In a sign of the times, Ducati has announced it will be selling two very recent Ducati Desmosedici GP machines at auction. The bikes, a GP11 2011 factory Desmosedici which brought Valentino Rossi his only top three finish of the 2011 season, and the other a GP10 which Casey Stoner took to victory in the 2010 Australian Grand Prix, are subject to an undisclosed reserve. "The lucky buyer must not only enter into a confidentiality agreement," said Ducati Corse's Filippo Preziosi, "but also become a close member of the 'Ducati family'!"
The two bikes, both from the 800cc era of MotoGP, will be a part of the annual Monaco sale at the Grimaldi Forum in beautiful downtown Monto Carlo, to be held on 11-12 May.
Casey's bike
The bike for sale was built in the Ducati factory in Bologna between December 7 and December 11, 2009.
Casey Stoner's Ducati Desmosedici GP10 "CS1" was first started for bench testing on December 14, 2009 before being track tested by Stoner in Sepang, Malaysia in February 2010.
Stoner first competed with CS1 in Qatar in April 2010 and he raced it to victory in the Australian GP at Phillip Island in October 2010.
The machine took pole positions in Qatar, Phillip Island and Valencia and powered the Australian to podium positions in Valencia, Assen and Catalunya. Its final Grand Prix was in Valencia, November 2010 having logged a total of 4,232km.
Vale's bike
Valentino Rossi's Ducati Desmosedici GP11 "VR2" was built at the Ducati factory between December 6 and December 10, 2010.
It was first started for bench testing two days later. VR2's first track test for Rossi was carried out in the February 2011 Sepang tests and first competed in the Qatar Grand Prix the following month.
It recorded a podium position at Le Mans, France in May 2011 and competed in its last race at the Dutch TT in Assen, having logged a total of 2,342 km.
"The release of two very special machines like these is an extremely rare occasion for us, so the lucky buyer must not only enter into a confidentiality agreement, but also become a close member of the 'Ducati family'!" said Ducati Corse General and Technical Director, Filippo Preziosi.
RM's Monaco auction will also offer the private Saltarelli Collection of historic Ducati motorcycles at the same event, providing a wonderful celebration of Ducatis history. In addition to the motorcycles, the two-day sale will also feature a magnificent roster of blue-chip automobiles.
