2027 Ducati Desmo450 SM: First Racing Supermoto, $12,995 MSRP

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Ducati just put a real racing supermoto in the catalog. The 2027 Desmo450 SM is the brand’s first competition-only supermoto — based on the Desmo450 MX platform, reworked for SM tracks, and stickered at **$12,995** MSRP for the U.S.

That number and U.S. timing come straight from Ducati North America’s Sunnyvale press dated September 17, reprinted with full specs by Cycle News on September 20 and Motor Sports NewsWire. Select U.S. dealerships get the bike in **spring 2027**. Ducati’s European Media House page says selected European dealers start in **December 2026**, with the rest of the world after — so the U.S. window is later than Europe, not the same day.

What “competition-only” actually means here

This is not a plated dual-sport with smaller wheels. Ducati calls it a racing supermoto built to compete: Excel BarTubeless rims (16.5-inch front / 17-inch rear), Metzeler Racetec SM slicks, no street-tire compromise on the nose. Cycle News’ editor note is blunt — that **16.5-inch front is not compatible with standard 17-inch street tires**. You’re buying a track tool, not a grocery-getter with knobbies swapped off.

Engine and claimed numbers

The Desmo450 single is **449.6 cc** with Desmodromic valve timing — Ducati’s pitch for being the only bike in class with that valvetrain. Claimed output: **63.5 hp at 9,400 rpm** and **39.5 lb-ft at 7,500 rpm**, with the rev limiter at **11,900 rpm**. Wet weight without fuel is claimed around **240 lb**. Seat height sits at **36.6 inches**. Fuel capacity is **1.9 U.S. gallons** per Cycle News’ NA specs sheet — ignore the Media House bullet that erroneously prints “9 US gal (7.2 l)”; that does not match a competition SM tank or the NA reprint.

Suspension, brakes, clutch

Showa developed the SM settings directly. Up front: a **49 mm** USD closed-cartridge fork with Kashima coating and about **11 inches / 280 mm** of travel, fully adjustable. Rear: fully adjustable Showa shock with progressive link and about **11.6 inches / 295 mm** of travel. Brakes are serious — **Brembo Stylema** radial caliper on a **310 mm** Galfer floating disc up front, **240 mm** Galfer disc with a Brembo floating caliper out back. Transmission side gets a **Suter** slipper clutch calibrated for the SM, plus Quick Shift for upshifts only.

Electronics aimed at SM grip, not trail modes

Ducati Traction Control (four levels, can be switched off), Launch Control, Engine Brake Control, and two Riding Modes you can tune through the X-Link app. The DTC pitch is supermoto-specific — estimating rear slip instead of dumping a dirt-bike map onto pavement. Useful if you actually race; overkill if you just wanted red plastics and a tall seat.

Warranty and what MSRP does not include

Cycle News lists a Ducati conventional warranty of **3 months or 20 hours** of use — racebike math, not street-touring math. The published **$12,995** is base MSRP. Freight, destination, taxes, and dealer fees are **not** stated in the SM MSRP announcement we saw — treat those as separate dealer-quote line items, not free money.

Sibling context, not a second story

The SM joins Ducati’s 2027 off-road wave alongside the Desmo450 EDS — Ducati’s first 50-state legal dual sport — and the Desmo250 MX. Different bikes, different jobs. This piece is about the racing supermoto.

Rider takeaway

If you wanted Borgo Panigale to stop teasing SM conversions of the MX and just sell the race version, this is that bike: Showa-tuned, Stylema-braked, Suter-clutched, $12,995 before fees, Europe first in late 2026 and U.S. dealers in spring 2027. Bring a trailer and a tire budget that understands 16.5-inch slicks.

Further reading

- Ducati Desmo450 SM: the first racing supermoto from Borgo Panigale — Ducati Media House, September 17, 2026 - 2027 Ducati Desmo450 SM Specs and Price — Cycle News, September 20, 2026 (NA press + MSRP) - Ducati Desmo450 SM press reprint — Motor Sports NewsWire, September 17, 2026

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