First images of the Ducati Desmo450 MX production model set to go on sale from June 2025.

Promising a “light and reliable bike, with a high-performance Desmodromic engine and electronic equipment that is the benchmark in the category,” the Desmo450 MX has finally arrived in production form.

Our usual disclaimer here it to acknowledge this is a motocross bike but, rightly, we look at all MX models with the view of how they can and will be used in enduro and off-road.

Designed around the single-cylinder 449.6 cc engine with Ducati’s Desmodromic distribution, they say it delivers usable power in every gear and which combines torque at low and medium revs with high over-rev which is already claiming holeshots at GP level.

Ducati add the lightweight aluminium frame has been designed to have as few welds as possible, to the benefit of the solidity, lightness and rigidity. 

A racing department which is superior to every manufacturer in MotoGP and World Superbike racing has also had a hand in the Desmo450 which they say is “a first in the segment in terms of electronics”. 

Ducati say it is the first motocross bike in the world equipped with a Traction Control system capable of “precisely defining the actual rear wheel slippage (patent pending)”. To put it another way the system identifies the riding phases in which it should not be activated so as not to limit the performance of the bike. 

The Traction Control can also be deactivated and/or reactivated in an instant should you need more power and direct control of the rear wheel.

A couple of years at the races have delivered the bike that went into production in mid-April, is already available to order from selected dealers, and will be available to buy in Europe starting in June, and subsequently in the United States and the rest of the world. 

Enduro21 revealed the prices in a separate story here: Ducati Desmo450 MX: Price and availability – 250 model coming

Ducati Desmo450 technical features:

• Desmo450 single-cylinder engine, 449.6 cc
• Maximum power of 63.5 hp at 9,400rpm, Maximum torque of 53.5Nm (39ft-lb) at 7,500 rpm
• 96 x 62.1mm bore and stroke with 40mm intake valves and 33mm exhaust valves
• Twin-spar Aluminium frame
• 7.2-litre fuel tank
• Showa 49mm upside-down forks, fully adjustable, 310mm travel and Kashima Coating on the fork legs
• Showa fully adjustable monoshock, 301 mm wheel travel
• Cast aluminium swingarm
• Brembo braking system with single Galfer discs, 260mm (front) and 240mm (rear)
• Pirelli Scorpion MX32 Mid-Soft tyres, 80/100-21” and 110/90-19”
• DID chain final transmission
• Takasago Excel aluminium 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

Here’s what Ducati say about the Desmo450 MX in more detail...

The design of the Desmo450 MX started from the engine, which is equipped with Desmodromic distribution, the system used on all Ducati racing bikes, including MotoGP. This feature offers several advantages to the Desmo450 MX, first of all the ability to run the engine at very high revs, offering the greater extension that increases the chances of starting faster than rivals at the gate and thus winning the coveted Holeshot award that goes to the rider who comes out of the first corner first.

The two official riders, Jeremy Seewer and Mattia Guadagnini, won in their debut race in the Motocross World Championship, in Argentina, using a production engine equipped only with the complete Akrapovič exhaust, the same one that Ducati makes available to every enthusiast through its Performance catalogue.

The Desmo450 MX also offers a very strong torque curve at low revs, ensuring an abundance of power out of corners, with a linear delivery and unprecedented acceleration for the category. This unique power delivery curve, which provides the rider with 70% of the maximum torque already at 4,200 rpm, makes the Desmo450 MX less demanding and tiring than a traditional 450, to the full advantage of track performance and riding enjoyment.

This was made possible thanks to the Desmodromic distribution, which by reducing the energy needed to open the valves allows for more aggressive lift diagrams even when choosing large diameters for the valves themselves.

Thanks to bore and stroke measurements of 96 x 62.1 mm, it was in fact possible to use 40 mm intake valves and 33 mm exhaust valves. The former are made of titanium, while the latter are made of steel, with a hollow stem filled with sodium to improve heat exchange, thus increasing reliability and consistency of performance.

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 such as in the race at Ponte a Egola, which was dominated by the two Ducati riders, and interrupted due to excessive mud on the track that forced most of the bikes to stop.

Chassis

The chassis of the Desmo450 MX is based on an aluminium 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, in order to guarantee the best performance.

The technicians of the Borgo Panigale company have managed to create a structure weighing 8.96kg 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 weight of the bike, in a ready-to-use configuration but without fuel, at 104.8kg.

The frame of the Desmo450 MX is made up of only 11 pieces, about half compared to the competition, and is composed of cast, forged and extruded elements. The front part, which connects the steering column with the upper shock absorber attachment, is represented by a single cast element.

This construction technology, which Ducati also uses on Superbike frames, allows for total control of the thicknesses, thus using only the amount of material needed 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 and at the same time quick and easy maintenance in the workshop or on the track, where operations such as disassembling the shock absorber can be carried out quickly.

The latter is mounted in a central position and works on a cast aluminium swingarm and a forged aluminium linkage. The progressivity of the link was defined during the races run in the 2024 season

The suspension and brakes of the Desmo450 MX were the subject of a targeted decision. Ducati relied on the long experience in racing competition of Showa, which was also chosen to facilitate setup for amateurs by virtue of the spring, and not air-based technical layout for the elastic component.

The fork is fully adjustable, with 49mm inverted stems, 310mm travel and Kashima Coating treatment on the stanchions. The shock absorber is fully adjustable, the wheel travel is 301 mm. To better develop the setup, Alessandro Lupino raced the entire first part of the Italian Championship with standard suspension, confirming the validity of the choice of the equipment.

As for the braking system, Ducati has also chosen in this area to collaborate with its long-standing partner Brembo on the development, also in Motocross, of benchmark braking systems as has been the case for many years on road bikes. There is a two-piston floating caliper at the front, and a single-piston caliper at the rear. Galfer brake discs are 260 mm at the front and 240 mm at the rear.

Electronics

The experience in MotoGP and Superbike, where Ducati is a technological point of reference, allowed the Borgo Panigale technicians to introduce a real traction control system on the Desmo450 MX, one that is capable of offering benefits in terms of lap time, rider safety and energy saving while riding.

Unlike the systems currently available in the segment, the Ducati Traction Control (DTC) implemented on the Desmo450 MX calibrates the power cut based on the actual rear wheel slippage and inertial measurements of the vehicle dynamics, thus guaranteeing an effective, prompt and linear intervention.

This system is able to identify moments in which it should not come into action, such as jumps, automatically excluding itself. If the rider identifies points on the track in which he wants to make use of all the engine performance, he can deactivate the system with a light pressure on the clutch lever. The control will automatically return to operation a few moments later. Ducati Traction Control offers four different levels of intervention.

The electronic equipment also includes Launch Control and Engine Brake Control, which, like DTC, can be configured on different levels of intervention and associated with two Riding Modes that the rider can adapt to his needs and the characteristics of the track via the X-Link App. The gearbox is equipped with a Quickshifter in engagement.

Maintenance intervals

The maintenance intervals have been defined with the aim of reducing the related costs for the customer. Piston replacement is set at 45 hours, together with the valve clearance check while the total engine overhaul is set at 90 hours, benchmark values ​​for the segment.

Accessories

Thanks to the Ducati Performance catalogue, it is possible to create a replica of the Ducati Desmo450 MX ridden in the MXGP World Championship by Jeremy Seewer and Mattia Guadagnini. All the details of the 450 MX Factory, in fact, are available in the Ducati Performance catalogue 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, to complete the Factory look, the Ducati Performance catalogue offers an entire technical collection created in collaboration with Drudi Performance. The offer consists of a complete Alpinestars jersey/pants/gloves/boots set, Arai helmet, wind vest, softshell and Spidi rain jacket.

Availability

The Desmo450 MX will arrive at selected European dealerships from June 2025, with distribution extending to North America in July, followed by the rest of the world.

Photo Credit: Ducati