Making its debut in the 2024 Italian Motocross Championship is a motocrosser from Ducati. After two years of work, this multi-year project will see the boys from Borgo Panigale produce a complete range of off-road engines and motorcycles.
This will lead to a family of knobby-tyres motorcycles carrying the Ducati brand, starting with motocross machines. Ducati has signed an agreement with nine-time Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli as a high-performance test rider for the new project.
A multi-year agreement has also been signed with Maddii Racing, becoming the reference structure for Ducati’s motocross racing activities. Alessandro Lupino, eight-time Italian Champion and 2021 MXoN winner is also contracted to Ducati as racing and test rider.
Ducati’s mechanical Desmodromic valve actuation will feature in its motocross engine. The focus of Ducati’s off-road project is a combination of the search for lightness, top-of-the-line components and engines characterised by a broad power delivery curve.
The move to the the specialised off-road sector is driven in part by Ducati’s racing success in recent years. The aim will be to draw young motorcyclists into the brand while presenting a new engineering and product niche for Ducati.
The post Ducati goes motocross racing, team debuts in 2024 appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
