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Bevel heaven
1985 Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica Mille
(Guy 'Guido' Allen, April 2025)
The decision to buy the Hailwood Mille has turned out
to be a good one, but there are a few things to do to
get it up to scratch
A few months ago I had a sudden rush of blood to the
wallet and bought a 1985 Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica, in
Mille form. Along with the S2 with which it shares its
frame, it represents the last of the bevel-drive Ducatis.
My Ducati ownership history is relatively short. I'm now
on my second 916
Strada, which is a model I love.
There was also an
early 860GT in the shed for a while, but I simply
didn't get on with it. The motor was lovely, but the ride
position just didn't work for me and it was moved on.
Though far more head-down and bum-up, the Hailwood ride
position comes together as a package once you're rolling –
at least for brief Sunday rides. We're certainly not
crossing the continent on the thing.
Thanks to the size of
the current fleet, which feels a little out of
control, there are gazillions of jobs awaiting my
dubious spanner-twirling talents. The latest was a
really easy one: replacing the Conti mufflers on the
Hailwood with a fresh set.
It was just two bolts
either side and all went swimmingly. They look
fabulous and I'm assured by Ducati guru Ian Falloon
this is in fact what they were designed to run best
with, rather than the less sexy-looking stock
Silentiums.
To say the Contis have a
fruity note is a gross understatement – calling them
mufflers would also be false advertising. Just in case
we attract some unwelcome attention, I recently
acquired a set of Silentiums through the incredibly
helpful Ian Gowanloch.
What is driving me bonkers at the
moment is finding stock indicators, which also fit
the S2 of the same period. They were famous for
disintegrating over time and unfortunately we
can't seem to find anyone who is making replicas.
If someone has one or more in
use-able shape lurking in their shed, and is
willing to sell them, please shoot me a line via allmoto@optusnet.com.
Anyway, back to the bike. Riding
it is like copping a huge dose of the 1970s, even
though it was sold in the eighties. That's not
entirely a bad thing as the engine, transmission,
suspension and brakes all partner pretty well.
They're talking a different dialect to modern
bikes, but do much the same thing at a different
pace.
Without question the bevel engine
is the highlight. It's running a relatively modest
76 horses which the V-twin manages to make petty
useful – largely through a fat midrange and a
general willingness from low revs.
One thing I rapidly discovered is
that the battery has to be feeling bright and
chipper if the Duke is to fire up. The
electric-only starting system is a little marginal
even though this is a low-mile example and, if
it's been sitting a while, I've taken to using my
roller starter.
That's something I bought via Bikestarters.com. It
was done on the advice of the
inimitable Spannerman, and he's been proven
right – which is hugely annoying for those of us
who know him. As he suggested, using a roller
starter on an older motorcycle that's been idle
for a while is easier on the owner and far more
kind to the machine. Plus – so long as the bike
really is in running shape – it changes the
question from will it start to how quickly?
So far it's been used on several
motorcycles including the
Norton Commando 850, the
Triumph T160, the Hailwood, the
Sunbeam S7 that recently left the shed and
now my Vincent
Touring Rapide. I should probably add the now-sorted
Yamaha SR500 to the list, though so far it's
been a doddle to get going. (Famous last words...)
What's next for the Hailwood? The
big job will be changing over the aftermarket
handlebars for a recently-acquired stock set. The
ones that are in place look a little ridiculous
and have somehow succeeded in making the machine
even less user-friendly. That's quite a feat!
More to come...
See Ian
Falloon's profile of this model
And the profile
on the 900 MHR
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