2026 Ducati Desmo450 MX

Posted in another thread, but, yes, there is a lot to like about  this bike.

https://www.ducati.com/us/en/bikes/offroad/desmo450-mx

https://www.ducati.com/us/en/home/ducati-world-premiere

Just saw the specs also. Crazy that it has roughly +8hp and +6.5 torque (probably varies a bit depending on who you get that dyno info from) on the YZ450. As a 350 rider the YZ450 scares the shit out of me the few times I've ridden one. Cant even imagine having more than that. 

I have to admit it’s impressive. It will be interesting to see how the on track performance plays out. I can see quite a few holeshots being pulled.

We know they’re getting a lot more out of the bikes than stock with ECU, pipes, etc on other brands. 

I wonder if this bike is going to be able to be made much faster than it is or if it comes pretty much tapped out from the factory. 

Someone on this forum: “Another red KTM?”

An excellent addition to the mix....  I wonder if they are upstaging Triumph a little getting their info out quickly.

Pretty cool. For some reason it’s just not that exciting (to me).

The piston replacement every 45 hours has to be for a pro right? 
I am wondering what a oil change and oil filter will cost?

https://enduro21.com/en/bikes/latest/first-look-ducati-desmo450-product…

Not going to lie. I was going to wait for both the Triumph and this to test a year or two before jumping ship from the Austrian stuff, but now I am thinking I might have to drop a deposit. 

If I wasn’t MX bike poor I’d be inclined to put a deposit down on a Ducati.  Engineering and design tools, QC etc are so good now days, the chance of another Cannondale seems pretty slim my guess.  

They ned to do a 350, will kill it with that kind of numbers on the 450.

Wait until a independent tester puts it on a dyno along with the other bikes before talking power figures.

^^I agree. Ducati is known for HP though, so I give it a decent chance of holding up.

So how do we cork this thing? I remember the free mods on my 07 wr450. I think it was disconnecting a grey wire, cutting down some screw on the carb 10mm, and pulling the exhaust insert. 

that kind of power looks exciting 👍

The bike has been performing well in Europe-more than enough for us ham and eggers, as is the Triumph. Not that I am in the market, but I would not hesitate to buy either one. This isn't a case of a bicycle company trying to build a motocross bike. Both of these companies come with the know how to do this properly, the first time.

Mr. Ducati, I've got someone named Eli Tomac calling for you on line 1....

I’ll bet that HP and electronics caught Eli’s eye. Combine that with the success of Ducati elsewhere and you have something that might be worth pursuing. Duc would have to be ready for SX though. Certainly worth riding to get a feel or the chassis. 

It's interesting, I just don't think the star bike is lacking anywhere.  Sounds like if he wants to try something, they're game to do it.

He's also one of the hardest riders on equipment, not sure if he'd want the growing pains.

I really hope Eli at least gets to ride the bike before making a deal for next year. It doesn't really make sense for him to go there. However that HP number must be appealing to someone who feels like they want more power out of a Star Yamaha. 

Just about every manufacturer lists some crazy intensive specs to cover their own ass. I’m pretty sure my CR125 manual said to do a ring every 5 hours or something ridiculous. 

I remember correctly my last Honda manuals said every 15 hours on the 450 piston so for them to say 45 that's pretty confident and no I didn't change the piston at 15 hours LOL

From Enduro21, for the Desmo geeks

"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."

Take my money... 

13/49 seems a little different as compared to other 450s, Ill guess the final production bike gets a 50 or 51 rear sprocket.

Pirelli MX 32 is okay, but Dunlop MX34 or MX3S would be the better choice. the MX 34 rear is the far superior tire.

Bike looks good and has most of the right bits on it, but the big question is how it steers and how manageable the power is - hopefully it will be the opposite of a YZ 450.

Seewer and Guad making the bike look good in MXGP, but who knows how close the factory ride is to the production bike?

Pirelli is an Italian company, Dunlop is not.

Also, .05 percent of riders can even tell the difference in the brands of tires. That might be an over estimation too. 

Pretty sure most Japanese brands say 15 hours for piston, per the manual.  Let's face it, who does that ?!

125hrs on my 450MC and running just fine. Knock on wood. 

Looks awesome!More bike  Options are good! Looking forward to what MXA says….