Ducati is back in LEGO Technic, and this time it’s off the road. The Ducati Desmo450 MX Factory Motorcycle (42238) is the brand’s first motocross bike in LEGO, and at $49.99 it’s the easiest way into a Technic Ducati yet.
The set
457 pieces, ages 10 and up, released Aug 1. Built, it stands over 7.5 inches high and 12 inches long on its own display stand, finished in Ducati red with race number 222. It’s the smallest Technic Ducati so far, following the Panigale V4 R in 2020 and the Panigale V4 S in 2025.
It’s based on the factory race version of the Desmo450 MX, Ducati’s first motocross bike to use its signature desmodromic valve system.
How it works
Turn the wide motocross bars and the front wheel steers. Roll the bike and the chain from the rear axle drives a single-cylinder engine you can see working. Front and rear suspension soak up the bumps. For a set this size, it’s a lot of moving parts.
A life-size LEGO Panigale at Lucca
Ducati and LEGO are taking the bike on tour. From Oct 28 to Nov 1 at Lucca Comics & Games in Italy, the MediaWorld stand in Piazza della Caserma will show the real Desmo450 MX Factory, the LEGO set, and a full-size Panigale V4 R built entirely from LEGO bricks by LEGO Certified Professional Riccardo Zangelmi. There’s a “Let’s Build It” contest on site too.
Our take
At $49.99 this is the easiest yes in the Technic catalog right now. Grab it for the shelf, grab one for a kid who’s into bikes, and hope the life-size Panigale makes its way to the US.
