One of many oddest information stories in current reminiscence was the announcement that Ducati, a model synonymous with lusty Italian sportbikes, was planning to enter the world of motocross. A race-ready prototype of their contender broke cover quickly after, earlier than being fielded in a handful of occasions all through the course of final 12 months.
Now the Borgo Panigale model has unveiled the manufacturing model of their first-ever motocross bike—the Ducati Desmo450 MX—and we’re intrigued.
Probably the most pertinent query is why the virtually 100-year-old marque is diversifying, and why they’ve chosen the world of off-road racing as their subsequent stomping floor. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali’s official assertion presents causes (when you’ve waded via the advertising communicate).
“Over the previous 18 months many individuals have requested me why Ducati determined to enter the world {of professional} off-road racing,” he says. “The reply is easy: Ducati is a wholesome firm that generates assets, due to this fact has the chance to develop by opening as much as a brand new phase of fanatics.”
“We seemed round, trying to find the essential uniqueness of our company tradition and discovering the one which I imagine characterizes Ducati like maybe no different firm: the closeness between the world of racing and the world of manufacturing motorbikes. And discovering, on the similar time, that we now have an unbelievable useful resource inside us within the type of so many off-road fanatics within the varied departments.”
It’s arduous to not learn the primary half of Domenicali’s assertion as a shot throughout the bow of the embattled Austrian producer, KTM. However the gist of all of it is that Ducati is hoping to money in on the ‘race on Sunday, promote on Monday’ mannequin that’s served them so effectively in MotoGP and World Superbike racing. And so they simply might need a shot.
On the surface, the Ducati Desmo450 MX cuts the identical fundamental silhouette as most motocross race bikes—albeit with oodles of Italian aptitude. Each contour and angle is simply that a lot sharper, and the purple plastics match the hue of Ducati’s MotoGP contender. The graphics are delicate and there’s minimal branding, which is able to make it more durable to tell apart this all-red motocrosser from Gasoline Gasoline and Honda’s all-red motocrossers.
Below the hood, the Ducati Desmo450 MX is powered by a 449.6 cc single-cylinder engine. It makes use of Ducati’s Desmodromic valve system—as featured within the Panigale V4 and the model’s MotoGP contender, the Desmosedici GP. The Desmo450 motor kicks out 63.5 hp at 9,400 rpm and 53.5 Nm at 7,500 rpm, and redlines at 11,900 rpm.
Ducati attributes the high-revving functionality of the Desmo450 to the Desmodromic system, including that it additionally makes 70 p.c of its most torque at 4,200 rpm. The consumption valves are 40 mm titanium gadgets, whereas the exhaust valves are 33 mm metal numbers. The upkeep schedule features a piston substitute and valve clearance verify each 45 hours, and a full engine overhaul each 90 hours.
Ducati went all-out on packing the Desmo450 MX with as a lot new tech as attainable. The radiators are rhomboid-shaped to extend their floor space, bettering their cooling effectivity whereas nonetheless preserving them compact.
The Desmo450 MX additionally sports activities a complete electronics package deal—together with a traction management system derived from their observe racing bikes. The system displays rear wheel slippage and information from an inertial measurement unit to calculate when (and the way) to intervene. It additionally is aware of when to not act, and might be deactivated quickly within the warmth of the second through a mild faucet on the clutch lever.
Different rider aids embrace launch management, engine brake management, and switchable rider modes. All the above might be configured through a smartphone app, and a quick-shifter comes put in out of the field.
The Ducati Desmo450 MX’s body is a fringe aluminum affair made up of 11 items, every of which was both solid, cast, or extruded. The body weighs in at a measly 8.96 kg [19.75 lbs], for an general dry weight of 104.8 kg [231 lbs].
Due to its body structure, the bike is skinny as heck. Ducati’s engineers thought of upkeep too, by making certain that gadgets just like the rear shock had been simple to get to. A solid aluminum swingarm sits out again, hooked as much as a cast aluminum linkage.
Turning to the suspension, Ducati specced the Desmo450 MX with absolutely adjustable Showa gadgets at each ends. 49 mm upside-down forks provide 310 mm of journey and have a slick Kashima coating for low-friction operation, with 301 mm of journey from the rear mono-shock.
The 21F/19R wheels use Takasago Excel rims with Alpina spokes, and are available fitted with Pirelli Scorpion MX32 tires. Brembo calipers, Galfer discs, and a DID chain full the package deal.
If that’s not sufficient, Ducati has the standard smorgasbord of equipment on provide. You should purchase virtually every thing that the Ducati MX crew has on their bikes (shy of their manufacturing unit Showa suspension), plus tasty bits like upgraded hubs, billet yokes, a titanium Akrapovič exhaust, and race-spec Brembo calipers. And in case you merely should match your bike, Ducati’s attire and rider gear division has you lined.
Ducati’s press materials goes deep on the Desmo450 MX’s tech—nevertheless it’s additionally peppered with some notable tidbits of knowledge. For starters, Ducati casually mentions that the bike would be the first in a spread of off-road bikes, which implies we might see the model develop into enduro, rally, and probably even supermoto competitors.
The opposite main takeaway is that Ducati has clearly taken this venture very severely. Final 12 months, they pulled their MotoGP sporting director, Paolo Ciabatti, in to run their motocross race crew.
With nine-time MX world champ Tony Cairoli and Alessandro Lupino aboard the Desmo450 MX, they entered a handful of worldwide races all year long, utilizing information from these races to refine the bike. Alessandro Lupino additionally fielded the Desmo450 MX within the Italian Motocross Championship, which he received. So every thing you see on the manufacturing bike is race-proven.
Ducati is all-in for this 12 months’s World Champs with their newly-formed Aruba.it Ducati Manufacturing facility MX crew. Three races into the season, Italian racer Mattia Guadagnini and Swiss racer Jeremy Seewer are at present sitting in seventh and eleventh place respectively.
If the Ducati Desmo450 MX tickles your fancy, it’ll be obtainable in chosen European dealerships from June and in US sellers from July, earlier than rolling out in different markets. The US base value has been confirmed at $11,495—a few hundred bucks greater than a KTM 450 SX-F.
Supply: Ducati
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