Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP Replica Set for Auction... And it's Pretty Affordable

A Ducati Desmosedici RR MotoGP replica is set to go up for auction this week, and its guide price is promising.

The starting bid for the bike - a 2009 edition of the model that began production in 2006 - is £19,000, but it’s expected to go for between £40,000 - £50,000.

The Desmosedici RR was Ducati’s initial attempt at maximising the marketing potential of MotoGP, which it entered in 2004. The RR was billed as a MotoGP bike for the road, and its 990cc engine was derived from that used in the original version of the Desmosedici GP.

This particular example is for auction as property of a deceased's estate. The vendor's sister had bought it new in 2009 and had been its only owner until she passed in 2020. It was recently serviced by Ducati Alton, who also rode it afterwards as part of their post-service testing. The odometer reads 2,806 miles, and there are a few areas of paint loss. The locks and keys have been replaced as the originals were lost. It comes with the original manufacturer's authentication certificate and plate, as well as all the original books including the owner's manuals, warranty/service book, and various Ducati accessories and apparel brochures. A V5C certificate and an MoT certificate (expires 7 February 2025) are also included.

Ducati entered MotoGP in 2003, the second year of the four-stroke 990cc rules, and the first year where the whole premier class field ran four-strokes. It took its first victory in the same year, when Loris Capirossi won that year’s race in Barcelona.

A year later, Ducati announced the Desmosedici RR, and it was first unveiled at the Italian Grand Prix in 2006.

2006 was the final year of the 990cc rules for MotoGP, which switched to an 800cc formula for 2007, meaning the similarity between the RR road bike and the GP race bike was more or less shot to pieces barely as production started on the RR, of which 1,500 were made.

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Although the Desmosedici RR was the first road bike to be derived directly from a MotoGP bike, it was not the first road bike to be derived from a Grand Prix bike. Honda’s NS400R was based on the NS500 GP bike and was released in 1985, for example, and the Yamaha RD500 (based on the YZR500 GP racer) arrived in 1984.

Aside from the Desmosedici, there are also a number of other interesting lots at the Bonham’s Summer Sale. For example, a 996cc 1922 Brough Superior MkI/SS80 ‘Special’ that was first owned by Brough’s General Manager, Ike Webb. In addition, there’s a quite pretty Ducati 888 SP5, and a 2015 Paton S1 Strada - essentially the road-going version of the bike Michael Dunlop won his 27th TT on last Thursday, and his 29th TT on last Saturday - complete in 500cc Bicilindrica replica paint. 

Image credit: Bonhams.