The public sale block is an excellent arbiter of the worth of a storied object and the intrigue it creates is commonly higher than fiction. The Ducati 851 gained Ducati’s first World Superbike Championship in 1990 nevertheless it has not offered effectively at public sale by comparability to Ducati’s lengthy roster of particular fashions created since. This public sale could effectively alert the world to a rising collectible juggernaut.
The Ducati 851 is a priceless motorbike by most requirements with excessive gross sales of $42,932, $42,456, $40,250 and $40,250 and different Ducati fashions which have gained the World Superbike Championship promoting for lots extra – the Ducati 888 worth document is $75,564, the Ducati 916 document is $91,044, and the Ducati 996 worth document is $75,600 … BUT … this bike may be very particular.
It was owned by John Surtees, the one individual to win the world championship on each two and 4 wheels. It’s one in all a batch of 20 851 F90 Corsa Ducatis produced by the manufacturing facility particularly for homologation functions for the 1990 World Superbike season. Its landmark new applied sciences embrace being the primary desmodromic v-twin with liquid cooling, 4 valves per cylinder and digital gas injection.
One of many different bikes within the litter of 20 took the 1990 World Superbike Championship within the arms of Frenchman Raymond Roche, starting a Ducati domination of world superbike racing that exists to at the present time.
Race bikes are rather a lot like Grandpa’s axe – by the point they’ve performed a couple of seasons, there’s not a lot left that is still of the unique. All the things has been improved, resurfaced (deliberately or in any other case) or changed. This bike is totally authentic as a result of it’s nonetheless new – as it will have been delivered to the groups, earlier than they started altering every thing chasing an additional millisecond in lap occasions.
The bike has by no means been began. Authenticity is essential to collectible automotive and motorbike worth and that is as genuine and unmolested as a race bike can get, and it is uncommon and important with nice provenance … and there’s no reserve worth.
Therefore it is going to be offered, come what could. It is unlikely to not set a mannequin document given the venue – Italy’s annual Concorso D’Elegenza Villa D’Este is likely one of the key international occasions on the collectible automotive calendar and it has an accompanying public sale at Villa Erba (subsequent door) annually. The 851’s remarkably full hand of public sale attractiveness won’t be ignored in its residence nation.
If it does not set a document, somebody bought a discount and this is why.
The Surtees Provenance
Newspress
The provenance of Surtees is immense. His feats price equal billing to these of Fangio.
Just one individual has ever gained the world championship for each vehicles and bikes and it’s unlikely to ever occur once more. John Surtees gained the World 500cc Motorbike Racing Championship (now MotoGP) in 1956, 1958, 1959 & 1960 using for MV Agusta. In 1960, he had his first F1 begin on the Monaco Grand Prix between his commitments to MV Agusta as its lead rider.
In a world the place it’s now tough to swap between racing sequence because of the completely different using and energy traits of the bikes, Surtees gained the 1958, 1959 and 1960 World 500cc Championship AND the 1960 World 350cc Championship using in each lessons at each Grand Prix.
In the identical 12 months (1960), Surtees managed to suit 4 Formulation One begins into his crowded schedule. At his second begin (the 1960 British Grand Prix), he completed second behind Jack Brabham, and his third begin was the Portuguese Grand Prix the place he put his Cooper Climax on pole forward of Gurney, Brabham, Moss, Hill, McLaren and Jim Clark.
Not surprisingly, by the start of 1961, he was a full-time Formulation One driver and by the start of 1963 he was driving for Scuderia Ferrari, profitable the Formulation One championship for Ferrari in 1964.
Surtees’ 851 has fairly potent provenance, nevertheless it serves to spotlight the immense wealth of limited-edition Ducatis which have been slowly working their method up public sale tariffs for the previous couple of many years.
The looming Ducati Public sale Juggernaut
Bonhams
Ducati has produced so many coveted collectible bikes over the past 50 years, it is typically arduous to maintain observe of the marque’s continuous presence at public sale, however an evaluation of the rising public sale costs for a number of Ducati’s legacy fashions means that Ducati is on observe to in the end dominate motorbike public sale costs in the identical method Ferrari has dominated the collectible automotive market.
Continued Relevance
Ducati
Ducati will not be a reputation that depends on the historical past books for its credibility.
Ducati at present dominates each Superbike and MotoGP racing – it generates priceless publicity most weekends by profitable the world’s most watched races, infusing the marque with ever-greater recognition and enhanced repute. Typically it generates international publicity a number of occasions in a single weekend, profitable MotoGP sprints, and WSBK heats. In 2024 there have been 20 Grands Prix that comprised the championship – that is 60 podium positions obtainable of which Ducati took 56 of them. To this point in 2025, Ducati has taken 14 of the 15 MotoGP podiums obtainable.
It is extraordinarily uncommon {that a} sportsperson comes alongside that’s nigh on unbeatable in one of many world’s most seen and hotly contested sports activities. Hiring Marc Marquez would possibly grow to be as important an occasion for the Ducatisti because the 1972 Imola 200 Race or Mike Hailwood’s post-retirement world championship trip on the Isle of Man.
Ducati’s profitable document in World Superbike Championships is already prime of the record and in a very powerful racing sequence, the 500cc/MotoGP World Championship, Ducati and Marquez can surpass everybody in historical past – Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi included – over the following few years.
Ducati is already nurturing the Ducatisti by enrolling former champions akin to Carl Fogarty, Troy Bayliss, Casey Stoner, Regis Laconi, Troy Corser advert infinitum as tribal elders to advertise the model to new generations, and Ducati’s mastery of expertise features a rising digital reference to its person base that seems to be next-generation savvy.
Ducati was following the identical trajectory as Ferrari on the public sale block earlier than Marquez arrived. If Marquez begins relentlessly profitable once more, (which appears doubtless – the bookies at present have him at 1.25 odds to take the 2025 title), the marque will reap untold rewards from the synergetic partnership.
Because of a by no means ending provide of fascinating restricted manufacturing fashions (a lot of which gained modern-day World Championships), it has created dozens of collectible marketplaces for particular person fashions which mix to type an public sale juggernaut-in-waiting as these markets are all maturing and climbing above the radar.
In 2024, Casey Stoner’s 2007 Championship-winning Ducati Desmosedici race bike offered for $532,004 (£402,500) to maneuver into 14th place within the all-time highest motorbike costs. The best priced Brough Superior in historical past fetched only a tad extra at $542,500. The Desmosedici is now the one motorbike produced this century within the prime 50 motorbike costs of all time, and one in all solely three produced subsequent to 1960 – the others being the personalized 1990 Harley-Davidson Softail Heritage 1340 ($520,024) of French rock-n-roll legend Johnny Hallyday, and the 1991 Harley-Davidson Fats Boy ($512,000) utilized by Arnold Schwarzenegger within the film Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
In April 2024, one of many authentic Ducati 750 Imola racers that launched the model into worldwide consciousness in 1972 reached $600,000 on the public sale block however the reserve worth (the worth at which the seller sells) was not reached. Had the bid been accepted, Ducati’s imminent climb to the summit of public sale rankings would possibly already be frequent data.
The Ducati 750 SS was Ducati’s roadgoing duplicate of the well-known Good-Spaggiari bikes that completed 1-2 on the Imola 200 race in 1972. The earlier time one of many authentic eight Ducati Imola race bikes offered at public sale (Sotheby’s in September 2001), it set a world document worth of $121,250 for a bike at public sale and the sale prompted Cycle World Editor Phil Schilling to write down an article entitled merely $100,000 Ducati.
$100,000 appeared like a ridiculous amount of cash for anybody to pay for a bike at the moment, however with 1 / 4 century of hindsight, we will now say that 20 of the unique batch of 1973/1974 Ducati 750SS roadgoing replicas have now offered in extra of the worth of Spaggiari’s history-making Ducati desmo v-twin race bike – the replicas offered for greater than the actual bike. The document for a “duplicate” round-case 1972 Ducati 750 SS is now $247,500, with gross sales of $201,600, $198,000, $198,000, $197,288 and $189,000 to again it up.
Because the SS has been relentlessly climbing in worth, the 1972 non-desmo Yellow Sport 750 has adopted it up the leaderboard. The document worth for a 1972 750S is now $74,800, backed by different gross sales of $55,000, $47,300, $45,100, $43,000, $43,000 and one other at $41,000.
The GT model of the Ducati 750 was already in the marketplace by the point the 1972 Imola 200 win passed off, however a rising tide floats all boats, and it’s now additionally following its extra celebrated brethren, with a document worth of $48,733 (€38,025), and different excessive gross sales of $37,400, $36,300 and $35,500. British motorbike dealer Paul Jayson has a round-case GT at present on sale for £35,000 (US$46,718).
One of many fascinations for us whereas doing this analysis was what gave the impression to be a really broad worth unfold for Ducati fashions. Not all bikes are equal as soon as they have been cared for by completely different people for 50 years, notably bikes constructed to racing tolerances. Efficiency bikes aren’t home equipment that can relentlessly carry out their activity with out meticulous upkeep and we expect that is why costs for a similar Ducati mannequin usually range extra wildly than with different manufacturers, and sometimes the excessive worth for a mannequin is extra so of an outlier.
The traits recommend that if you’re ready to put money into your Ducati for the long run, it ought to present a good-looking return, even in the event you trip it. That is worth past numbers in a spreadsheet!
After an intensive preparation for this text, sorting by means of hundreds of public sale listings, it seems fairly apparent that it is nonetheless attainable to choose up an authentic mannequin in glorious form for lots lower than the museum high quality bikes that set the worth data.
The Hailwood Legend
Excessive on the notice scale of each motorcycling fanatic is the 1978 return to racing of the legendary seven-time World Champion “Mike the Bike” Hailwood. Hailwood had not raced for greater than a decade when he was coaxed out of retirement, and his feat in returning to the ultra-dangerous Isle of Man circuit at 38-years-of-age and giving Ducati its first world title is integral to the Ducati legend.
Mike Hailwood’s Isle of Man TT comeback in 1978
Hailwood’s fairy story triumph made international information and for a decade, it appeared each motorbike workshop and man cave on the planet was embellished with one of many many posters honoring his win. Not surprisingly, a duplicate of the Hailwood bike emerged and Ian Falloon’s historical past of the Mike Hailwood Duplicate is as meticulously detailed as normal, whereas Alan Cathcart’s backgrounder on the story is equally enlightening.
The Hailwood Duplicate is available in a number of completely different guises, however simply sticking to the none-Evoluzione fashions, the very best worth in our data is $56,175, adopted by $48,285, $42,156, $38,801 after which a drop to $31,216, $30,800 and $30,750, and a plethora of gross sales within the $25,000 to $30,000 bracket.
The 1,500-unit restricted version Desmosedici RR race duplicate produced by Ducati in 2008 seemingly defied logic with its astronomical worth of $72,000 (£40,000), however 17 years down the observe, those that managed to acquire one at that worth now have a collectible motorbike price greater than the unique purchase worth, and from right here onwards, it may be moderately anticipated to understand in worth much better than financial institution curiosity or pork stomach futures.
The document worth for a Desmosedici RR is $91,057, although there are rumors of a lot greater costs having been paid at public sale that we can not confirm with a hyperlink or a media report. We calculate the whole purchase worth, together with consumers premium and we convert costs to USD on the prevailing trade charges on the following buying and selling day. Many public sale homes don’t record the complete worth (recording the hammer worth however failing so as to add the Purchaser’s Premium) which is why the worth we quote on this and lots of different articles is commonly completely different to the costs one can find on the public sale website – simply learn their fantastic print about their Patrons Premium. If we will moderately confirm {that a} sale occurred, we record it. If anybody may help add to the database with a hyperlink to a sale not listed right here, we’ll add it to this text and we’ll all be higher knowledgeable.
Desmosedici RR costs for spectacular specimens now comfortably exceed the preliminary purchase worth, with latest excessive costs of $90,528, $84,000, $78,750, $78,355, $74,445 and $73,028.
The one-cylinder Ducati 550cc Supermono racing motorbike was produced in restricted portions between 1993 and 1995. Simply 67 Supermonos had been constructed, utilizing a lot of the expertise Pierre Terblanche had already developed for the twin-cylinder 916. The one-cylinder, 4-valve, water-cooled 550cc engine produced 75 hp and the technical supervisor who turned Terblanche’s design into actuality was a younger engineer who joined Ducati in 1991 instantly upon graduating in mechanical engineering from the College of Bologna. Claudio Domenicali is now the CEO of Ducati after holding positions akin to Director of Product R&D, and Common Supervisor of Operations and Product Improvement. He turned CEO of Ducati Motor Holding in 2013. The Ducati ethos seems to be sound from any angle!
Mauro Lucchiari gained the European Supermono Championship on the Supermono as meant, and Ducati gained the Producers’ title, and the Supermono is now a vastly coveted mannequin.
Because of the intensive use of composite supplies akin to carbon fiber and magnesium alloy, the Supermono weighed solely 100 kg, and to say Ducati vastly underestimated demand is an understatement. The highest worth of $165,760 seems to be an outlier, with the second highest worth at $115,000, and the third highest at $97,000. We do not suppose it’s, and there are non-public gross sales for the bike tor greater figures that we will not confirm. Ducati honors the Supermono’s distinctive historical past with its personal net web page.
The Ducati 888 was manufactured between 1991 and 1994 with 7,594 bikes produced. The 851 had launched liquid cooling, computerized gas injection and four-valve heads and for 1991 the engine capability was elevated to 888 cc. The 1990 World Superbike title was gained by the 851, and the 888 took the title for Ducati in each 1991 and 1992, each years piloted by American Doug Polen. In 1991, Polen rode the Quick by Ferracci Ducati 888 and in 1992, he rode the Workforce Police Ducati.
When it comes to sale costs, the very best worth we document for the mannequin is $75,564, however the highest costs rapidly drop away: $65,515, $63,969, $44,000, $43,050 and $42,456.
The Ducati 916 was produced from 1994 to 1998, profitable 4 of the 5 World Superbike titles it contested (three to Carl Fogarty, one to Troy Corser). Past its competitiveness, it’s broadly thought to be probably the most lovely bikes ever made. It was one of many 100 bikes chosen for the well-known 1998 Guggenheim “Artwork of the Motorbike” Exhibition (together with the 750 SS, Ducati Monster and Bimota Tesi ID) however … choose for your self. The hyperlinks to those excessive priced bikes will take you to the public sale descriptions, the place the world’s greatest motorbike photographers have captured them from all angles.
With an exceptionally lengthy manufacturing run, there have been 18,006 Ducati 916 specimens produced, however the costs they fetch bely that giant quantity. The Ducati 916 is by far probably the most fascinating of the lineage with the very best costs of $91,044 and $85,707 falling away to … $79,385, $71,528, $66,618, $63,000, $60,812, $58,154, $55,000 and $54,863.
Till the start of 2024, the document worth for a Ducati 996 was the $48,825 paid on BringaTrailer for a 2001 Ducati 996R with seven miles on the odometer. It is now at $75,600 which was the worth paid for the bike above – with one mile on the clock. The third highest worth of $44,988 (€43,200) was paid for a motorcycle with 6,000 km on the clock, and beneath that there are a dozen 996 which have offered within the $30,000 to $40,000 bracket.
The Matrix Reloaded: Trinity on Ducati 996
The 996’s largest second in its three 12 months reign, was not its two World Superbike titles (one to Fogarty, one to Bayliss), however as one of many stars of the film, Matrix Reloaded.
The film and the stunts carried out, made the 996 appear like the chariot of the gods. The film additional enhanced the rising Ducati repute and is little question an affect on 996 costs, however Ducati’s subsequent 998 Matrix Duplicate is a motorcycle we expect will do exceedingly effectively at public sale as time goes by.
The Ducati 998 was produced from 2002 to 2004. It was the successor to the Ducati 996 and the ultimate variation on the Ducati 916. The brand new Testastretta engine shared many similarities with the earlier Desmoquattro engine within the 996, though it was utterly new from the crankshaft up. Testastretta means slender head and refers to a whole redesign of the cylinder heads. The best costs in our database are at present $56,700, $51,450, $40,950, $35,583 and $32,207
The Ducati 999 represented an entire styling departure from its forebears, a totally new trellis body and additional exploitation of the facility potential of the brand new engine.
Between 2003 and 2007, the 999 gained three World Superbike Riders Championships and three Constructors’ Championships. Although the 999 represents a contemporary motorbike with manufacturing happening between 2002 and 2006, costs are already on the rise, with gross sales past the highest vendor indicating that close to perfection is required to enter the highest bracket of $47,866, $47,501, $46,880 and $42,356, with a step right down to $32,550 and $30,800 after which a number of gross sales within the $20,000 to $30,000 bracket.
4 of the highest 5 costs fetched by the Ducati 1098 at public sale had been achieved by Troy Bayliss replicas, with the very best worth fetched in Italy by RM Sotheby’s at $47,172, adopted by 4 gross sales in Australia at $43,817, $41,149, $35,960 and $32,381.
There are such a lot of bikes we may and can add to this record to decipher the excessive costs, as time permits. Particularly, the Nineteen Seventies 750/900 Tremendous Sport market, Darmah, Pantah, the MH900E Evoluzione and the Monster are on our record, however when you have a specific bike you need first, use the feedback and we’ll oblige.
The punchline
Ducati
Not satisfied in regards to the Ducati public sale juggernaut principle but?
Round 75% of the world’s 1,000 most dear bikes are v-twins.
Lower than 1% of all of the bikes ever offered have been v-twins, so we’re not anticipating the highest of the public sale leaderboard to primarily comprise something however v-twins in 10, 20 or 30 years from now.
Harley-Davidson and Ducati have been the key suppliers of newer v-twins to the public sale block for many years, and Ducati’s hit parade is now maturing, with all of the bins ticked, plus ongoing world dominance in a serious spectator sport.
There are myriad Ducati fashions which have fashioned the idea of World Superbike Championships – the worldwide premier class for production-based bikes. In 2023, the whole variety of Ducati World Superbike race wins surpassed 400, the variety of podiums surpassed 1,000 (a end result by no means achieved by any producer in any motorbike racing self-discipline) and 5 generations of Ducati tremendous sport v-twins have contributed to writing the historical past of modern-day motorbike racing tradition.
Prime-of-mind identify recognition counts for lots on the public sale block, and though the Ducatis profitable every thing on the racetrack at the moment are V4s, all important Ducatis can all be thought-about gilt-edged long run investments as a result of Ducati remains to be profitable and offers each indication it’ll proceed to take action.
Each time a Ducati greets the checkered flag first, these heritage bikes are constructing long-term foundations to change into priceless keepsakes.
