Many people in this world dare to liken bike maker Ducati to Ferrari, gifting it with the same distinguished attributes they bestow upon the Prancing Horse. And there are multiple reasons for that, from the way the bikes are built to the history the company is writing on the race track.
Ducati has always been a constant presence in the racing world. Its racing division is presently one of the heavy-hitters of the MotoGP and the Superbike World Championship. As of this year, it is the sole supplier of motorcycles for the MotoE championship. And, starting next year, it will also make its presence felt in motocross.
That's right, the Italians are going racing off the tarmac. The announcement was made this week, and it came a bit as a surprise, despite Ducati saying it's been working on a motorcycle for this type of competition for two years now.
The announcement was made as Antonio Cairoli, winner of nine FIM Motocross World Championships (now retired) has been brought on board to help with the development of the racing bike. He will be test-riding the machine together with eight-time Italian motocross champion and 2021 Motocross of Nations (MxoN) winner Alessandro Lupino.
Whereas Cairoli will only ride the bike to have his say on its development, Lupino will be racing it in the 2024 Italian Motocross Championship in a system that will mimic the one of "one of the most experienced teams in the motocross paddock," Maddii Racing.
As for the bike itself, not much is known at the moment. Ducati promises the world, meaning "lightness pushed to the extreme, top-of-the-line components and engines characterized by a very broad power delivery curve. "
As far as the powertrain is concerned, just like with all the other Ducati sports bikes, the Desmodromic system will be used, but there's no telling in exactly what configuration.
More important perhaps than the fact Ducati is entering motocross is that this first dedicated bike will spawn "a family of knobby motorcycles branded Ducati" that should target an entirely new segment for the company's expansion plans.
It will take years though for a complete range of Ducati off-road engines and motorcycles to be developed, so don't get all worked up yet.
Ducati did not say when we'll get the first true glimpse of the motocross bike, but it will probably before the Italian championship kicks off.
As a reminder, the world's most important motocross competition, the FIM championship, is just months away. As per the current calendar, the first race of the series is scheduled for March next year, and the last one for September. In between them there will be a total of 20 races held in 15 different countries.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News