Ever since Ducati introduced its first motorcycle in 1950, the Italian company has been known for sleek, powerful machines that are equally at home on the track and the road. After three-quarters of a century, Ducati is running as strong as ever. In 2024, they swept the manufacturer’s titles in the MotoGP Grand Prix, FIM Superbike World Championship, and Supersport World Championship. Team rider Marc Marquez then kicked off 2025 by using the Ducati Panigale V2 to set an unofficial supersport bike record at the Aspar Circuit in Spain.
Ducati didn’t maintain its status by resting on the status quo, and they’re getting ready to transform the motorcycle world again. The Desmo450 MX off-road racer is already turning heads on the international circuit, and it will arrive stateside in the summer of 2025. Although Ducati long ago tamed the sport bike and adventure markets, they’d never so much as dipped their toes into pure off-roading until now. How does Ducati plan to conquer dirt bikes in the U.S. and beyond, and how are those plans going so far?
What We Know About the Desmo450 MX
When the Ducati Corse racing team set out to develop the Desmo450 MX in 2021, they knew they were 20 years behind the rest of the motocross world. However, the company held to its mission of never simply ripping off other bikes. Although the 20 engineers on the project did study bikes from other manufacturers, they remained determined to start with a clean sheet, creating a bike that met important off-road technical regulations while being a distinct Ducati product.
After nearly three years of work, which included nine-time European motocross champion Tony Cairoli coming on in 2023 to test the bike and provide feedback, Ducati finally unveiled the Desmo450 MX prototype in January 2024. Its name came from using a one-cylinder, 450cc version of the desmodromic valve system found in all the company’s sport bikes. This system had proven itself on asphalt with its higher RPM limit and a design that didn’t require springs. However, no previous bike in the motocross segment had employed desmodromic valves because of concerns about their complicated assembly, costs, and increased maintenance.
Ducati hasn’t yet released full specs for the Desmo450 MX, so its exact horsepower and torque remain a mystery. What is known from eagle eyes at the unveiling is that the suspension consists of Showa inverted front forks and a rear monoshock. The prototype also had a two-side aluminum swingarm suspension, 21-inch front and 19-inch rear Takasago Excel wheels, Brembo brakes, Pirelli MX 32 tires, and an Akrapovic exhaust, among other premium parts. Company officials said at the debut they were targeting consumer production to begin sometime in the second half of 2025. It appears they are now ahead of that schedule. According to the Ducati website, European deliveries should begin in June, followed by the U.S. in July. Pre-orders may already have begun at certain dealerships.
Early Success
At the same time Ducati introduced the Desmo450 MX prototype, it announced that Ducati Corse would enter the bike in the full Italian Prestige Motocross MX1 Championship. Its pilot would be Alessandro Lupino, a native Italian and eight-time motocross champion who previously rode for Yamaha and was a teammate of Cairoli during the 2021 Motocross of Nations. Ducati said its primary goal for the 2024 MX1 season was developing the bike through real-world experience and positioning the program to join the FIM Motocross World Championship circuit the following year.
It didn’t take long for Ducati to soar far beyond their and everyone else’s expectations. The first time out for the Desmo450 MX at the International Circuit of Mantua on March 16 and 17, Lupino won the pole and the first heat en route to finishing second overall. Lupino went on to take the overall victory in rounds four and five. When the final round concluded at Crossodromo Ciclamino on October 13, Lupino and Ducati had scored the Italian MX1 title in the Desmo450 MX’s first season.
Along the way, the Desmo450 MX also had its Motocross World Championship maiden voyage at the Dutch GP, with Cairoli coming out of retirement to pilot the bike. After a promising start in qualifying, the effort was felled by a poor start in race one and a mechanical failure in race two. Plans to enter the MXGP season finale also fizzled out.
Nevertheless, the Italian MX1 success was enough for Ducati to move ahead with its plans. Days after winning the title, Ducati confirmed that Swiss pro Jeremy Seewer, a three-time MXGP season runner-up, and a to-be-determined second rider would pilot Desmo450 MX bikes in the full 2025 MXGP World Championships schedule. They also revealed Lupino would switch to a new 250cc version of the bike for the Italian MX2 Championship. On November 20, 2024, Ducati confirmed rising Italian star Mattia Guadagnini would be the other MXGP rider.
Ducati Goes AMA SuperMotocross Racing
When will U.S. off-road motorcycle fanatics finally get to see the Ducati Desmo450 MX race? The shorter answer is soon. On January 11, 2025, at the opening round of the AMA Supercross Championship, Ducati declared it would partner with Troy Lee Designs, a legendary motocross gear company, graphic designer, and supermoto team owner, to run the 2026 AMA SuperMotocross campaign in the 450SX class. Ducati and Troy Lee also had the latest Desmo450 MX prototype on display at the event.
As the highest level of U.S. off-road motorcycle competition, the SuperMotocross series includes every race in the stadium-based AMA Supercross and outdoor AMA Motocross championships plus three postseason events, meaning a lot of racing is in store for Ducati’s new bike. Shortly after the big announcement, Ducati added they would exhibit the bike at seven more AMA Supercross events this year to generate excitement. As of this writing, Ducati hasn’t announced who the U.S. rider(s) will be, but given their propensity for signing big names in motocross, I’m sure they’ll get someone major.
Ducati Reinvents Itself
The impending arrival of the Desmo450 MX appears to be only the beginning of Ducati’s foray into off-road riding. I mentioned the Desmo250 MX that will compete in 2025, which means a version for sale to the public likely isn’t far off. Furthermore, Cairoli told Motorcycle News in August 2024 that Ducati is already working on a street-legal 450cc Enduro motorcycle, which will be released sometime in 2027. It will share the Desmo MX platform with some changes to better suit the Enduro cross-country format.
According to Ducati executives, this sudden pivot is two-fold. Business-wise, it stems from a larger mission to have more appeal to younger riders. This also spurred the new Hypermotard 698 Mono, a supermoto bike that offers elite performance and agility yet is highly accessible. Just as importantly, conversations with existing staff showed they were already passionate about off-roading and looking for an outlet. When good business meets passion, the decision is easy.
As seen from their 2024 results, Ducati isn’t leaving the superbike world behind or diverting any resources. Rather, the Ducati Corse off-road project comes in addition to their existing teams as they seek to replicate paved-course mastery in the off-road world. The Desmo450 MX is off to a great start and may only get better as engineers and riders work the kinks out. Motocross fans everywhere should watch Ducati and the Desmo450 MX as they look to continue their rise on the world’s biggest off-road motorcycle stages.
