There’s a formula for releasing a special edition motorcycle nowadays, and it’s a lazy one. Take an existing bike from your model lineup, give it fancy graphics and a handful of shiny accouterments, and call it a tribute to someone who may or may not have had a vague connection to your brand at some point. But this was not always the status quo.
There was a time when special editions were truly special—like the iconic Ducati 900 MHR. Based on the Ducati 900 Supersport, the ‘Mike Hailwood Replica’ celebrated the racer’s legendary 1978 Isle of Man TT comeback with race replica bodywork, and sought-after upgrades like bigger Dell’Orto carbs, Brembo brakes and Conti silencers. It sold like hotcakes.
The Ducati MHR Mille followed a few years later, with an improved 973 cc motor making 76 horsepower, an electric starter, a hydraulically actuated clutch, and a whole whack of other improvements.…