The Ducati Desmo450 SM marks a landmark moment for Borgo Panigale, the first supermoto Ducati has ever built and a bold statement of intent in a class defined by agility, attitude and hooligan fun. Newly revealed and built on the racing DNA of the Desmo450 MX motocrosser, it brings genuine Ducati engineering and desmodromic heritage to the supermoto world, aimed at riders who want the sharpest, most playful machine on any twisting road or closed circuit.
At its heart is a 449.6cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine with a short-stroke 96 by 62.1mm bore and stroke and a high 13.5:1 compression ratio, the same advanced desmodromic-derived power unit that makes the Desmo450 MX so potent, re-tuned here for the demands of tarmac. Drive goes through a five-speed gearbox with revised supermoto ratios, delivering the punchy, free-revving single-cylinder character that makes a bike like this so addictive to ride hard.
The chassis is pure supermoto precision. An aluminium perimeter frame made from eleven cast, forged and extruded elements, shared with the MX, keeps the bike light and flickable, while fully adjustable Showa suspension front and rear soaks up bumps and kerbs and gives the composure to attack. Braking comes from Galfer Floatech wave discs gripped by radial-mount Brembo calipers for fierce, controllable stopping power, and Metzeler slick-pattern supermoto tyres on 16.5-inch front and 17-inch rear Takasago Excel spoked rims deliver serious grip when you are hard on the side of the tyre.
Stripped-back, aggressive and purposeful, the Desmo450 SM is designed for the rider who lives for backroad scratching, supermoto track days and pure two-wheeled entertainment. As Ducati’s first entry into the category it is one of the most eagerly anticipated new bikes of its generation. Full specification and pricing follow its 2027 launch. Register your interest now at GT Motorcycles, your Ducati dealer in Plymouth. We look after riders across Devon and Cornwall and the South West, with finance and delivery available.
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