We’re still a few days away from the official presentation of Ducati’s new motocross bike and, over the last few months, we’ve witnessed a climax that has made – and is making – all fans of the bike and beyond go crazy.
It all started with the first rumors on the motocross tracks, then the big confirmation: Tony Cairoli and Alessandro Lupino as test riders, followed by a whole series of social content that is slowly revealing more and more of the bike.
Expectations are high for this new challenge for Ducati, partly because it’s a very ambitious project to achieve victory in off-road racing, and partly because seeing an all-Italian project flourish always makes Italians very proud.
In this article we tell you everything we know about Ducati’s new motocross bike.
At first they were just rumors, then the first rumors emerged among motocross riders and track operators, where someone swore they had seen the bike on the track. What’s more, among the insiders, the arrival of a Ducati specialist was a given. During the Rallylegend in San Marino, in an interview with La Gazzetta, Antonio Cairoli stated that he had had some talks with Ducati, but without revealing too much. We already knew that the manufacturer from Borgo Panigale was developing a motocross bike, but collaboration with the Sicilian champion seemed a long way off.
With this news, the rumors are confirmed: Ducati is officially entering the world of motocross and it’s doing so with a very special test rider, Antonio Cairoli. The Sicilian rider has decided to embark on this ambitious journey with the Borgo Panigale factory as a test rider and perhaps also as a driver, who knows.
Entering the specialized off-road sector is a strategic decision of considerable importance and commitment for Ducati, made possible by the successes achieved in recent years. The choice made underlines the determination to expand the brand’s presence in hitherto unexplored terrain, also offering the opportunity for new young motorcyclists to get closer to the prestigious brand from Borgo Panigale and become an integral part of the vast Ducatisti community.
After a weekend of testing in Sicily, photographs were published on the social networks of Ducati and the two test riders Antonio Carioli and Alessandro Lupino, showing little more than a black mudguard and some shape. Although no technical details of the bike were revealed, the public went wild, with hundreds of comments on the various posts.
In Bologna, during the MotoGP event – which we attended in person – Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali previewed the dates of the official presentation of the Ducati motocross bike. The event will take place in Madonnna di Campiglio and Ducati will present the Motogp and WSBK teams, as well as the new team that will take part in the 2024 Italian Motocross Championship.
Meanwhile, following the news of the official presentation, the climax on the Borgo Panigale manufacturer’s social networks continues. It’s showtime: Antonio Cairoli and Alessandro Lupino squeeze the new single-cylinder bike between jumps and parabolas at full speed. The shape and some details of the new project are beginning to emerge more and more clearly, including the characteristic roar.
Just two days before Christmas and Ducati announces the birth of the new competition unit: Ducati Corse Off-Road, with Paolo Ciabatti as Managing Director. It goes without saying that the company from Borgo Panigale is committed to taking its work seriously, a high-level team has been assembled and expectations are high.
So all that remains is to wait for some more indications on the Internet, or wait for the official presentation in Madonna di Campiglio.