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Driving report Ducati MH 900 evoluzione
Pop meets classic
So new and yet so old: The Ducati MHe ?? a tribute to the successful British racing driver Mike “the Bike” Hailwood ?? combines the latest technology with a classic driving experience.
MHe ?? sounds a bit like pharmaceuticals, but stands for “Mike Hailwood evoluzione”. The older ones among us remember: Mike Hailwood was the crazy Englishman who bagged nine Grand Prix world titles in the 1960s, then switched to Formula One, had a serious accident there and made a glorious comeback on the Isle of Man in 1978. Ironically, on a 900cc Ducati that is said to have been inferior to the four-cylinder competition. At the Tourist Trophy of all places ?? a symbolic race. This Hailwood of all people? Motorbike pilot beyond retirement age, whose right leg has been almost immobile since the accident at the Nurburgring. The legend was born and the name Ducati suddenly had weight again in the two-wheeled world.
The time to pay homage to the British warhorse was overripe. Ducati’s chief designer Pierre Terblanche was inspired by Hailwood’s 1978 winner motorcycle. The result was the MHe, a delicate noble bike with a neo-classic look, as Terblanche calls it. Cost: a whopping 30,000 marks. Ducati wants to build 2000 pieces, the entire production, which is starting these days in Bologna, is already sold out according to the factory.
Although the MHe is not a replica of the racer from back then and has modern ingredients such as injection and engine management, it feels “very old fashioned”. For example, because the driver is more likely to sit on the motorcycle than inside. At a considerable height of 82.5 centimeters, he finds his sporty, spartan upholstered workplace. Together with the handlebar halves, which are mounted low and close to one another, this results in a “I-sit-on-a-tree-trunk feeling”: buttocks relatively high, upper body bent forward, hands far down.
Sounds uncomfortable? but it’s a lot of fun. Because the handy chassis and the airy, loose design make the 186 kilogram MHe the heroine of the country road. Playfully it takes curve after curve, follows the targeted line precisely and gives a very present, almost tangible driving experience. The fork can handle bumps and potholes well, only the Paioli strut is sometimes overwhelmed. With fast curve combinations it starts to pump uncomfortably. Mike Hailwood would certainly not have liked that.
However, he wouldn’t have a chance with the MHe on the Isle of Man anyway. With 75 hp there is no more flower pot to be won at the Tourist Trophy today. For normal life, on the other hand, they are wonderfully suitable, especially since they are quite homogeneous and expressive to the point. 75 HP are not the same as 75 HP, and the way in which the Desmo motor converts its power into propulsion has that certain something that only large-volume V2 units can convey: nothing seems random, the power does not just bubble out out of him, it feels much more like he is scooping them out of the deepest depths of his crankcase ?? every single PS a valuable gift.
Incidentally, the two-cylinder corresponds to the old, two-valve 900 series monster engine right through to the translation, only a little more steam comes from the lower speed, and the pressure on the top drops a little. The exclusive exhaust system is responsible for the small difference in the tuning, which ends in two mighty bags made of inox steel under the rump and spreads the original 70s sound. In other words: The MHe doesn’t thump, thump or babble ?? she roars. And loud.
Designer Terblanche adhered to classic standards down to the last detail. Unfortunately so strict that it didn’t even allow the modern Ducati side stand to be attached, which remains unfolded when the load is removed. In his opinion, the sensor for the immobilizer would have spoiled the aesthetics. Now it bothers me that the thing snaps away when the motorcycle is pushed, as it used to be. That sucks, because if this noble piece fell over it would be a shame.
The best thing is not to park it, but to enjoy driving the MHe. However, the paths should be chosen carefully in order to limit turning and pushing maneuvers to the bare minimum. The steering angle tends towards zero. In direct comparison, a Ducati 996 offers the scope of a casino in Las Vegas. And finally there are the mirrors. Well, well, we’re used to the fact that you don’t see much in a Duc apart from your own shoulders? but nothing at all … Originally, a camera was planned in the rear end that was supposed to transmit images from the world beyond into the cockpit. Great plan however, he fell victim to the red pen.
But these little adversities can be overcome. After all, the MHe is not intended as an everyday motorcycle, but rather for trips on very high two-wheeler holidays. If you approach the neoclassic after refueling, which is often the case with the only 8.5 liter fuel tank, you will always be intoxicated by its sight. Alone on the ornate tubular space swing arm. Or on the crankcase with the oil pan look of historical Ducati vertical shaft engines? even if the tub is made of plastic. Or on the Marchesini wheels with the five gossamer spokes. Or on the tight half-shell in red and silver, which merges seamlessly into the tank. And finally the name the motorcycle bears: Mike Hailwood, who died in a traffic accident in 1981.
OWithout Hailwood’s acclaimed TT victory, Ducati might today build diesel engines, a production line that the management at the time had classified as trend-setting and much more important than motorcycle engines. Who knows, maybe that was true. But in terms of fascination, a Diesel Evo could certainly not compete with a Mike Hailwood evoluzione.
Driving report – Ducati MH 900 evoluzione
Motor: Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 90-degree L-engine, two valves per cylinder, desmodromic actuation, wet sump lubrication, electronic injection, engine management, no exhaust gas cleaning, electric starter. Bore x stroke 92 x 66 mm, displacement 904 ccm, compression ratio 9.2: 1 Rated output 55 kW (75 PS) at 8000 rpm Max. Torque 76 Nm (7.7 kpm) at 6250 rpm Power transmission: primary drive via gear wheels, hydraulically operated multi-plate dry clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain, secondary ratio 38:15. Chassis: tubular steel frame, upside-down fork, sliding tube diameter 43 mm, single-sided swing arm in tubular design, spring strut with adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front, four-piston calipers, semi-floating brake discs, Ø 320 mm, disc brake at the rear, two-piston caliper, Ø 220 mm. Light alloy wheels 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17 tires 120/65 ZR 17; 170/60 ZR 17 Chassis data: wheelbase 1415 mm, steering head angle 66.5 degrees, caster 110mm, spring travel f / h 120/130 mm.Dimensions and weightsL / W / H 2040/740/1090 mmSeat height 825 mmEmpty weight 186 kgTank capacity 8.5 litersWarranty two Years with no mileage limit Color red / silver Price 15,000 euros (approx. 30,000 marks) Price: 15,000 euros (approx. 30,000 marks)
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