Ducati released the 851 to the world in 1987, and it was the introduction of four valve Desmo heads. It made Ducati a competitive race team again (they’d end up winning the 1990 World SBK Championship with this model). For homologation purposes, they released 207 “kit” versions of the Tricolore, some of which were converted to be street legal – this is one of those rare examples!
The “kit” bikes had some differences – a braced swingarm and the absence of a speedometer. Weirdly, one of the other differences is a round ring on the seat, which is explained by an amusing folk tale: the claim is that some Ducati employee placed a hot espresso maker on the mold before production, causing a slight deformation in the seat.
This example (VIN: ZDM851S850099) is not street legal as it’s never been registered and doesn’t have a title – you’re only getting a Bill of Sale. This bike has spent time in private collections and a museum, and now it’s your turn to decide what happens to it. It got a full service last month at DucShop, and as there’s no speedo/odometer the mileage is unknown. The seller says the bike starts, idles, and runs fine. The wheels and exhaust were refinished a couple of years ago. There’s a few flaws, but nothing too serious: the rear wheel has a small dent, the right rear fairing has a cut out to accommodate the reservoir of an aftermarket rear shock, the rear brake light switch has to be replaced, the steering damper is missing, and there’s 3 small dings on the top left of the fuel tank.
If it helps with your valuation, another one of these KIT versions sold for $28,750 at Bonhams Vegas auction in January 2015.
Find this 851 Tricolore for sale with bidding up to $8,100 and the reserve not yet met in Roswell, Georgia
Or, if you’re a very discerning collector and you’re willing to spend extra, here’s an example of this bike (which I’ve previously featured) that has never been started before:
Find it with a BIN of $41,000 in Allentown, Pennsylvania