Ducati presents the Desmo450 MX, marking the debut of its first motocross bike. This bike is born from the philosophy that has always guided Ducati: experimenting and testing solutions in racing competitions to implement them in production bikes, building on the experience gained by Ducati Corse in MotoGP and Superbike.
Thanks to this approach and a careful analysis of the segment, competitors, and the technical regulations of FIM and AMA, Ducati has created a light and reliable bike with a high-performance Desmodromic distribution engine and electronic equipment that sets the benchmark in the category. The Desmo450 MX is thus capable of enhancing the riding skills of both professional and amateur riders, providing the confidence needed to push their limits further. Due to its engine power delivery, chassis, and innovative electronics, this bike offers high performance while requiring reduced physical effort.
The Desmo450 MX is the first model in a complete range of specialist off-road bikes, designed to introduce the Borgo Panigale company to new terrains, connect with new motorcyclists, and expand the Ducatisti community. To prepare to welcome all future knobby-wheeled Ducatisti into the family, Ducati has trained a selection of its dealers to ensure the highest level of professionalism and expertise in a segment completely new to the Borgo Panigale company.
“Over the past 18 months many people have asked me why Ducati decided to enter the world of professional off-road racing. The answer is simple: Ducati is a healthy company that generates resources, therefore has the opportunity to grow by opening up to a new segment of enthusiasts,” said Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding. “We looked around, searching for the important uniqueness of our corporate culture and finding the one that I believe characterizes Ducati like perhaps no other company: the closeness between the world of racing and the world of production motorbikes. And discovering, at the same time, that we have an incredible resource within us in the form of so many off-road enthusiasts in the various departments. All this has allowed us to present the Desmo450 MX today: an easy, high-performance bike, for amateurs and professionals alike, which we will constantly develop through sporting activity at the highest levels, supporting it thanks to a sales network that speaks the language of motocross enthusiasts and truly understands all their needs.”
The Desmo450 MX features a single-cylinder 449.6 cc engine with Desmodromic distribution and stands out in the specialist off-road landscape. It offers the ability to maximize every gear ratio at the start and through corners, thanks to its particularly favorable power delivery, which combines torque at low and medium revs with impressive over-rev capabilities.
The lightweight aluminum frame is designed to minimize welds, enhancing the solidity, lightness, and rigidity of the structure. These design choices proved immediately successful in the race with Alessandro Lupino, who became the national champion after winning the first race of the MX1 Italian Championship. The races helped define the bike that will go into production in mid-April and will serve as the best test bench for the ongoing development of the Desmo450 MX and all models that will become part of the range.
The Desmo450 MX also marks a milestone in the segment regarding electronics. It is the world’s first motocross bike equipped with Traction Control that can accurately assess rear wheel slippage (patent pending). This system recognizes the riding conditions in which it should not activate to avoid limiting the bike’s performance. Finally, the Desmo450 MX Traction Control can be quickly deactivated by the rider in situations requiring maximum engine output, and it will automatically reactivate shortly after.
The bike, available for order from selected dealers, will arrive in Europe starting in June, followed by its launch in the United States and the rest of the world.
The design of the Desmo450 MX started from the engine, which features Desmodromic distribution, the same system used on all Ducati racing bikes, including MotoGP. This characteristic provides several advantages to the Desmo450 MX, chief among them the ability to operate the engine at very high revs, which enhances the likelihood of starting faster than competitors at the gate and winning the coveted Holeshot award given to the rider who exits the first corner first. This award was claimed by the two official riders, Seewer and Guadagnini, in their debut race in the Motocross World Championship in Argentina, utilizing a production engine equipped solely with the complete Akrapovič exhaust, the same one that Ducati offers to every enthusiast through its Performance catalog.
The Desmo450 MX also delivers a strong torque curve at low revs, ensuring abundant power out of corners, with a linear delivery and unprecedented acceleration for its category. This distinctive power delivery curve provides the rider with 70% of the maximum torque at just 4,200 rpm, making the Desmo450 MX less demanding and tiring than a traditional 450, which greatly benefits track performance and riding enjoyment. This capability stems from the Desmodromic distribution, which reduces the energy required to open the valves, enabling more aggressive lift profiles even with larger valve diameters.
Thanks to the bore and stroke measurements of 96 x 62.1 mm, 40 mm intake valves and 33 mm exhaust valves were indeed possible. The former are made of titanium, while the latter consist of steel with a hollow stem filled with sodium to enhance heat exchange, thereby increasing reliability and performance consistency.
Particular attention was paid to the cooling system, featuring rhomboid-shaped radiators. These represent a new feature for the segment and allow for a 6.5% higher radiating surface compared to a traditionally shaped solution, improving engine cooling while keeping the bike compact, thus offering the rider a high level of freedom of movement towards the front of the bike. Alessandro Lupino and Tony Cairoli competed in 2024 with the standard radiators, capable of guaranteeing high reliability even in the most extreme and prohibitive conditions, as seen in the race at Ponte a Egola. The event was dominated by the two Ducati riders but was interrupted due to excessive mud on the track, which forced most bikes to halt.
The maximum power of the Desmo450 engine of 63.5 hp at 9,400 rpm, with a peak torque of 39.5 lb-ft at 7,500 rpm. The limiter intervention is set at 11,900 rpm, establishing a new benchmark for the category.
The chassis of the Desmo450 MX is based on an aluminum perimeter frame. This layout was chosen to obtain a lightweight structure, which allows the engine to have intake and exhaust ducts as straight as possible, to guarantee the best performance. The technicians of the Borgo Panigale company have managed to create a structure weighing 19.7 lbs characterized by the least possible number of welds, thus hitting the desired targets of lightness, reliability, and rigidity. The frame contributes significantly to containing the bike’s weight, which, in a ready-to-use configuration but without fuel, stands at 231 lbs.
The frame of the Desmo450 MX consists of only 11 pieces, approximately half compared to the competition, and includes cast, forged, and extruded elements. The front section, which connects the steering column to the upper shock absorber attachment, is represented by a single cast component. This construction technology, which Ducati also employs in Superbike frames, enables total control of thicknesses, thereby utilizing only the necessary amount of material at each point and creating complex shapes without compromising weight or strength.
The extremely compact frame design was also designed to ensure the best ergonomics for the rider while facilitating quick and easy maintenance in the workshop or on the track, where tasks like disassembling the shock absorber can be performed swiftly.
The latter is positioned centrally and operates using a cast aluminum swingarm and a forged aluminum linkage. The progressivity of the link was established during the races held in the 2024 season.
The suspension and brakes of the Desmo450 MX were the subject of a targeted decision. Ducati relied on Showa’s extensive experience in racing competition, which was also selected to ease setup for amateurs due to its spring-based, rather than air-based, design for the elastic component. The fork is fully adjustable, featuring 49 mm inverted stems, 310 mm of travel, and a Kashima Coating treatment on the stanchions. The shock absorber is also fully adjustable, with a wheel travel of 301 mm. To further refine the setup, Alessandro Lupino competed in the initial part of the Italian Championship using standard suspension, confirming the reliability of the chosen equipment.
Regarding the braking system, Ducati has once again chosen to collaborate with its long-standing partner, Brembo, to develop benchmark braking systems in this area, as has been the case for many years with road bikes. It features a two-piston floating caliper at the front and a single-piston caliper at the rear. Galfer brake discs measure 260 mm at the front and 240 mm at the rear.
The experience gained in MotoGP and Superbike, where Ducati serves as a technological benchmark, enabled the technicians at Borgo Panigale to introduce a real traction control system on the Desmo450 MX. This system provides benefits in terms of lap time, rider safety, and energy savings while riding. Unlike the existing systems in the segment, the Ducati Traction Control (DTC) integrated into the Desmo450 MX calibrates power adjustments based on actual rear wheel slip and inertial measurements of vehicle dynamics, ensuring effective, prompt, and smooth intervention. This system can recognize moments when it should remain inactive, such as during jumps, by automatically disabling itself. Additionally, if the rider identifies areas on the track where he wishes to utilize the engine’s full potential, he can deactivate the system with a light pull on the clutch lever. Control will automatically resume after a brief moment. Ducati Traction Control offers four different levels of intervention.
The electronic equipment includes Launch Control and Engine Brake Control, which, like DTC, can be configured at different levels of intervention. These features are associated with two Riding Modes that the rider can adapt to their needs and the characteristics of the track via the X-Link App. The gearbox is equipped with a Quickshifter for engagement.
The maintenance intervals have been established to reduce related costs for the customer. Piston replacement and the valve clearance check are scheduled for 45 hours, while the total engine overhaul is established at 90 hours, which are benchmark values for the segment.
Thanks to the Ducati Performance catalog, it is possible to create a replica of the Ducati Desmo450 MX ridden in the MXGP World Championship by Jeremy Seewer and Mattia Guadagnini. In fact, all the details of the 450 MX Factory are available in the Ducati Performance catalog, with the sole exception of the official Showa suspension, which cannot be purchased by privateer riders.
The special parts offered include Factory components machined from solid such as wheel hubs, triple clamps, but also a complete exhaust or Akrapovič titanium slip-on silencer and Brembo Racing brake calipers. The list of available accessories will be progressively expanded.
Finally, the Ducati Performance catalog offers a technical collection created in collaboration with Drudi Performance to complete the Factory look. The offer consists of a complete Alpinestars jersey/pants/gloves/boots set, Arai helmet, wind vest, softshell and Spidi rain jacket.
The Desmo450 MX will arrive in North American dealerships in July and cost $11,495 in the United States.
Desmo450 MX
Colors
Ducati Red
Main standard features
Desmo450 single-cylinder engine, 449.6 cc
Maximum power of 63.5 hp at 9,400 rpm, Maximum torque of 39.5 lb-ft at 7,500 rpm
Twin-spar Aluminum frame
1.9 US-gallon fuel tank
Showa 49 mm upside-down forks, fully adjustable, 310 mm travel and Kashima Coating on the fork legs
Showa fully adjustable monoshock, 301 mm wheel travel
Cast aluminum swingarm
Brembo braking system with single Galfer discs, 260 mm (front) and 240 mm (rear)
Pirelli Scorpion MX32 Mid-Soft tires, 80/100-21” and 110/90-19”
DID chain final transmission
Takasago Excel aluminum rims with Alpina spokes, 21” x 1.60” and 19” x 2.15”
2 Power Modes, 2 Riding Modes
Riding Modes configurable via the accessory X-Link app
New generation electronics package with Ducati Traction Control (DTC); Power Launch; Quick Shift, Engine Brake Control.
Piston replacement every 45 hours
Valve clearance check every 45 hours
