Most custom builders start with a donor bike and grinder in hand. Bandit9’s Daryl Villanueva seems to start with a donor bike and a block of clay. The Saigon-based studio has spent more than a decade shaping motorcycles that land in museum collections as often as garages, including the hand-formed Ducati 821 build we’ve covered before. Now that rolling sculpture has picked up a cause, teaming with Bono’s (RED) organization to create the Bandit9 (RED) 800.
Where the Paint Runs Out
Bandit9 hand-paints each fuel tank in a gradient that starts as deep Racing Red up front, then thins out as it sweeps rearward until there’s nothing left but raw, hand-brushed aluminum.
And because every fade is applied by hand, no two of the nine bikes will wear it the same way. Underneath the paint, the bodywork remains one continuous hand-shaped unibody, flowing from nose to tail without a visible break in the line.
The Ducati Bits Still Bite
Beneath all that metalwork sits Ducati’s 821cc Testastretta L-twin, good for 110 horsepower and 65.8 lb-ft of torque. In a machine weighing just 386 pounds dry, that’s enough for a 3.3-second run to 60 mph and a 125-mph top end.
The rest of the hardware holds up its end of the bargain, too. A custom tubular steel trellis frame with cast aluminum sections anchors the build, while Sachs suspension and Brembo monobloc radial calipers with ABS handle the soaking and stopping.
Doing the (RED) Math
Now, about that partnership. (RED), co-founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver, funnels money from branded products (you’ve seen the red iPhones) into the fight against AIDS and other preventable diseases.
Bandit9 pledges 100 percent of proceeds from every (RED) 800 to the cause, and the brand defines that figure in writing as a fixed $14,000 per motorcycle. Sell all nine, and that’s $126,000 headed toward life-saving healthcare programs from a bike that was already a work of art.
Spec Sheet
Model: Bandit9 (RED) 800
Engine: 821cc Ducati Testastretta L-twin
Power: 110 BHP
Torque: 65.8 lb-ft
0-60 MPH: 3.3 seconds
Top Speed: 125 MPH
Dry Weight: 386 lbs
Frame: Custom tubular steel trellis with cast aluminum
Suspension: 43mm Sachs front, adjustable Sachs rear
Brakes: Dual 320mm Brembo monobloc front, 245mm rear, ABS
Limited Edition: Yes, 9 units
Pricing & Availability
The Bandit9 (RED) 800 is priced at $49,900 and limited to just 9 examples worldwide, each made to order with a build time of 8 to 12 months. Notably, that’s the exact same sticker Bandit9 currently asks for its standard Ducati 821, meaning the (RED) treatment (and the $14,000 donation) carries no upcharge whatsoever. Head over to Bandit9’s website to claim one of the nine.
Recap
Bandit9 (RED) 800
Bandit9 fades its hand-built Ducati custom from Racing Red into raw brushed aluminum, with $14,000 from each of the nine builds going to (RED).
