Desmo450 MX: Production of the first Ducati Motocross bike begins
Words and images courtesy of Ducati
Borgo Panigale, Bologna, 15 May 2025 – Production of the new Desmo450 MX, the first Ducati motocross bike in history, is underway at the Borgo Panigale factory. In the aftermath of the second world podium conquered by Jeremy Seewer in the French Grand Prix, the first Desmo450 MX came off the production line.
Tony Cairoli attended the celebration of the event. Cairoli contributed his invaluable experience to the development of the bike. Additionally, the event included Alessandro Lupino, the rider who took the first victory and the national title with it on its debut.
Developed and race-tested to be powerful, lightweight and reliable, the Desmo450 MX is capable of amplifying the riding skills of its rider, whether professional or amateur. It offers the confidence that allows them to push their limits further. The bike offers high performance with reduced physical effort. This is thanks to the power delivery of its Desmodromic engine, chassis and innovative electronics.
The Desmo450 MX is the first model in a complete range of specialist off-road bikes.
It is designed to take the Borgo Panigale company into new worlds. The bike speaks to new motorcyclists and therefore helps grow the community of Ducatisti.
“We looked around, searching for the important unique features of our corporate culture and finding what I believe characterizes Ducati like perhaps no other company: the closeness between the world of racing and that of production motorcycles,” says our CEO Claudio Domenicali. “And discovering, at the same time, that we have an incredible resource in-house in the form of many off-road enthusiasts in the various departments. All this has allowed us to present the Desmo450 MX: an easy and high-performance bike, for amateurs and professionals alike.”
The 449.6 cc Ducati single-cylinder engine with Desmodromic distribution is unique in the specialist off-road panorama. It provides the possibility of making greater use of each gear ratio at the start and between the curves. This is due to a particularly favourable power delivery. This engine combines torque at low and medium revs with benchmark extension. The lightweight aluminium frame has been designed to have the least possible number of welds. This benefits the solidity, lightness and rigidity of the structure.
The Desmo450 MX also represents something new in the segment in terms of electronics.
It is the first motocross bike in the world equipped with a Traction Control. This control is capable of precisely defining actual rear wheel slippage. Moreover, it identifies the riding phases in which it should not come into play. This ensures it does not limit the performance of the bike.
The Ducati Performance catalogue is full of proposals to bring the Desmo450 MX closer to the bike ridden in the MXGP World Championship by Jeremy Seewer and Mattia Guadagnini. The special parts on offer include Factory components machined from solid, such as wheel hubs and triple clamps. There is also a complete exhaust, Akrapovič titanium slip-on silencer and Brembo Racing brake calipers. The list of available accessories will be progressively expanded.
Finally, to complete the Factory look, the Ducati Performance catalogue offers a complete technical collection. This collection is created in collaboration with Drudi Performance. The offer consists of an Alpinestars jersey/pants/gloves/boots set, Arai helmet, wind vest, softshell and rain jacket.
The Desmo450 MX will arrive at selected European dealerships starting from June 2025. Distribution will extend to North America in July, and then to the rest of the world. The presentation video of the new Desmo450 MX can be viewed on the Ducati YouTube channel.
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