FIRST LOOK: DUCATI’S DESMO450 SM

The Desmo450 SM is Ducati’s first racing supermoto – a Desmo450 MX reworked from the suspension down for tarmac, and the only bike in its class running desmodromic valve timing.

Ducati’s Desmo450 MX has only just found its feet on dealer floors, and Borgo Panigale has already spun the platform into something else entirely. Unveiled at World Ducati Week, the Desmo450 SM is the Italians’ first crack at a racing supermoto – and it’s been built to race, not to pose.

Here’s what Ducati has divulged about its first supermoto…

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy): September 1, 2026 – The Desmo450 SM is the first racing supermoto from the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer. Unveiled during World Ducati Week, it derives from the Desmo450 MX, a technical platform that immediately proved competitive in Supermoto races, with multiple world champion Marc Reiner Schmidt and Team Undici leading it to victory on its world debut.

The Desmo450 SM is built on the Desmo450 MX platform, which has been further developed specifically for Supermoto racing. The suspension, triple clamps, wheels, braking system, final drive ratio, slipper clutch and electronics have all been fine-tuned to work in unison, delivering precision, control and performance on Supermoto circuits.

BUILT TO RACE

The Desmo450 SM is built to compete and brings together in a single package all the solutions developed by Ducati specifically for Supermoto. The result is a bike that is equally effective for both professional and amateur riders. A bike which, thanks to its engine power delivery, chassis and innovative electronics, can deliver high performance with minimal physical effort – a combination designed to promote consistency, efficiency and lap times.

The suspension played a central role in the development of the Desmo450 SM; for the first time in a supermoto, Showa stepped in directly to ensure the balance required by the discipline. The sealed cartridge upside-down 49 mm fork is fully adjustable for compression and rebound and features dedicated springs and settings, a travel of 280 mm and Kashima Coating on the stanchions. The left-hand side features a radial brake calliper mount, whilst the billet-machined steering plates have an extended centre distance to provide sufficient clearance for the front wheel.

The result is a front-end that guarantees support during the most intense braking manoeuvres, precision when entering corners and confidence on the road, whilst remaining effective even on off-road sections. At the rear, the fully adjustable Showa shock works with a progressive link and offers 295mm of wheel travel; thanks to its specific settings, it contributes to the bike’s traction and balance throughout the various stages of riding.

The hand guards and shortened mudguard have been redesigned to suit the discipline, and the fork guards are shorter, leaving more space for the 125/75 front slick tyre, which is standard for supermoto. The rims are 16.5” at the front and 17” at the rear, featuring an Excel rim profile and the Bartubeless system, which, by eliminating inner tubes, reduces rotating and unsprung mass by 1.2kg, improving handling and suspension behaviour. The factory-fitted tyres are Metzeler Racetec Slick SMs, the same as those used in the World Championship.

The braking system has been developed to ensure power and modulation in conditions typical of Supermoto riding. At the front, it features a Brembo Stylema radial caliper and a 310mm Galfer floating disc with an aluminium flange. At the rear, there is a 240mm Galfer disc with a Brembo floating caliper.

The lightweight aluminium frame is the same as that used on the motocross bike and has been designed to minimise the number of welds, in order to optimise weight, stiffness and strength, and to create the straightest possible intake duct to ensure the engine breathes as efficiently as possible.

The Desmodromic valve train allows the rev limiter to be set at 11,900rpm, offering a wide operating range that enables the rider to stay in each gear for longer and reduce unnecessary gear changes.

The transmission, equipped with active Quick Shift for upshifts, features a Suter slipper clutch specifically calibrated for the Desmo450 SM, which assists the rider in managing ‘side-slip’ when entering corners.

The Desmo450 SM introduces a patented Ducati Traction Control system to the segment, specifically calibrated for Supermoto and capable of estimating the actual slip of the rear wheel. Adjustable across four levels and capable of being deactivated, the system intervenes on engine parameters to improve traction and stability in conditions of variable grip.

The electronic features also include Launch Control and Engine Brake Control, which, like the DTC, can be configured to different levels of intervention and linked to two Riding Modes that the rider can adapt to their own needs and the characteristics of the track via the X-Link app.

MAINTENANCE INTERVALS

The maintenance intervals are standard for this category: piston replacement and valve clearance checks are scheduled at 45 hours, whilst a full engine overhaul is scheduled at 90 hours and an oil change every 15 hours. Furthermore, to make servicing quicker and easier, the seals on all covers (alternator, clutch, cylinder head) are not made with three-component paste but instead use metal gaskets for the cylinder head and rubber gaskets for the other two.

The Desmo450 SM introduces the concept of predictive maintenance, developed to monitor wear on engine components and assess the stress they are under based on usage. Thanks to the Com-Link module, available as an accessory, it is possible to manage routine maintenance intervals with greater precision and maintain efficiency and performance over time.

DESMO450 SM – MAIN STANDARD FEATURES

• Desmo450 single-cylinder engine, 449.6cc
• Maximum power of 63.5hp at 9400rpm, Maximum torque of 39.5ft-lb at 7500rpm
• Twin-spar Aluminum frame
• 9 US gal (7.2l) fuel tank
• Showa 49mm upside-down closed cartridge forks, fully adjustable, 280mm travel and Kashima Coating on the outer tubes
• Showa fully adjustable monoshock
• Cast aluminium swingarm
• Brembo braking system with PR15x19 radial master cylinder and radial Stylema caliper on the front wheel. Single Galfer discs, 310mm (front) and 240mm (rear)
• Aluminium Takasago Excel rims with Bartubeless system, 16.5” x 3.5” e 17” x 5”
• Metzeler Racetec SM 125/75 R16.5 and 165/55 R17 slick tyres
• DID transmission chain
• 2 Riding Modes
• Riding Mode configurable via the accessory X-Link app
• New generation electronics package with Ducati Traction Control (DTC), Launch Control, Quick Shift, and Engine Brake Control
• Piston replacement every 45 hours
• Valve clearance check every 45 hours

AVAILABILITY & PRICE

The Ducati Desmo450 SM will arrive at selected European dealerships from December 2026, followed by the rest of the world. Pricing and ETA in Oz is yet to be confirmed by Ducati Australia.