Photo: Ducati
It's been almost three months to the day since Italian bike maker Ducati announced it would expand its business into the motocross segment, and we've been on the edge of our seats waiting for updates on the bike to do that. And now, finally, we know a few more things.
A very lucrative segment for other bike makers, KTM especially, motocross has never been something of interest to Ducati. That changed for one reason or another last year, when the company announced the birth of not only a new bike for the segment, but also a team of racers to put it through its paces.
We've first learned a thing or two about the team at the end of last year. It's to be headed by a new division of the bike maker dubbed Ducati Corse Off-Road, which is in turn led by the Sporting Director of Ducati Corse, Paolo Ciabatti.
The name of the team itself was unveiled this week during an event hosted by Ducati in the Italian ski resort of Madonna di Campiglio. The team will be known in the motocross competition world as Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX and will comprise this season riders Antonio Cairoli and Alessandro Lupino.
Together with the team, Ducati also gave us the first actual photos and details on the brand new motorcycle itself, meaning the name of the thing: the two-wheeler is called Desmo450 MX.
Ducati shared no other details about the bike apart from that and the fact that it was shown in the racing livery it will wear as part of the Italian Motocross Pro - Prestige MX1 Championship, where it will be first fielded. We expect more details on the ride's mechanical prowess in the days and weeks ahead.
Only two prototypes of the Desmo450 MX have been built, one which will be used by Alessandro Lupino in actual motocross races, and the other by Antonio Cairoli for testing purposes.
Ducati has not set a goal for itself to win anything this year, and only plans to use the time to "acquire data and information." Whatever it learns this way will be used to fine-tune the bike further.
The Italians plan to start production of the two-wheeler next year, with the Desmo450 MX not to birth a single competition bike, but an entire range of them that will be widely available over the next few years.
The first time we will get to see the Ducati Desmo450 MX in action is on the weekend of March 16, when the Ducati motocross team and their bike will make their debut during the opening stage of the Italian Motocross Pro Prestige MX1 Championship in Mantua.
Until then stay tuned for more info on the motorcycle itself.
We've first learned a thing or two about the team at the end of last year. It's to be headed by a new division of the bike maker dubbed Ducati Corse Off-Road, which is in turn led by the Sporting Director of Ducati Corse, Paolo Ciabatti.
The name of the team itself was unveiled this week during an event hosted by Ducati in the Italian ski resort of Madonna di Campiglio. The team will be known in the motocross competition world as Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX and will comprise this season riders Antonio Cairoli and Alessandro Lupino.
Together with the team, Ducati also gave us the first actual photos and details on the brand new motorcycle itself, meaning the name of the thing: the two-wheeler is called Desmo450 MX.
Ducati shared no other details about the bike apart from that and the fact that it was shown in the racing livery it will wear as part of the Italian Motocross Pro - Prestige MX1 Championship, where it will be first fielded. We expect more details on the ride's mechanical prowess in the days and weeks ahead.
Only two prototypes of the Desmo450 MX have been built, one which will be used by Alessandro Lupino in actual motocross races, and the other by Antonio Cairoli for testing purposes.
Ducati has not set a goal for itself to win anything this year, and only plans to use the time to "acquire data and information." Whatever it learns this way will be used to fine-tune the bike further.
The Italians plan to start production of the two-wheeler next year, with the Desmo450 MX not to birth a single competition bike, but an entire range of them that will be widely available over the next few years.
The first time we will get to see the Ducati Desmo450 MX in action is on the weekend of March 16, when the Ducati motocross team and their bike will make their debut during the opening stage of the Italian Motocross Pro Prestige MX1 Championship in Mantua.
Until then stay tuned for more info on the motorcycle itself.
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