There is no doubt that getting a brand to reach its centenary is a reason for satisfaction and a sign of work well done, combined with a bit of luck. But, above all, it is a reason to celebrate. That is what Ducati is doing in 2026, which marks 100 years since its founding. And also at a sweet moment for the company that, despite the situation in the industry, continues to grow.
The best thing is that Ducati is not only looking at its great legacy of these first 100 years of history, but it is also looking at the future, and it does so with new models that are raising quite a bit of expectation. Taking advantage of WDW, the Italian manufacturer presented its first real supermotard on July 4 to an enthusiastic audience, as MCN colleagues could see.
And we say “really” because in the catalog they already have models that are close to this style such as the Hypermotard 698 Mono and Hypermotard V2, but they did not have a model prepared for competition. At the end of the day, Hypermotards are street motorcycles and this new model, the new Desmo450 SM, is a racing motorcycle that cannot be registered.
It becomes, therefore, one of those few pure supermotard options that manufacturers offer to the general public without having to do the preparation yourself, which is always more cumbersome than arriving with the money and taking the bike ready. In any case, this grand presentation of the new Ducati Supermotard has been quite enigmatic, since no mechanical or performance data have been made public.
There is not much data on the Ducati Desmo450 SM, but it is not an MX with changed wheels
What does seem clear is that it is a version that is based on the Desmo450 MX conveniently suited to the needs, and therefore the minimum is to expect it to have a power similar to its motocross sister which, remember, is 62.6 HP.
Even so, in the presentation it was stated that the revision has been extensive and work has been done on multiple sections of the motorcycle beyond the obvious ones (tires, suspensions and brakes). Because according to Giulio Fabbri, Ducati’s head of product communication, work has been done on every part of the motorcycle, including the chassis, engine and some parts of the plastics, with the idea that the motorcycle is the lightest in the category.
It was also announced that in September we will have more information and we will see Marc Márquez with it, who will get on the motorcycle in the coming days to record the promotional video. It will be then when we know in depth all the details of the model with which Ducati intends to enter fully into the fight with KTM and Husqvarna, the two brands of the Austrian group that offer a “full sm” package as standard.
