Coming up for auction at R M Sotheby’s this August 16 weekend is a 2008 Ducati Desmosedici GP08, with an auction price of between USD 225,000 and USD 325,000 (RM944,475 to RM1.364 million). Sourced from the Ducati factory in 2010, the Desmosedici was assembled from a frame built inn July 2008 with a new and unused engine crankcase.
The race bike is assembled in “show bike” status, with non-running engine and finished in US “Stars and Stripes” colours as seen in the first Desmosedici ridden by the late Nicky Hayden in Valencia, Spain, during his move from Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) to Ducati Corse. The Desmosedici on auction features a race-used Hayden fuel tank, and other Hayden and original Ducati MotoGP parts.
The race bike in its current state is a non-starter, but the necessary engine parts are available in order to restore the GP08 to track ready condition. For the (very) serious Ducati collector, the Desmosedici GP08 represents a slice of Ducati history, and a chance to own a rare piece of racing memorabilia which is guaranteed your riding buddies will not have.
Better known to fans as “The Kentucky Kid”, Hayden previously raced for HRC from 2003 to 2008 in MotoGP, beating Valentino Rossi for the championship in 2006. At the end of the 2008 racing season, Hayden was introduced to the Desmosedici GP08 he would ride for 2009, alongside team mate Casey Stoner.
However, Hayden had five largely unsuccessful seasons at Ducati, with his highest championship position being a seventh place in 2010 before moving to Aspar Honda for the 2014/2015 seasons. Making another move to Ten Kate Racing Honda in the World Superbike Championship, Hayden passed away from traumatic brain injury when he was hit by a car while riding his bicycle in Italy in May, 2017.
