Bid on Mike The Bike's Lid

THE 'pudding-basin' helmet worn by Mike 'the Bike' Hailwood is set to exceed £4,000 when it goes up for auction at the Silverstone MotoGP on 11 June.

Worn by the legendary Mike Hailwood in the 1960s, the hand-painted helmet not only holds the historical value of being the helmet worn by the great but also features the battle-scars from a crash at Brands Hatch, with one of the scrapes annotated with 'Brands Hatch 1963'.

Hailwood spent the majority of his career riding for Honda in the 1960's on board the iconic RC machines, including the 250cc six-cylinder RC166 he raced in 1966, a period that the helmet was likely to have been worn. In 1968 Honda decided to pull out of Grand Prix racing and in the process paid Hailwood £50,000 to not ride for another manufacturer.

After years racing in four-wheels he returned to triumph on two-wheels again in the fairy-tale victory at the 1978 Isle of Man TT, riding a Ducati 900SS. A Tag Heuer watch that he bought as a gift to his close 'family' team of four celebration of this win is another memento from his storied life is available in the same auction.