2027 Ducati Desmo250 MX Specs and Price

Ducati announced another brand-new model, the Desmo250 MX, which will debut in the 2027 model year and share the sales floor with its bigger brother, the Desmo450MX.

The Ducati Desmo250 MX features a fuel-injected 249.7cc four-stroke, four-valve single-cylinder engine with Desmodromic timing, designed to rev to 15,000 rpm to “fully exploit every gear, reducing the need to shift,” says Ducati. Ducati recommends a valve-clearance check every 45 hours. The Italian company touts 44.5 horsepower at 12,500 rpm and 21 lb-ft of torque at 8800 rpm.

The engine is paired with a seven-plate clutch and a five-speed gearbox featuring an upshift-only quickshifter.

The engine also features weight-saving magnesium covers for the alternator, cylinder head and clutch. Ducati claims the bike weighs 227 pounds wet (no fuel).

An electronics package includes two adjustable engine maps, a three-tier traction-control system, two engine-braking variations, and three launch-control options. All settings are configurable via Ducati’s X-Link mobile app.

The Desmo250 MX is fitted with Showa suspension, which includes a 49mm closed-cartridge fork with Kashima coating. It has an aluminum perimeter frame and swingarm and comes with Brembo brakes with Galfer discs.

The MSRP has been announced at $10,595. The bike is expected to be available in August.CN

Here are some of the highlights from Ducati’s press release:

Developed by Alessandro Lupino in the Italian Prestige MX2 championship, the Desmo250 MX has a new, single-cylinder, 4-stroke engine with a chain-driven, double overhead camshaft, four-valve Desmodromic valvetrain and a displacement of 249.7cc, along with magnesium alternator, cylinder head and clutch cover.

The bore and stroke are 81 x 48.4mm, the same as the Panigale V4 R, but with completely revised geometry, weight and fluid dynamics to meet the specific needs of motocross.

The lightweight piston features a piston ring and an oil scraper ring, with a double-spar “box-in-box” design to combine rigidity and strength, reducing the contact surfaces with the ultimate goal of reducing friction. For the same reason, the piston pin features a DLC surface coating. The crankshaft is composite, while the connecting rod is one-piece.

The valves and rocker arms are also the same as those used on the Panigale V4 R engine. The intake valves are made of titanium and have a diameter of 34mm, while the exhaust valves have a diameter of 27.5mm and are made of steel. The chain tensioner is hydraulically operated, offering more precise action than a conventional mechanical solution.

The Desmodromic system allows for greater valve acceleration, so it was possible to achieve higher lift values than traditional systems, thus enabling more aggressive cam profiles with the same valve diameter to be defined. This consequently allows for a more extended and sustained torque curve, and in the specific case of the Desmo250 engine, a maximum rpm of 15,000. The Desmo also offers greater torque at low and medium rpm, eliminating the need to overcome friction due to spring preload on the timing system. The Desmo rocker arms are coated with DLC.

A balancing countershaft that’s integrated with the water pump control reduces vibrations along with reducing the number of components and therefore mass and inertia. For the same reason, the tone wheel with pick-up is integrated into the rotor.

Fuel intake is managed through a mechanically controlled, 44mm diameter circular Mikuni throttle body. The intake uses a TwinAir filter. The exhaust, completely new and equipped with a resonator, is made of a steel/aluminum mix and complies with the FIM 2025 regulation, which requires an exhaust noise level no higher than 109 dB (+2 dB tolerance).

The Desmo250 engine delivers a claimed maximum power of 44.5 hp at 12,500 rpm, and peak torque is a claimed 21 lb-ft @ 8800 rpm.

The radiators rhomboidal in shape instead of rectangular, which Ducati says improves engine cooling thanks to a 6.5 percent increase in radiating surface area, while maintaining narrow, close-fitting side panels that do not compromise the rider’s freedom of movement towards the front.

The five-speed gearbox, with a quickshifter in upshift and ratios specifically defined for the 250 MX, features an aluminum drum, which makes it lighter and therefore reduces inertia. Likewise, the clutch, with a cup spring and seven-plate pack instead of the eight on the 450, uses a rear sprocket integrated into the basket, making it lighter and more compact axially.

The five-speed gearbox was developed specifically for the Desmo250 MX, equipped with a quickshifter in upshift, and a hydraulically operated Brembo clutch with a 7-plate clutch and a disc spring. The chain is a DID 520, while the RK rear sprocket is made of aluminum.

The Desmo250 MX retains the twin-spar aluminum frame developed for the 450 and features dedicated engine mounts to optimize stiffness, weight and strength. The Desmo250 MX’s suspension consists of a 49mm Showa upside-down fork and a Showa shock absorber, mounted centrally on the cast swingarm with forged progressive linkages.

The fork, featuring 12.2 inches of travel, has an aluminum fork leg with a 33mm offset, Kashima coating on the fork sleeves and black-anodized end caps. The fork features a closed-cartridge design with external adjusters for varying compression and rebound damping. The shock absorber, made of black anodized aluminum, has 11.9 inches of travel. In addition to spring preload, the shock absorber is adjustable for hydraulic compression (high and low speeds) and rebound.

The fork is mounted on high-performance forged aluminum triple clamps, which are then machined to maximize the component’s stiffness-to-weight ratio. The Desmo250 MX chassis is based on the 450’s perimeter frame and aluminum swingarm.

The Desmo250 MX braking system, both calipers and master cylinders, is manufactured by Brembo. The discs, 260mm at the front and 240mm at the rear, are supplied by Galfer and were developed to reduce unsprung weight, minimize the gyroscopic effect and increase the bike’s handling.

Takasago Excel rims with Alpina spokes, mounted on cast aluminum hubs are shod with the Pirelli Scorpion MX32 tires, with a 80/100-R21 front and 100/90-19 rear. [Note: Some photos and spec sheets provided by Ducati show the Desmo250 MX with the cross-country Pirelli Scorpion XC Mid Soft, but the USA version of the bike is expected to have the Scorpion MX32 tires on both front and rear. Ed]

The electronics package is derived from the one developed for the Desmo450 MX but is calibrated and optimized for the 250. It includes two engine maps that are customizable via the X-Link app, traction control with three levels of intervention, engine brake with two levels, and launch control with three levels of adjustment.

Ducati Corse has developed a specific algorithm for the Desmo450 and Desmo250 that calculates and then updates the maintenance schedules, which can be viewed via the Ducati X-Link app. Maintenance for the Desmo250 MX includes two types of intervention, defined as “MID” and “FULL.”

The MID Service includes checking the valve clearance, which is performed after 45 hours, and replacing the piston, which can vary between 45 and 60 hours, depending on actual engine wear. The FULL Service, which includes a complete engine overhaul, can vary approximately between 90 and 120 hours, again depending on the conditions and wear detected.

Distribution will expand to North America in August, followed by the rest of the world.

2027 Ducati Desmo250 MX Specifications