Post Listing Update: This custom Ducati did not get any interest at the asking opening ask of $22,500.
Back in mid-2011, Ducati announced it would be opening a “final assembly” plant in Thailand. Fast forward to 2014 and the Italian brand revealed the new South East Asian facility would be piecing together the company’s (then) newly unveiled Scrambler range for certain markets (in order to help with certain tariffs). Instead of merely churning out the retro-inspired models, Ducati Thailand went through the trouble of launching a myriad of unique projects to demonstrate the division’s passion and dedication for motorcycling, the Ducati brand, and its world-famous motorcycles.
Ducati Thailand teamed up with various outfits and individuals to create limited edition factory custom Scrambler variants like the Dirt Track Concept, and the Paul Smart Imola Tribute — the latter of which was designed in collaboration with the legendary racer and of which only two dozen units were produced.
A few months after the Paul Smart Scrambler was unveiled in Bangkok, Smart introduced Apichat Leenutaphong, owner of Ducati Thailand — who had worked with Smart on the Imola tribute SCR — to Pauline Hailwood, widow of race legend, Mike Hailwood. Seemingly impressed with the Paul Smart Scrambler colab, Pauline and Apichat agreed to get the ball rolling on a new factory custom Scrambler, this time celebrating Mike The Bike’s iconic ’78 TT-winning NCR 900SS racer.
The commemorative model is built around Ducati’s Scrambler Icon and uses the same standard 803cc, four-stroke, L-Twin mill that makes 74hp —interestingly, pretty much the exact amount the original MHR generated — found in the rest of the marque’s Scrambler range (excluding the Sixty2), though the team did add a two-into-one-into-two Termignoni carbon twin silencer unit, supposedly off a Monster 821.
What really separates this Scrambler from the rest of the existing SCR lineup is its appearance. The Hailwood Scrambler gets a retro-inspired round front cowl capped off with a tinted windscreen. Atop the inverted 41mm Kayaba fork we have a custom handlebar (with Panigale SBK grips) that affords a more aggressive riding position, along with a set of black anodized billet mirrors (from the Ducati Scrambler catalogue).
Moving back, we see a specially crafted fuel cell adorned in a green, white, and red livery, clearing mimicking the paint job on Hailwood’s iconic NCR mount. A set of side panels then feed into a monoposto tail piece — with special “performance race seat” — which culminates in a custom taillight complete with integrated signals. Beneath the bespoke tail, the stock aft suspension has been replaced with an adjustable Ohlins unit too.
On top of the livery on the bodywork, Ducati Thailand also hit the Scrambler’s frame with a coat of “dynamic red”, while the bike’s ten-arm rims (shod in Pirelli Angel GT tires) were painted gold — both clearly nods to Mike’s NCR 900. The side panels also received nifty “DESMO” tags and the front end also got micro LED signals.
First unveiled at the 37th Bangkok International Motor Show in 2016, Ducati Thailand decided to build only 58 examples of the Mike Hailwood Edition Scrambler. The 58 number does admittedly seem random, but Ducati says it’s to commemorate the 58th anniversary of when Hailwood first piloted a Ducati in competition (reportedly a 250cc when he was 18 in 1958). As such, each example features a plaque denoting which of the 58 units any particular example is — customers were even allowed to pick their own number, assuming it hadn’t been taken already.
When first released, Ducati Thailand announced an MSRP of 699,000 Thai Baht — which translates to approximately $20,000, which is a lot for a Ducati Scrambler, however for this particular model, its exclusivity, Hailwood connection, etc, the $20K price-tag seems a little more justified. Like the Paul Smart Scrambler, these were sadly only offered in Thailand and were never officially exported overseas. All 58 examples however were supposedly snapped up upon their release in 2016, and according to the seller, this is the very first specimen to pop up for sale since the factory custom’s release.
Making this particular specimen (#28 of 58) all the more enticing is the fact it has less than 100 miles on the odo (94 to be exact). The seller also says it has spent its entire existence in a “climate controlled showroom” on a trickle charger and that it was started every month. Though it does have a couple miles on it, this is a pristine, essentially brand new, very rare, limited edition bike. As much as I like Ducati’s current Scrambler lineup, this is by far my favorite “variant” in Duc’s retro-themed range.
You can find this 2016 Ducati #28 of 58 Mike Hailwood Edition Scrambler for sale in Bangkok, Thailand with an unmet opening bid of $22,500 (the seller quotes sea-freight shipping from Bangkok to Los Angeles at $1,050)