The ex-works, Mike Hailwood, 1960 Ducati 125cc Desmodromic 'Barcone' Grand Prix Racing Motorcycle

• Acquired by Stan Hailwood directly from the Ducati factory
• In-period racing history
• Known ownership history
• Part of the Forshaw Family Collection for 41 years

Ducati's first Grand Prix single was the 125cc Bialbero (Double Overhead Camshaft). This offered improved performance over the single-overhead-camshaft Marianna, but reliability was questionable at high revs. Valve-to-piston clearance was critical with the higher compression ratios now required, compounded by the problem of valve float and the wide included valve angle of 80 degrees. During his days at university, Taglioni had shown interest in desmodromic, or positive valve actuation, and had proposed such a system while at Mondial in 1953. Mondial's conservative Count Boselli would not permit Taglioni to pursue this path, but it was different at Ducati. Almost as soon as he joined the company he began to work on a desmodromic cylinder head for the Gran Sport, and during 1955 produced the first desmodromic prototype. Taglioni's faith in the concept was also reassured by the success of the desmodromic Mercedes W196 Grand Prix and 300 SLR sports cars during 1954 and 1955.

Unlike the Mercedes desmodromic system that used a single overhead camshaft with scissor rockers operating the valves, Taglioni went for a triple overhead camshaft (Trialbero) layout with two outside opening camshafts (like the Bialbero), and a central camshaft closing the valves through forked rockers. This was provided with vernier adjustment for precise cam timing. Light closing rocker return springs were initially fitted but later discarded when it was found they were unnecessary, with the risk of broken springs also causing damage. The actual cylinder head design was similar to the Bialbero, with a 31mm inlet and 27mm exhaust valve set, still set at the wide 80 degree included angle, but the Desmo had considerably higher valve lift with 8.1mm inlet and 7.4mm exhaust. Drive to the three camshafts was the usual straight-cut bevel gear and 15mm vertical shaft, but the shaft was waisted to vary the engine's torque characteristics. A shaft diameter of 11mm (the safe minimum) provided peak torque at 8,000 rpm while a shaft diameter of 14.8mm (maximum) gave a higher torque peak. With the narrower shaft retarding the valve timing in relation to piston position this was an early form of variable valve timing. The crown wheel on the central camshaft was pressed into the large diameter central spur gear, but as this sometimes broke, welding later supplemented the press fit.

The original Desmo had a single 14mm Lodge spark plug but an additional 10mm plug on the right soon supplemented this. Like the Bialbero, there was no generator and ignition was total loss with two 3-volt coils. As the combustion chamber design was arguably obsolete, early single-plug examples required considerable ignition advance of 42 degrees, but the twin-plug ignition enabled this to be cut back to a more reasonable 36 degrees. The inlet port was 27mm and carburetion generally by a 27mm Dell'Orto, increased to 29mm for fast circuits or reduced to 23 or even 22mm on tighter tracks. Initial power output was only marginally increased over the Bialbero at 17 horsepower at 12,500rpm, but with a much higher safety margin. The little Desmo could be run to 14,000rpm on the overrun, assisting engine braking, but necessitating continual crankshaft replacement.

Below the cylinder head the early desmodromic engine was virtually identical to the Bialbero, with a five-speed gearbox (fifth gear still inside the primary drive case), and a bore and stroke of 55.25x52mm. The sand-cast crankcases still featured a blanked-off kick-start boss and shared the Bialbero engine number sequence. The cast (not forged) three-ring piston provided a compression ratio of 10:1 and there was a similar 107mm steel con-rod, with a 16mm gudgeon and stepped crankpin: 30mm on the rollers and 25mm at the ends. The big-end bearing cage was steel with the crankshaft flywheels forged integrally with the mainshaft and heavily machined. Unlike the Bialbero, the ball main bearings were an axial thrust type, loaded by a large star washer between the drive-side bearing and flywheel. The earliest Desmo engines were installed in a chassis that was similar to the Bialbero but incorporated additional lower strengthening tubes under the engine. The brakes were magnesium Amadoro, with large lower cooling intakes for the Nardi-designed dustbin fairing used in 1956.

Ducati's goal at the beginning of 1956 was to acquit themselves at the Nations Grand Prix at Monza in September so in preparation for this important event the desmo's debut took place unannounced at the non-championship Swedish Grand Prix at Hedemora on 15th July 1956. In the hands of Taglioni's star rider Degli Antoni, the Desmo easily won the 125cc race. By the 14th lap Degli Antoni had overtaken the entire field, winning at an average speed of 84.45 mph with a fastest lap of 87.56 mph. Not only was Taglioni's desmodromic system vindicated, a host of private MVs and Mondials was soundly beaten in the process.

This was when disaster struck. On 7th August 1956 during testing at Monza prior to the Nations Grand Prix, Degli Antoni lost control rounding the Lesmo curve and was killed. Although Alberto Gandossi was drafted in as a replacement, the pall cast by Degli Antoni's death proved too much and the three desmos were swamped by Ubbiali's MV in the race. Artusi came 4th and Gandossi 7th, but it was obvious that the team was disillusioned. Although the Desmo would be raced in Italian events during 1957, it was decided to wait until 1958 before seriously attempting Grands Prix.

1957 Desmodromic 125

Over the winter of 1956/57 Taglioni managed to increase the power of the 125 Desmo to 18 horsepower, still at 12,500rpm. Earlier he had also produced a 100cc (49.4x58 mm) Marianna-based version in preparation for 1957, the final year of the Italian Formula 2 class. Bruno Spaggiari first raced this at Modena in October 1956, and with an 11:1 compression ratio it produced 12 horsepower at 13,000 rpm. Unfaired, the top speed was around 140 km/h and in the hands of Franco Farnè the 100 Desmo dominated the 1957 Italian Junior Championship.

During 1957 Taglioni continued to develop the 125 desmo, now with forged Mahle pistons (with strengthening ribs). These retained two compression rings and a single scraper, and included deep valve inserts. Nimonic valves were introduced to improve reliability, and the power increased 19 horsepower at 13,000rpm. This was the final year for dustbin fairings and the little Desmo single gained a long, hand-beaten, aluminium streamlined tail and a revised tank. During the 1957 season a new duplex cradle frame was developed also and Bruno Spaggiari had considerable success in Italian events. This early version featured widely splayed downtubes with the right downtube running outside the exhaust pipe. The Nations Grand Prix at Monza was the only Grand Prix outing for the desmos that year, but this again was a disappointment. On the first lap Gandossi fell, bringing down a third of the field in the process.

1958 Desmodromic 125

With the retirement of Moto Guzzi, Mondial, and Gilera at the end of 1957, the 1958 Grand Prix season shaped up as a contest between Ducati and MV. Carlo Ubbiali and reigning champion Tarquinio Provini were formidable opponents and in April Ducati announced a 14-man team. This year there were Senior and Junior Championships in Italy, with Farnè leading the assault on the Junior title and Spaggiari and Gandossi attempting the Senior. For the Grands Prix the team would be expanded to include Ferri, Francesco Villa, Luigi Taveri, Dave Chadwick, and for the Isle of Man, Sammy Miller. For 1958 the Desmo single featured new crankcases, strengthened at the rear to provide a support for the twin rear engine plates. Some were also six-speed, with the extra gear sandwiched with the fifth gear between the clutch and gearbox wall. To finally solve the problem of gears breaking in the cylinder head Taglioni introduced a triangular nylon insert in the central gear, claiming to absorb vibration without allowing angular movement that would affect the valve timing. Development during the season resulted in the single-cylinder 125 Desmo, according to Taglioni, achieving 23 horsepower at 12,500rpm, an impressive 14.72 hp/litre/1000rpm, and only marginally behind the desmodromic twin developed concurrently. The 125 Desmo singles were extremely reliable during 1958, and the valves remained unchanged during the entire season. Taglioni said: "For every race, however, we did have to replace the piston and big-end roller cage. This, and the top piston ring, were the most critical, primarily due to the high rpm."

The season began promisingly with Gandossi, and Spaggiari convincingly beating the MVs in the opening rounds of the Senior Italian Championship at Modena and Ravenna in April. Farnè won at Riccione and Taveri at the Saar Grand Prix at St. Wendel in Germany in early May, beating the factory MZs of Ernst Degner and Horst Fugner. Farnè continued with success on both the 100 and 125 desmo, ultimately winning the Junior Italian 125cc Championship, while Spaggiari took the Senior Italian 125cc Championship.

The first World Championship event was at the Isle of Man on 4th June, staged on the shorter 10.79-mile Clypse Circuit. Unfortunately, Gandossi was sidelined following a road bike accident, but the speed of the desmos was evident with Taveri leading until his piston rings broke (a continual problem with the high revving desmo). Ubbiali's brilliance gave him victory on the MV, but he was chased home by the desmos of Ferri, Chadwick and Miller. Post race strip downs confirmed that while Taveri's machine was six-speed, all the other desmos were five-speed.

At the next round, the Dutch TT at Assen, Taveri battled with Ubbiali, only to be beaten by 0.2 seconds at the finish. However, Ducatis filled out six places in the top ten and showed they were a real force in Grand Prix racing. This event also marked the Grand Prix debut of Mike Hailwood on the ex-Fron Purslow Bialbero, and he finished an impressive 10th. A new higher-lift camshaft for the ultra-fast Belgian Grand Prix in July gave the Desmo the extra speed over the MV, and Gandossi provided Ducati their first Grand Prix victory. Averaging 157.860 km/h, Gandossi led Ferri in 2nd, Chadwick in 4ht, and Taveri in 6th. The MVs were truly outclassed and it had been a magnificent day for Ducati.

Unfortunately, the 1958 Grand Prix season was marked by misfortune and injury. Spaggiari injured himself in a crash in the Italian Senior Championship race at Alessandria in June, and at the next Grand Prix at the Nürburgring Ferri also crashed badly, sustaining multiple fractures that prematurely ended his racing career. During the Grand Prix, Taveri's Desmo broke its crankshaft and Gandossi's threw a con-rod. The MVs were back on top, at least until the next Grand Prix at Hedemora in Sweden.

At the same venue where Degli Antoni had provided a stunning debut victory, again the desmos were invincible. Gandossi led Taveri home at 146 km/h, 10 km/h faster than Degli Antoni's speed only two years earlier. Taglioni's little Desmo had come a long way in a short time and Gandossi went into the penultimate Grand Prix at Ulster in August still with a chance of winning the title. In mist and rain Gandossi leap away, only to crash at Leathemstown. Although Gandossi remounted to finish fourth, Ubbiali won the championship. It was not so much that Ducati had lost, but Ubbiali had won.

With the World Championship lost, Ducati then went to the final Grand Prix at Monza on 5th September determined to at least gain some national kudos. A huge effort was made, with Franco Villa debuting the new 125 Desmo twin, and Desmo singles provided to Gandossi, Taveri, Chadwick, and Spaggiari (returning from injury). Continual development to the singles saw more sculptured crankcases and a dual cradle frame with the rear engine mount held by tubes rather than metal plates. According to Bruno Spaggiari: "Monza 1958 was my first Grand Prix and the first time I rode a six-speed desmo." He also said one of the revised, large crankcase six-speed machines (Barcone) was available but this is unlikely for 1958 and he was probably referring to 1959. In the race Spaggiari rode the ex-Ferri machine and the Nations Grand Prix at Monza was a memorable day for him. In front of 100,000 enthusiastic spectators he led Ducatis home in the first five places. The mighty MVs were humiliated and Spaggiari won at an average speed of 155.828 km/h. For Taglioni and his racing team it was a spectacular way to end the season.

1959 Desmodromic 125

Emphasis on developing the production range of overhead-camshaft singles saw a considerably reduced racing effort for the 1959 season. Some of the 1958 factory desmos were fitted with Bialbero cylinder heads and sold to privateers, with Desmo singles loaned to a selection of riders for various events, notably Mike Hailwood. Mike's wealthy father Stan had purchased a 125 Bialbero from Fron Purslow during 1958, and after Mike won three races later in the British season Stan visited Italy and arranged to take over the distribution of Ducati motorcycles in England. In return he was able to obtain a pair of factory 125 Desmo singles, and the services of mechanic Oscar Folesani, for the 1959 Grand Prix season. Soon after receiving the Desmo single Hailwood rode it to victory at Snetterton on 29th March, the first win in England by a desmodromic Ducati. He followed this with 15 victories in England that year to easily win the British ACU 125 Championship.

For 1959 all the Desmo singles were six-speed, and initially Hailwood had two 1958 models (the ex-Ferri Nations GP winner and Taveri's) with a double cradle frame. Both employed twin plug ignition and a 29mm Dell'Orto SSI carburettor. Apart from Hailwood, Desmo singles were also supplied to Spaggiari and Walter Villa. Ken Kavanagh and Alberto Pagani received Bialberos, Kavanagh the special six-speed version with a vertical cylinder. He was also provided a Desmo cylinder head and factory mechanic for selected events, in particular for the Finnish Grand Prix in May where he won the 125cc race. At the Isle of Man TT, again held on the shorter Clypse circuit, Hailwood and Villa turned up with Desmo twins, but Hailwood opted to race the single. Spaggiari and Kavanagh also had Desmo singles, but they were outpaced by Provini's MV and Taveri's MZ. Hailwood finished third, at 72.15mph, while Spaggiari retired.

Hailwood, Spaggiari, and Villa again rode Desmo singles at the next Grand Prix at Hockenheim, but again, despite Hailwood's efforts the single was overwhelmed by the MVs. Hailwood again came 3rd, with Villa and Spaggiari behind. When Hailwood set the fastest practice lap for the Dutch TT he looked set to win his first Grand Prix, leading the race before succumbing to piston problems, the cast pistons suffering from stress fractures. He finished third yet again, although Spaggiari came second. At Spa the following weekend Hailwood's piston broke, and at the Swedish Grand Prix he rode the 125 twin hoping for more speed, but reverted to the single at the next Grand Prix at Ulster. As the MVs failed to arrive in time, Hailwood won his first Grand Prix after a race-long dice with Gary Hocking and the MZ. His race average was 131.838 km/h. Although he could only manage eighth at the final Grand Prix at Monza, Hailwood finished third in the 125 World Championship.

1960 Desmodromic 125 'Barcone'

At the end of 1959 Ducati ceased their official involvement in Grand Prix racing and Stan Hailwood managed to acquire a new Barcone Desmo single D1 (with another later in the season), and commissioned Taglioni to build two 250 twins and a 350 twin. (Bonhams sold one of the former at its Stafford sale in April 2017: Lot 218.) Ducati again provided the mechanic Folesani, specifically to help with the preparation of the under-developed twins. Built during the winter, the Barcone 125 was the final development of the single cylinder Desmo and conceived to eventually become a full 250cc. The Barcone, or Barge, was distinguished by a boat-like crankcase with a narrow, finless sump and an integral six-speed gearbox, the cylinder still inclined forward, unlike Kavanagh's similar double-overhead-camshaft non-desmo Bialbero. Known engine numbers are D1, D3 and D4, with presumably another, D2, raced by Franco Farnè in Italian events. In an interview in 1998 Fabio Taglioni told the writer they produced "three or four prototype Desmo singles after 1958."

Fabricated to maintain accurate fork alignment, the new frame featured a single downtube, splitting into a double cradle underneath the engine. A welded-on chrome moly strip reinforced the front and rear surfaces of the front member and all acute angles were gusseted for extra strength in a high precision jig. The rear subframe was also additionally supported by a single long straight diagonal tube on each side. Factory data released for the Barcone in 1962 stated that the maximum power was 21.8 horsepower at 11,800rpm and the engine should run to 12,200rpm in sixth gear. Maximum rpm was 12,500. The valve timing was inlet opening 65 degrees before top dead centre and closing 75 degrees after bottom dead centre, with the exhaust opening 75 degrees before bottom dead centre and closing 55 degrees after top dead centre. Even with twin spark plugs the ignition advance was 47-50 degrees. The factory also provided a specific instruction sheet (copy on file) for the use of the 125 Desmo. Recommendations included: "Before starting ensure the sump contains 1.75-2 litres of Castrol R20. Do not use R50 unless absolutely necessary and only when reheated to 80 degrees before filling the sump. Warm the engine on Lodge RL47 or 49 at 5- 8,000rpm, replacing with RL51 and 10R 250 for racing. Do not use an open throttle under 9,000rpm and only use Super fuel of an octane rating of 100, not Benzine AVIO above 100 octane. We point out to you the motor is very sensitive to carburetion and the cylinder head needs to be stripped and cleaned every three to four races. It was advised to send the engine back to the factory at the end of the racing season to replace the cylinder and piston because this is a difficult operation and we have specialists and special tools to do this job."

The first Barcone single (D1) arrived at Hailwood's Ecurie Sportive early in 1960, with another (D3) provided for Kavanagh at the Isle of Man. Hailwood's team installed a taller fuel tank and more thickly padded seat, and he immediately won nine 125 races prior to the Isle of Man TT. Hailwood was reported as being delighted with the revised 125 as it was much improved over the previous version. At the Isle of Man, Hailwood had three temperamental Ducati twins in their developmental stages to contend with, electing to race the Barcone single in the 125 race, but crashed on the first lap.

After the Isle of Man the factory Barcone Desmo raced by Kavanagh (D3) at the TT also ended up with Ecurie Sportive where it joined Hailwood's first 125 Barcone (D1). After the Isle of Man crash it appears D1 received a new front fork and brakes. At some stage an earlier Amadoro with lower air scoops replaced the original Amadoro. As the spokes had pulled out of the rear wheel, an Oldani brake was fitted. D1 was used for British short circuit events, with D3 prepared for Grands Prix. According to Hailwood's mechanic Jim Adams in a conversation in 1999, it was standard practice for Ecurie Sportive to duplicate machinery and D1 was easily recognised by the shorter front mudguard with specific bracing. Photographs confirm that D1 was ridden by Hailwood to victory in the 125cc race at Oulton Park on 1st August 1960 and also the 200cc race at Brands Hatch on 21st August 1960. While the single was still competitive on British short circuits, it was totally outclassed in GPs. At the Dutch Grand Prix Hailwood finished eighth, and he elected to ride the 125 twin at Spa. Hailwood's final international event on the single was at Zaragoza in Spain in October, where he won the 125 race. In England, Hailwood and the Barcone proved a formidable combination and several more victories enabled him to take the British 125cc Championship. This was presumably on D1 but cannot be verified.

From 1961 Ducati ended their official racing involvement, and Fanco Farnè was now entered under the Scuderia Farnè-Stanzano banner. For one of the most important events on the calendar, the Imola Gold Cup in April, Farnè rode the Barcone (presumably D2) to a spectacular victory ahead of the factory Honda twins of Tom Phillis and Jim Redman. Farnè lapped the entire field up to and including fourth, and Honda was so impressed with the speed of the Desmo single they developed a Desmodromic head for their 125 twin. This appeared at Modena in 1962 ridden by Luigi Taveri but subsequently disappeared. Unfortunately Farnè was unable to capitalise on the Imola success and was beaten by Francesco Villa's Mondial for the Italian 125 Championship. The fourth Barcone, D4, was raced in France by Eric Offenstadt and is currently in the Ducati Museum. However, with the racing programme severely curtailed and development stalled, the 125 single-cylinder Desmo gradually became uncompetitive.

At the end of 1960 Mike Hailwood signed with Honda, and his stable of Ducatis was superfluous. The ex-Kavanagh TT Barcone (D3) was loaned to Fron Purslow and ridden by Taveri, Purslow, Percy Tait and Arthur Wheeler during 1961. Tait won the British Championship race at Oulton Park in August. Arthur Wheeler rode a 125 Ducati to a victory at Snetterton in October 1961 and Thruxton in April 1962, and as he rode D3 at the Isle of Man in June 1961 this was also possibly on D3. Stan Hailwood sold the Barcone D3 to Alan Dugdale in 1962, and eventually it found its way to Bob Schanz of Domiracer in Cincinnati, USA in 1964, passing to Cycle magazine editor Phil Schilling a few years later.

Stan Hailwood sold the other Barcone (D1) to Bill Smith in Chester in late 1961. It still retained the larger tank; the revised fork with small front mudguard; the Oldani rear brake; and the low scoop Amadoro front brake. The fairing was a replacement glassfibre type, presumably because the original aluminium fairing was damaged in the Isle of Man crash. Bill Smith sold D1 to Kevin Hodgkinson who raced it at Aintree, the Tandragee 100 in Northern Ireland, and his local circuit, Oulton Park. Hodgkinson sold D1 either late 1963 or in 1964, in one account it was part exchanged with Syd Lawton for a 250cc Aermacchi racer. In another account the £50 proceeds went towards the purchase of a Jaguar close-ratio gearbox.

D1 was with Dick Isles at Whittakers Motorcycles in Blackpool when Norman Pickup, a Manchester-based racing bike collector, purchased it. Paul Ingham (the well known UK collector of racing machinery) has confirmed that Isles and Pickup definitely knew each other and that he saw D1 at Pickup's sometime around 1976-78 south of Manchester - presumably Mobberley, Cheshire. Pickup later relocated to Poole in Dorset, and in the early 1980s sold five racing motorcycles to Captain Ivan Forshaw. Captain Forshaw was known throughout the world through his company specializing in early Lagondas and Aston Martins, but also had a passion for motorcycles (Bonhams most recently sold the collection of speedway machines he and his son Richard had assembled together). The Ducati was offered with tools and spares and priced at £4,500. Captain Forshaw died aged 95 years in 2006 and D1 has remained in the family collection until now.

Included in the sale is a selection of correspondence, including the aforementioned instruction sheet (copy in Italian and a handwritten copy in English); a box of tools and spares; assorted black and white photographs; and an Ian Falloon Report. The Ducati is offered in 'as found' and untouched condition, and offers the successful buyer the unrepeatable opportunity to carefully preserve and conserve a significant piece of the legendary Mike Hailwood's history.

Bonhams would like to thank renowned Ducati authority Ian Falloon for providing the foregoing description.