MIKE HAILWOOD 1966 HONDAMike Hailwood raced this Honda RC173 350cc 4 to six victories during the 1966 championship, snatching the title from Giacomo Agostini. Now it's up for auction.The year is 1966. Eleanor Rigby is playing on the radio, the Space Race is in full swing, and a young, talented Giacomo Agostini was keen to show the world he had what it takes to be unequivocally known as the best. But there was a problem for Agostini, and it came in the form of the last great playboy-rockstar motorcycle racer, Mike Hailwood.Back in '66, Hailwood, the five-time and reigning World Champion, with eight Isle of Man TT victories to his name, just jumped ship from MV Agusta to Honda. The Japanese manufacturer built a bike especially for Hailwood so that he could compete in the 350cc World Championship alongside his 250cc and 500cc campaigns; that bike was the Honda RC173 350cc 4, and now it can be yours.The 1966 Factory Honda RC173 raced by the legend himself is up for auction by Iconic Auctioneers and is expected to fetch between £750,000 and £950,000 ($1,015,038 and $1,285,715). If you think that sounds expensive for a grand prix bike, you'd be half right.screenshot-2026-08-28-at-85943pmPhoto by: Iconic AuctioneersAll Things Mike HailwoodRare 1960 Ducati 125cc Mike Hailwood Race Bike About To Go To AuctionRemembering Mike Hailwood 40 Years After His DeathAdvertisementAdvertisementBack in 2024, a Ducati Desmosedici GP3 and a Desmosedici GP7, piloted by Loris Capirossi and Casey Stoner, respectively, were auctioned off for a combined total of $700,000. But to compare Hailwood's bike to one of these more modern monsters isn't comparing apples with apples, because it's not about the capability; it's about the history, and we don't need to look further than the fact that a 1965 MV Agusta 500 GP, which was ridden by either Hailwood or Agostini, maybe both, went for more than $1,300,000 earlier this year.Hailwood took the 1966 350 championship aboard the Honda RC173 350cc 4, which was the penultimate motorcycle GP season of his storied career.Following the end of the 1966 season, he retained the bike, racing it again in 1967 at selected invitation races, including Mallory Park and Oulton Park. To say this bike's new owner will have a piece of history seems like an understatement. But, as historic as this motorcycle is, it's ready to ride; Honda restored it to original condition, and it's presented in running order. What I'd give to see this bike out on a racetrack once more.
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