Rossi's London Show Bikes: 2011 Ducati Desmosedici 800cc

For the first time ever, eight of Valentino Rossi’s most successful and priceless race bikes will be brought together in a special one-off tribute to the G.O.A.T

Over the next few days, we’ll be going into detail on the bikes that will make their exclusive appearance at the London Motorcycle Show in February.

#8 – VALENTINO ROSSI’S 2011 Ducati Desmosedici 800cc

There is no argument that Valentino Rossi’s tough two-stint trying to tame Ducati’s unforgiving Desmosedici was the blackest period of the Italian’s glittering career.

What was initially seen as an Italian match made in heaven quickly turned into a nightmare as Rossi struggled to make the Desmosedici the competitive force it had been in previous years.

Highlights were few and far between though he did finish on the podium in Le Mans behind Repsol Honda duo Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso.

And his landmark 250^th Grand Prix appearance, which made him the sixth rider in history to reach that milestone, was also achieved on the Ducati when he was a lowly ninth at Germany’s Sachsenring.

It was on this bike that Rossi was also involved in one of the most controversial moments of his career in a rain-hit Spanish round in Jerez.

He crashed at the first corner and wiped out bitter rival Casey Stoner. When Rossi later went to apologise to the Repsol Honda star after the race, the miffed Aussie came back with the classis retort: “Did your ambition outweight your talent?’

It was the first time in his career that Rossi failed to win a race and it was the year that ended in tragedy for world motorsport and personal anguish for Rossi after he was involved in the fatal crash in Sepang that claimed the life of close pal Marco Simoncelli.

 

 

Book your advance tickets to the show now and save! Visit MCNmotorcycleshow.com for more details.