doubt, as Reuters states that the high price tag may have prompted The Motor Company to withdraw from bidding. 

Ever since Reuters broke the news last month that Volkswagen is considering unloading Ducati, the rumor mill has been at full churn trying to figure out where the Italian company would end up. Volkswagen, of course, is on the hook for billions in penalties as a result of the Dieselgate scandal, and finding someone willing to fork over a ten-digit check for Ducati would definitely help.

It looks like Volkswagen’s huge emissions scandal surrounding its diesel-powered cars could potentially impact motorcyclists, too. Reuters is reporting the German automaker is considering selling Ducati, which its Audi division purchased in 2012 for $935 million.

The history of motorcycle engines powering other vehicles goes back a long way. Look at the original Morgan 3 Wheeler, for example. Almost a century ago, J.A.P. bike engines were plunked onto the front of a strange piece of machinery with two wheels in front and one in the back. It proved to be popular and a rather high-performing vehicle in its time. For this Top 10 list we take a look at other applications for motorcycle engines. As you can imagine with a list like this, there are a wide variety of vehicles. Some are production cars, while others are one-offs or boutique items. And yes, even though this is Motorcycle.com, I want to get behind the wheel of every single one of these! So, if you’re a rep from one of the below companies (or are simply a kind soul who owns one), give me a jingle and let’s make it happen!