The motorcycle that Antonio Cairoli and Alessandro Lupino will campaign in the Italian Motocross Pro – Prestige MX1 Championship Series has been revealed by Ducati Corse Off-Road. The Ducati Desmo450 MX will roll onto a track for competition for the first time at the Moto Club Mantovano’s Circuito Internazionale Motocross Città Di Mantova on March 16 and 17 at the Campionato Italiano Prestige race.
This is a Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team bike, not a production model. However, the most important feature is the use of desmodromic valve actuation for the motor—the first time on a Ducati motocross/off-road bike since the 1972 450 R/T. Ducati isn’t keeping that a secret, as the factory bike is christened the Desmo450 MX. We also see many familiar parts, including Showa suspension, an Akrapovič exhaust system, Brembo brakes, Galfter brake pads, Acerbis plastic, and STM Powersports clutch.
“We are very pleased to have extended Ducati Corse’s long-lasting and successful relationship with Akrapovič also to our exciting new off-road program,” Ducati Corse Off-Road General Manager Paolo Ciabatti notes. “Their experience in the development of high-performance titanium exhaust systems has been very beneficial for us, also considering the demanding future FIM noise regulations in place from 2025 onwards.”
Ducati Motor Holding CEO Claudio Domenicali had this to say at the unveiling of the Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team Desmo450 MX in Madonna di Campiglio in the Italian Alps: “One of the strong elements of our brand is the ability to create a system, and today we demonstrate this by jointly presenting the official teams for the 2024 racing season: the Ducati Lenovo Team, the Aruba.it – Racing Ducati Team [MotoGP] and the novelty represented by the Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team.”
“The entry into motocross is, in fact, the clear example that our will to improve and our desire to win have no limits,” Domenicali continued. “In these two days, we will have the opportunity to give ourselves the right energy for a season that promises to be full of challenges, in which we will try to confirm our leadership in the main track racing world championships and demonstrate our capabilities in a new terrain such as specialist off-road. Challenges have always encouraged us to bring out the best, and we feel absolutely ready.”
The Italian factory is aiming for a production version of the Ducati Desmo450 MX for the 2026 model year, with production starting in late 2025.
Ducati Desmo450MX Photo Gallery
