Q&A WITH DUCATI’S ALESSANDRO LUPINO

Fresh off the launch of Ducati’s groundbreaking Desmo450 MX in Italy, John Prutti caught up with Alessandro Lupino — the man who’s been at the heart of its development from day one, and the man who won Ducati’s first motocross title – the Italian MX1 Motocross Championship – on the Desmo450 MX’s debut!

“Ducati brings all that road and MotoGP experience to off-road, which can create big opportunities for the development process.”

The multi-time Italian Motocross Champion has played a pivotal role in shaping Ducati’s first modern motocross machine, bringing his years of racing experience to a team better known for dominating the tarmac. In this candid chat, Lupino shares what it’s been like working alongside Ducati’s engineers, how MotoGP technology is finding its way into the dirt, and why the Desmo450’s advanced traction control could change the game for riders at every level.

TM: It’s great to be here in Italy for this landmark model’s launch. How is it for you being part of the Ducati team and seeing the development put into this new Desmo450?

Lupino: It’s been really cool. I mean, we started at end of last year to ride a little bit with the bike, and I immediately saw how professional that Ducati – and the entire team involved with developing the bike – were. I could also see that they were coming from another … from another ‘world’, because their background is in road motorcycles.

“The traction control system that is much more sophisticated that what anyone else has. Ducati has so much data, and we worked a lot to adapt the MotoGP technology to the MX bike.”

So, for us, it’s another world [laughs]. They bring all that road experience to off-road, which can create big opportunities for the development process. Every day I spend with them is an opportunity for me to improve and learn. I never get bored with them.

You have obviously been a huge part of the development process, but it seems to me like it’s a real family-oriented atmosphere and the team guys genuinely care about your input into the bike. I feel like that’s something maybe different to what other teams and other manufacturers have. But is that something you feel?

Lupino: Yes. And it’s nice because everyone in the company really cares about the project. We all care about it as if it was a friend or one of the family. You could see that in their faces yesterday when we all watched the first Desmo450 roll off the production line at the Bologna factory.

“The traction control makes it’s safer to ride fast for longer because it gives you better control over the bike.”

That atmosphere and positivity actually allows me to absorb more pressure. When I see those guys spend so much time on the bike, it’s easy for me to do the same because I can see they all love what they’re doing. So, to me, that’s been the secret behind the fast improvement of the bike.

Being here to see that very first production bike literally roll off the production line was special for me, and I’m only for media launch part of the bike’s evolution. But I can see how proud you guys are about the project, which has been such a big part of your lives for some time now.

Lupino: For sure. Everyone was so proud. I think it is the best moment of my career because, after 17 years of racing moto, I’m now getting involved on this project with Ducati. For me, it’s something that’s really cool and, like you said, it makes me really proud.

“We all care about the Desmo450 MX project as if it was a friend or one of the family. You could see that in everyone’s faces here at the media launch.”

I won the Italian MX Championship for Ducati last year with a prototype bike, but at the same time, it’s nice how they talk with me; how they approach me. They treat me like one of them, not as just a rider. There is only one thing with Ducati. They don’t care about day or night or number of hours. They only care about the bike; making everybody happy about the bike is the one goal.

Given all of Ducati’s experience – and success – in MotoGP, how can that knowhow be transferred to off-road bikes? Whether it’s ECUs or electronics or suspension or chassis set-up, what road bike technology are you learning about with the MX bike?

Lupino: There are a lot of things that are new to me; that I have never tried with an off-road bike. For example, the traction control system that is much more sophisticated that what anyone else has. Ducati has so much historical data, and we worked a lot to adapt the MotoGP technology to the MX bike. It’s very good – and already better than what anyone else has – but I think there is the possibility for it to become ever better.

Personally, I thought the traction control was amazing. Whether you’re riding or racing or just out there putting in laps – whether you’re a weekend warrior or Pro racer, that traction control makes a 63-horsepower 450 so much more useable. You could not only ride it faster, but you could ride it faster for longer.

Lupino: Yeah. That’s true. And it’s safer to ride fast for longer because it gives you better control over the bike.

In the past, other manufacturers’ traction control systems felt very restrictive to me. Whereas I feel like the Desmo450 still wanted to rev, and you could still go super-fast. It would just help maintain traction when you needed it to ‘intervene’.

Lupino: Yes, in my experience, the Ducati TC system works in a very different way. It’s difficult to go to compare with another bikes, but I can say the Ducati’s system makes riding fast much easier. Less stressful, let’s say, because it gives you more control over the bike.

And speaking of control, you had plenty of control when you were passing me on the track out there … and fully sideways [laughs]!

Lupino: Yeah, that was a good one. I, I, I send you some stones [laughs]. I tried to whip the bike on you over that jump, too, but I’m not so good with whips. Maybe because traction control can’t help me control whips [laughs].

I appreciate your time, brother. Man, it was so good to be able to cut some laps with you on a bike you’ve been so key in developing.

Lupino: Yeah, it was good. I’m so glad you could come here to Italy, John. It was really nice for me to share with the media my experience about developing the bike, and to let you see for yourself how much this project means to everybody at Ducati.