We don’t usually give attention to pure off-road equipment just like the psychological fashionable motocross machines – however we’ll make an exception for this: the brand new Ducati Desmo450 MX. It’s been racing within the numerous MXGP collection for some time now in prototype kind, however is now in the stores.
It’s a good-looking beast, although the character of an MX race bike means it appears pretty just like the remainder of the sector: single-cylinder lump; twin spar aluminium body; long-travel fully-adjustable Showa suspension with 49mm USD entrance forks; rear monoshock; and round a foot of wheel journey.
A lot of the particular Ducati options are contained in the engine and electronics. The brand new 449.6cc single-cylinder engine options desmodromic valves, because the title suggests, and it makes a heady 63.5bhp @ 9400rpm, matching the legendary 500 two-stroke motors of outdated.
The worth for that (and the 11,900rpm redline) is a busy upkeep schedule: oil and filter at 15 hours, new piston at 45 hours, with a valve clearance test whilst you’re in there, and a full engine rebuild at 90 hours. That sounds mad to a street rider, nevertheless it isn’t actually uncommon on an MX racebike. Bore and stroke is 96×62.1mm, 40mm consumption valves are titanium with 33mm metal sodium-cooled exhaust valves, compression ratio is 13.5:1, there’s a 44mm Mikuni throttle physique with Keihin injector, and a five-speed gearbox.
Ducati says it’s given the Desmo450 MX a novel electronics package deal with an IMU-assisted traction management arrange, simply bypassed by dipping the clutch once you need to freely spin it up, and two energy modes. There’s additionally adjustable engine brake management, launch management and an up-only quickshifter as inventory. Brembo brakes, Galfer discs, Pirelli Scorpion MX32 tyres, Takasago Excel wheels and a DID chain spherical off the spec checklist, and it weighs 104.8kg moist with out gasoline within the 7.2 litre tank.
Priced at £11,245, the Desmo450 MX is on sale now.
