Old Bike Australasia

Vee Two Hailwood launched

- From Alan Cathcart

The Vee Two Hailwood Replica made its public debut on Saturday, August 25th in a special presentati­on at the Isle of Man Classic TT, alongside the original Ducati 900F1 that Mike Hailwood rode to victory in his famous TT comeback 40 years ago in 1978.

The Vee Two Hailwood shared the Hailwood 40th anniversar­y stand with the kind permission of the original bike’s American owner Larry Auriana. Multiple TT race-winner Charlie Williams presented the new bike alongside Vee Two’s Brook Henry, joined by Pauline and David Hailwood of the Hailwood Foundation. Steve Auriana, Larry Auriana’s nephew, travelled from New York for the event.

Charlie Williams said: “This bike features some fantastic engineerin­g, and it’s a great tribute to Mike Hailwood.’ The 2018 Classic TT Festival included an assembly of several hundred Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica road bikes, which travelled to the Island from all over Europe, and beyond. Brook Henry fired up the 905cc twin to applause from an appreciati­ve crowd. Only 12 of the Vee Two Hailwood bikes will be built, reflecting the race number Mike’s bike wore in his celebrated 1978 F1 TT win. The £110,000 machine has taken 18 months to create. Each owner will receive a personalis­ed souvenir book about the bike’s evolution written by Paul Barden. Brook Henry produces the engines in Perth, Western Australia, while the chassis, bodywork, decoration and final assembly is carried out at Paul Taylor’s Taylormade Racing factory in Los Angeles.

 ??  ?? Pauline Hailwood with son David Hailwood on the Vee Two Hailwood Replica (right) and John McGuinness on the original bike (left) at the launch.
Pauline Hailwood with son David Hailwood on the Vee Two Hailwood Replica (right) and John McGuinness on the original bike (left) at the launch.

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