Ducati is making it clear that the Indian market is significant for it, as Vipul Chandra, MD, Ducati India confirmed that Ducati’s first-ever motocross bike, the Desmo450 MX is coming to India in 2026.
The Desmo450 MX is the first-ever motocross bike with desmodromic valve gear — a signature Ducati technology. While desmodromic valves have been in existence for a long time, no one has made those work the way Ducati has, forging the brand’s identity around the technology. The Desmo450 MX packs a 449.6cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine with a desmodromic chain-driven four-valve DOHC head. Thanks to the desmo valve gear the engine has a redline of 11,900rpm. Ducati also published the power and torque figures (actually, they published the power and torque curve too, not just the peak figures) and that’s something which is just not seen for race bikes, even ones available for sale to the general public. The Desmo450 engine unleashes a peak power of 63.5PS at 9,400rpm and a peak torque of 53.5Nm at 7,500rpm.
Topped up with fluids sans the fuel, the Desmo450 MX tips the scales at an incredible 104.8kg. The front forks are 49mm units from Showa with 310mm travel and adjustable for compression/rebound, while the progressive link rear monoshock, also from Showa, can be set for compression, rebound and preload and packs 301mm travel. The bike also has traction, control, launch control and a quickshifter. It also has quite long service intervals by motocross bike standards.
Oh, lest we forget, the Ducati Desmo450 MX also managed to win the Italian national motocross championship while participating in the series as part of its development programme — a feat that is virtually unheard of! The fact that the Ducati Desmo450 MX is coming to India indicates two things – India’s importance to Ducati and the changing landscape of motorsports in the country – both of which bode well for the enthusiasts.
For a long time, the only motocross bikes you could buy in India were from Suzuki and Kawasaki, then KTM entered the fray in 2024. However, the launch of the Ducati Desmo450 MX is orders of magnitude more important, as the motorcycle went on sale in Europe and the US just last month, so unless Triumph beats them to the punch with their motocross bikes it would absolutely be the single most cutting-edge motocross bike that can be bought in India upon launch.
