TESTED: 2026 DUCATI DESMO450 MX

There are bike launches. And then there are bike launches. And fair to say that the recent international media launch for Ducati’s all-new 450cc motocross weapon – the 2026 Desmo450 MX – was among the most highly anticipated launches we’ve ever been to.

Why’s that? Well, aside from the fact the launch was held in the Italian motherland and attended by a who’s who of Ducati’s design staff, development team and Pro racers, remember also just how significant this machine is for the passionate Italian manufacturer. The 2026 Desmo450 MX is Ducati’s first modern-era motocross bike, the only MX bike on the market to use desmodromic valves, and, according to Ducati, the “first of an entire family of off-road models”.

And while Ducati has confirmed the Desmo450 MX will carry a premium price tag, the pre-production bike’s success in the Italian and World Motocross Championships indicate it’ll be immediately competitive against the line-up of Japanese and European MXers it will soon call dealer-floor rivals.

We sent long-time moto-mad racer, frother and content creator, John Prutti, along to the Desmo450 MX’s media launch in Italy for what turned out to be, literally, the ride of his life! Tune in as Prutti shares his candid insights into the standout design elements, personality and performance of this exciting addition to the motocross segment…