The unique preseason test crash helmet used by Valentino Rossi in 2007 will be auctioned this week using MotoGP Authentics.
Valentino Rossi is one of the most iconic names in Italian legends, winning nine world titles in a career spanning 1996-2021, and remains to this day.
The former Honda, Yamaha and Ducati riders were known for their many one-off helmet designs and liver.
An example of the auction comes from a 2007 preseason test, when Rossi was riding on the Yamaha team at the factory.
Excalibur helmet belonging to Valentino Rossi at auction
Valentino Rossi
The black helmet runs over Excalibur – a sword belonging to King Arthur of the Myth – and the Yamaha logo is engraved on the handle.
The helmet was intended as a statement from Rossi after his defeat to Nikki Hayden in the 2006 Championship Battle.
The design was to represent Rossi’s ambition to regain his throne in 2007 as a legitimate MotoGP champion.
However, it didn’t pan out as Ducati’s Casey Stoner continued to dominate the 2007 season due to the first of two world titles in the premier class.
Rossi was also settled in 2008, facing an investigation by Italian authorities on tax evasion.
The “Excalibur” helmet, which was used in the real test, will be auctioned on Tuesday, August 12th, and will run for two weeks.
There is no estimate of how much helmets will be sold, but the starting bid is set at 5,000 euros.
Other items to get at the latest MotoGP Authentics auction include the signed Aleix Espargaro Crash-Damaged Test Helmet and the 2024 ASPAR MOTO2 bike from Jake Dixon.
The Carex Machine is the bike that Dixon won the UK Grand Prix last year and is currently running with a starting bid of 10,000 euros.