Edited Date/Time
6/3/2025 7:43am
It's embargo time! Here's my thoughts on the Desmo450, I'll also post links to the rest as they pop up.
AND YES, I WROTE ABOUT THIS ONE. So not just video...
https://www.vitalmx.com/features/first-ride-all-new-ducati-desmo450-mx-…
Racer X / Keefer:
Hey ML. In the write up under chassis and suspension the first sentence abruptly ends. I think this is in error. Just giving you an fyi.
Now I gotta get fit again so I can get a new bike.
Looks good. Loving both Triumph and Ducati entering the market.
Check it now.
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Looks great!
Swap/Pat Foster:
https://youtu.be/67OTE_wgq4Y?si=WfiiwpY3K9X3tBjD
https://youtu.be/seGD1vW8eRs?si=Dz7Aw9P3U-b60Xd_
https://youtu.be/vj1t6ulllE4?si=iorLX14q12o7uO2Z
MotoOnline: https://youtu.be/saGBefjQEQQ?si=ghLEOWMwMafPH6RM
MotoOnline Podcast Review w/ Dylan Wills: https://www.motoonline.com.au/2025/06/04/feedback-2026-ducati-desmo450-…
https://youtu.be/LFrMiZJsp5E?si=TxpudgLuQ_yJ2jiw
https://youtu.be/HXgQyJO0lq0?si=osbQOaEJC4_XrUY0
ML curious if you and Keefer rode the exact same bike, or different ones? was the bike set up for you or did you have it the same as Keefer?
Sounds like a great bike and having said that - is it loud and how does it sound?
They blew it with the dark blood red color. Should have went with a bright Honda or Beta red,.
This is the red that is synonymous with the Ducati brand.
I know, and I don’t like it. Looks like a gas gas or a stark.
It's fairly quiet but has a cool sound.
Keefer and I rode different bikes and could tweak the setups to our liking.
However, I will be fully transparent, I was given a different bike after my first bike had a small issue in the morning. My first bike ran even richer than I described in the test and flamed out coming into corners a couple of times. Their staff checked my bike with a laptop, plus they had another rider try it. Afterwards, they said it had a small issue that couldn't be fixed on the spot and had me run a spare bike they brought along for the majority of my test.
The bikes we rode were pre-production units (there were ten of them, I believe), with the first production bikes coming off the assembly line the night we arrived in Italy.
As someone who’s owned ducatis and been around motogp. It’s a red that is much better in person than through the lens. It really pops under sunlight, while in overcast it appears dull and flat.
Pit Row
My buddy has a garage full of Ducatis and I ride them occasionally. I do not like the color for a dirt bike, or for a MotoGP race bike. I prefer bright colors for racing/riding. I would not own a burgundy car, just like I won’t own a GasGas, Stark, or now Ducati due to the blood red color. Same with the horrible current black\blue Yamahas.
And then there’s me. Blood/dark red is my favorite color. I’m buying a new gas gas 250F this Fall, and that can last me until Ducati makes a 250F.
Bright red reminds me of a big fire truck.
lol, I won’t ride a bike because it’s the wrong shade of red 🤦♂️
So you’d want it to look like Honda or Beta.
Not to be too rude, but it looks like you are starting to get the APLMAN starter pack around the middle......!
😉
Must be all the good Italian food?!?!?!?!
Absolute stunner. I find it slightly ironic that Ducati was one of the last street bike manufactures to go with an aluminum frame instead of their traditional birdcage. I wonder if that was ever under consideration. Red is the logical color for Ducati but they also have a history with yellow and the early (70's era) superbikes were silver/blue.
Most likely not a bike for me as I'm a bit on the lazy side and like to lug a motor. Being a high winder, it should be fun to watch Barcia wring its neck.
Great write-up and video, ML. I really like the in-depth review. Looks like a great first release. Will be interesting the adjustments you’ll make when you’ve got more time on it.
I'll ride one if a buddy buys one, but no I won't buy one unless there's an alternate option for plastics. I'm a very visual person and I care about the color bikes I ride, cars/trucks I drive, race cars, karts, etc.
The color, yes. Do you think Honda and Betas look alike? I don't, I own both.
I'll bet XPR and Twisted Development are chomping at the bit to see what they can do with this engine.
Ducati red is nice in person. Some SC1 will brighten them up!
Great read, thanks for doing it in a written version! Much better than videos.
Can you envision Tomac on it
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