Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, MBE, GM (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time. He was known as "Mike The Bike" because of his natural riding ability. Later in his career he went on to compete in Formula One auto racing, becoming one of the few men to compete at the Grand Prix level on motorcycles and in auto racing.
The Ducati 900 MHR or Mike Hailwood Replica is a production replica of the race bike Mike Hailwood used to win the Isle Man race in 1978. This led the way for Ducati's becoming mainstream road bikes in the U.S.A.
When Mike Hailwood secured Ducati's first World Championship with his comeback victory in the 1978 Formula 1 TT he provided the company with a huge amount of publicity and an excuse to produce a limited edition to celebrate the victory. The machine that emerged as the Mike Hailwood Replica was based on the 900SS and would go on to become the best selling Ducati of the early eighties. |