Ducati’s Desmo450 MX Factory is heading from the motocross paddock to the workbench as a 457-piece LEGO Technic set. The model reproduces the race-ready version of Ducati’s first motocross motorcycle with desmodromic valve timing, while adding several moving functions rather than treating the bike as a purely static display piece.

Announced on 23 October 2026, the set is designed for builders aged 10 and over. Its mechanical content includes working steering, movable front and rear suspension, and an engine mechanism actuated by a chain connected to the rear axle. Those features are simplified interpretations of motorcycle engineering, but they give the finished model a more active character than a conventional brick-built replica.

The real Desmo450 MX Factory is the competition-oriented version of the Desmo450 MX. Ducati describes the base motorcycle as its first motocross bike with desmodromic valve timing, and the model used for the LEGO collaboration follows the recently unveiled Model Year 2027 version. The Technic set carries across the motorcycle’s lines and sporting identity while translating selected mechanical ideas into parts that can be assembled and operated by hand.

More than a static motocross model

The front end can be steered, allowing the builder to move the handlebar and alter the model’s direction. Both ends of the suspension also function, adding movement to the chassis and making the bike feel closer to a mechanical object than a fixed sculpture. At the centre of the model, the engine mechanism is driven through a chain connected to the rear axle, linking the visible rear-wheel movement with a simplified representation of the motorcycle’s powertrain.

The functions are not presented as a complete technical reproduction of the full-size Desmo450 MX Factory. Instead, they select recognisable elements of a motorcycle’s layout and turn them into building features. That approach gives the set a clear educational angle: while assembling the bike, younger enthusiasts can see how steering, suspension travel and the transmission of movement can be represented through a construction model.

Ducati’s Alessandro Cicognani, Licensing, Merchandising & Corporate Sponsorship Director, says the project extends the company’s move into off-road disciplines. In his view, the Desmo450 MX Factory reflects Ducati’s racing identity in a new area, while the LEGO collaboration connects it with the company’s existing emphasis on innovation, performance and competition. The choice also gives the partnership a very different motorcycle to work with compared with its first project.

That first LEGO-Ducati model appeared in 2020 and was based on the Panigale V4 R. The new set therefore shifts the subject from a road-focused superbike to a motocross machine, although both projects are built around recognisable engineering details and a strong competition connection. The contrast between the two motorcycles is part of the appeal: one is a high-performance road racing design, while the other is Ducati’s race-ready entry into motocross.

Digital guidance and a second Ducati project

The LEGO Builder app is included as part of the construction experience. Builders can view the Desmo450 MX Factory in three dimensions, rotate the digital model, zoom in on individual details and follow the different assembly stages. For a set that combines bodywork with moving mechanical sections, the ability to inspect the model from multiple angles should make the build easier to follow and help clarify how the separate sections fit together.

Davide Cajani, LEGO Italia’s Marketing Director, describes the collaboration as a meeting point between motorcycles and construction. He highlights the shared interest in engineering, attention to detail and the pleasure of turning an enthusiasm into something that can be built and shared. The 457-piece format and the 10-plus age recommendation place the set within reach of younger builders while still giving the model enough mechanical content to appeal to adult Ducati and LEGO enthusiasts.

The new set is part of a broader Ducati off-road line that currently includes five named models. For motocross, the range comprises the Desmo450 MX, Desmo450 MX Factory and Desmo250 MX. Ducati also lists the Desmo450 EDS for specialist enduro riding and the Desmo450 SM for supermotard. In addition, the Desmo450 EDX has been developed specifically for Cross-Country competition and is available exclusively in selected markets.

The LEGO Technic Ducati Desmo450 MX Factory is identified by product code 42238. Its listed price is €49.99, with sales through LEGO.com, LEGO Stores and selected retailers. The information supplied does not establish country-specific pricing or availability, so the published euro price should not be read as a Greek market recommendation.

The real bike and the LEGO version in Lucca

Ducati and the LEGO Group will put the collaboration on display at Lucca Comics & Games 2026, scheduled for 28 October to 1 November. At the MediaWorld stand in Piazza della Caserma, visitors will be able to see a Desmo450 MX Factory alongside the new LEGO Technic model, creating a direct comparison between the full-size motocross motorcycle and its 457-piece interpretation.

The stand will also include a 1:1 replica of the Panigale V4 R made entirely from LEGO bricks. The full-scale build was created by LEGO Certified Professional artist Riccardo Zangelmi, linking the new motocross project with the Panigale-based beginning of the Ducati and LEGO relationship. Its presence gives the event a second example of how a Ducati motorcycle can be translated into a large-scale brick construction.

Visitors will additionally be invited to join the “Let’s Build It” contest, which will feature themed building challenges and LEGO sets as prizes. Taken together, the display, the full-size brick replica and the contest make the Lucca presentation more than a simple product showing: they place Ducati’s off-road motorcycle in a hands-on setting where the engineering theme can be explored through both the real machine and its buildable counterpart.