We’re already expecting the Ducati Desmo450 MX to arrive at North American dealers in July. However, if you just can’t wait, you can reserve yours now through the crowdsourcing website Prelaunch.com, Ducati’s official partner for this bike’s release.

The Desmo450 MX is a big deal for Ducati, diving headfirst into the top level of competition. Their bold strategy has paid off, with early event victories and winning the Italian MX1 Motocross Championship on their first try. North Americans got our first look at the bike on display at this year’s AMA Supercross events, which Ducati will be entering for the full 2026 season.

Crowdsourcing is an interesting choice for Ducati. I’ve seen it used for niche electronics projects, card and roleplaying games, and books. In those cases, however, the purpose is to raise money for the project before it begins, enabling small, independent creators to dive in knowing that their pre-orders will compensate them for their time and effort. However, with revenue of over one billion euros in 2024, Ducati has no need for seed money. The Desmo450 MX has been in development for at least the past year and a half, probably longer while still under wraps. Unlike most crowdsourcing projects, the bike is a thing that already exists and will continue to exist regardless of this campaign.

So why do it? According to Product Hunt:

Prelaunch.com is a platform that helps consumer hardware brands validate their product concepts. Prelaunch analyzes customer data, compares to its benchmarks and gives reliable insights on product performance.

Perhaps that second sentence is the answer to this question. While all the Desmo450 MX page at Prelaunch.com currently does is collect email addresses and provide extensive information about the bike, those emails tell Ducati who is most interested in the bike, give them the first crack at getting their hands on one, and maybe even give them a deal for being one of the first in line. We’re not sure about the specifics, but prompts like “Be The First In Line” and “Stay informed of Desmo450 MX to discover the most impressive deals” indicate that there may be some benefit to signing up rather than just waiting for it to arrive at your local dealer. Unlike some crowdsourcing projects, signing up for this one is not a commitment to buy, so if you’re truly interested in the bike, you might as well give it a try.