The Ducati Supermono is usually pure unobtainium, with only 65 units built between 1993 and 1995. They seem to be mostly garage queens that get swapped between collectors and have appeared on RSBFS less than 10 times since the inception of the site.
As Tad D wrote back in June of this year,
“The Supermono may only have one cylinder, but it is one of the most valuable and collectible Ducatis of the modern era. And while the Supermono may lack in displacement somewhat when compared to what we’re used to seeing these days, it’s a heart-attack serious machine. With a dry weight of only 267 pounds and suspended with the best kit money could buy, including brakes from the 888, a much heavier machine. And those funny, army-green top triple clamp and the engine cases? They’re magnesium of course. And at the heart of it all, a 549cc single that started out making 65bhp at 10,500rpm.”
Supermonos usually trade around 100-150k and are more commonly seen at auction sites like Bonhams than on ebay or craigslist. So the odds of two being for sale at the same time on the same website (Ebay) are pretty high. Now add to that the odds of a supermono engine also being up for sale at the same time on the same website and I think we should be looking for a Zamboni driven by a guy named Beezelbub to make an appearance sometime soon. In any case, here they are in all their glory for us to enjoy and who knows, maybe be bought by a RSBFS reader!
– – – – – – – – – –
SUPERMONO #14 – Location, Italy
The first supermono is listed as a 1995 model with the 570 engine and is a very recent relist here on RSBFS. It is located in Italy and the seller indicates it is number 14 and has never been started. Interestingly, there do appear to be some small cracks around the bodywork. It last sold for 145k USD but apparently the seller fell through.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
SUPERMONO#22 – Location, Dallas TX, USA
The second supermono is listed as a 1993 model but has a higher serial number (22) than the one in Italy which is a bit odd. It is located in Dallas Texas and the seller indicates it has gone through a recent rebuild and includes numerous extra parts. Price will probably be slightly less than the 145,000 for the one in Italy given that its had a rebuild but it I expect it still be north of 110k.
NOTE: I am currently working up in DFW and will be going to see this bike this weekend. This will be the 2nd Supermono I have had the opportunity to see in person, the other being out at FayMeyers in Colorado. Gotta get my drool backet back out of storage I guess – Marty/Dallaslavowner
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
SUPERMONO ENGINE
Interesting, the same seller in Dallas TX USA of number 22 is also offering a supermono engine, most likely the original from the supermono being sold. Seller indicates rebuild is complete but asking price is 55k (yikes!). Then again if you are spending 100k+ on a motorcycle anyways, money probably isn’t a big factor in your life and it might be good to have some stock parts tucked away.
-Marty/Dallaslavowner
Correct me if I’m wrong but the engine number in the ad for the second bike appears to end in 22 so I’m guessing it is the original engine?
Did you see a seriel number on the engine? I didnt see one anywhere. But yeah, I am willing to bet that the engine being sold is the original engine from bike #22.
I realized after I wrote the post that bike #22 was offered for sale back in feb of this year and was even listed on RSBFS. Not sure why it needed a rebuild.
Here was the link to the original sale of #22 back in Feb of this year
https://evu.hhv.mybluehost.me/raresportsbikesforsale/uber-rare-1993-ducati-supermono-22/
SUPERMONO,….ONE OF THE COOLEST BIKES ON THE PLANET……..ROCK ‘N ROLL…!!!!!
Weren’t these like $15K bikes a dozen years ago?
No, they weren’t. You’re confusing this model with something else. Supermonos originally were $40K, and I can’t remember ever seeing one available below that- they’ve gone nowhere but up in value. They never seemed to depreciate for a while like most collectible race bikes. They’re amazingly cool, but I never expected them to reach such high prices so relatively soon.
The Italian supermono had a lower number becuse when they start to sell the 570cc model they renumbered them from #1.
The #14 is more rare(yes it is possible) than the #22 because only 27 Supermono 570 were made.
Pic number 6 I thought may be the engine number as it looks like its in the sump, pic number 10 appears to be on the frame. Looks like both are the same though so not sure whether engine/vin are same/similar or vin/chassis is on their twice.
Pic number 6 appears be the engine number as it looks like its on the sump, pic number 10 looks to be on the frame. Both start with ZDM while the engine is then 550W4 vin chassis is 550R.
It is not unheard of for these types of sales to be shills for future auction attempts. $115,000 collectible race bikes do not need to be sold on eBay – the only people even remotely interested in buying these already know who has them and sales/purchase requests will be made directly.
These fake eBay listings are just that – they bolster future reserve auction prices and allow for insurance appraisals to be backed with ‘historic pricing data.
I am sorry, but anyone believing that the seller is hoping for a lucky sale as someone is trolling eBay looking for Ducati foot pegs and happens to come across a $100K+ auction for a Supermono and then decides to make a spur of the moment purchase is a moron.
AMS and Jeff Nash are well known in the Ducati, and Supermono, circles. While they may be using it as easy additional advertising, I wouldn’t call it a ‘shill for future auction’. These were going privately for $75-100k a few years ago. An opening bid of $100k, that isn’t met isn’t unreasonable.
With how few of these they made, they’re worth whatever the next guy is willing to pay.
Pretty much the point of my post. The sellers and collectors belong a to small well known community – these bikes don’t need eBay to sell them – and yes, the price is exactly what the next guy will pay – placing the onus on the current owner to prove future value. Past sales is the only real estimate of future value and the rarer the item, the fewer the number of previous sales to call on.
100K for such a commodity is not a lot of money at all – but the pool of real potential buyers is very small.
Wow, at those prices you’d think Ducati would start making them again….
Saw this bike in person a couple of weeks ago. Met with Jeff, the owner of Advanced Motor Sports in Dallas. He has one of the largest collections of Supermono’s and experience racing and rebuilding these rare bikes. The one shown for sale is in superb condition. Jeff is an upfront guy and purveyor of Ducati’s. Trust him.
Your comments about the utility of ebay is wrong. I am a collector, and yes,many of us talk to one another about bikes for sale. But ebay reaches a massive audience that I will never be able to replicate with my extensive list of contacts. There are guys in remote parents of the world, Japan, Australia, etc, and that is how we get the word to them about our bikes for sale. Jeff Nash is doing exactly what he needs to do to reach the largest seller market. These are not fronts to push the price higher. I know most of the Supermonos that have sold in the past five years and they all sold for in the neighborhood of $100k.
Sure.
A random collector looking for a Supermono will randomly hit the buy it now for a $100K bike because he stumbled across the listing. *sarcastically rolls eyes*
I mean collectors normally shop for super limited edition rare 100K+ objects d’art blindly on eBay.
I think Phil & RC45 should live together, before they get married…………………………………….
^^ Comment of the month LOL!
-dc