New North London Ducati dealership off to a flying start despite struggling bike market

A new Watford-based Ducati dealership, officially opened on Saturday March 15, has got off to a positive start, with sales already in double figures and long-term plans to capture new audiences in the local area.

Called Ducati North London, the premises opened after a £1million investment from parent company Lind, who own a chain of dealerships consisting of four Triumph showrooms, two Harley-Davidson stores, plus outlets for Yamaha, BMW, and Porsche.

“We are well into double figures [with sales] now,” Executive Chairman, Russell Dacre told MCN. “The Ducati product line-up is currently really strong, and the service business is growing as well.”

Situated in Unit 1, Trade City, Watford, the team are hoping to get more bikes into the workshop by offering free MoT tests now on Ducati models until April 30.

“There’s a high number of Ducati owners in Hertfordshire and we hope that they come and use the facilities,” Dacre continued. “We always wanted to be a Ducati dealer, but the timings never worked out.”

The new Ducati showroom was made possible after Lind took the decision to close their Watford Harley-Davidson premises. It employs 14 staff, with the full stock of road bikes on sale, plus the new Desmo450 MX motocross bike set to arrive in the UK from July.

“We are just really excited to have Ducati as part of our portfolio,” the Lind boss added. “The local market share for Ducati is 10.5% without a dealer, so we are hoping that we are hoping that we can benefit from those customers who are already in place.”

Despite the strong market share, the business owner is aware of the challenges currently facing new bike dealerships. Figures released by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) to the end of February have shown a 31.3% drop in new model registrations for the year so far, compared with 2024.

Despite this, the team remain positive, with plans to nurture the local riding community.

“The bike business and generally the economy has been tough,” Dacre added. “There’s been lots of change with Brexit, emissions regulations, and the new bike business in particular is hard at the moment.

“We are looking at it as a long-term investment, with three years-plus to see that business grow. We are confident with the current market share with Ducati.

“We are working with the local owners’ clubs and hopefully we can develop a riding community,” he explained.

The showroom was opened with a special ceremony attended by Ducati British Superbike rider, Leon Haslam and Managing Director of Ducati UK, Fabrizio Cazzoli.

For more on the venue, visit Lind’s website today.