The new DesertX is Ducati’s first serious off-road capable ADV and we will discover that there is plenty to be excited about. If you think it, the DesertX is a motorcycle that should have been with us sooner. The demand for this kind of motorcycle has existed for years, and Ducati also has a legitimate heritage to lean on thanks to the Cagiva Elefant of the 1990s. Ah well, better late than never, right? because look at this thing –It’s Gorgeous
A PRETTY FACE
The callback to the gigantic Ducati- powered Cagiva is clear in the shape of the DesertX face and overall silhouette, but it’s a design that has contoured and finessed into the future. The twin circular LED headlamps along with the tall windscreen give this bike an instantly recognizable face, especially since Honda went a bit Angry Birds with the latest Africa Twin
The DesertX gets a large 21- liter fuel tank, but unlike many ADVs, this tank manages to feel nice and slim where the rider’s knees interface while standing up. In fact, the ergonomics on this bike are really very well judged, whether you are sitting or standing and a large part of that goes to the smart design with clean surfaces
The rear section is far simpler with the sleek oval LED tail-Lamp being the only expensive looking element. I like this because it gives DesertX a feeling of purpose and ruggedness. With some light modification and in the most talented of hands and big Multistradas can be quite capable off-road, But for most of us normal folks, the Multis feel a bit too pretty and beautifully crafted to drop. The DesertX also manages to be a great-looking bike, but it comes across as a more rugged one that would not have you cringe as badly when you inevitably drop it off-road.
DUCATI BACKBONE: Underneath that oh-so-pretty bodywork is a very traditional trellis frame-no a radical new monster style front frame here, it is new chassis, Ducati tells us but the company is so well versed with getting metal tubes to work in triangular shapes that you can accept its claim that this motorcycle was fully developed in just two years time.It also helps immensely that the engine is the familiar 937 cc liquid-cooled L-twin, but we will get to that later
The DesertX has a gigantic wheelbase of 1608 mm, which is even longer than the Diavel and only 7mm shorter than the most stretched out Ducati you can buy –the xDiavel.Funnily enough,,I never felt like this was an excessively long or lazy motorcycle and the number came across as quite a surprise when studying the spec sheet .
We got a brief amount of time to ride it off road at the World Ducati Week ,where the bike felt tall ,but also quite easy to ride and light on its fgeet.The DRE course at WDW was very basic,but it was enough to tell that its 21-inch/18 inch wheel sized ,this bike is going to be very capable and good fun off-road.The standing up ergos are spot on ,the suspension has heaps of travel ( 230 mm front /220 mm rear ) and there 250 mm of ground clearance .
At the simple dirt course ,the few things I could tell was that Pirelli tires do a good job in dry dirt,the steering feels a little heavy when moving the handlebar from lock to lock at low speeds and that the seat is slim ,but quite tall. The stock set height is 875 mm but many countries will have low seat also as standard which brings it down to 865 mm .
NO ANGER HERE : the rest of our few hours on the DesertX was spent on the roads around Bologna where we got to ride through some urban areas and towards some winding hilly roads. The familiar 937cc L-Twin is just like what you will get in the supersport,Hypermotard,Multistrada V2 and the monster,although in a different state of tune. With 110Hp and 92 Nm,its peak figures are in the ballpark of its siblings ,but the DesertX engine has the most muted and mellow tune of the lot .
It certainly lacks the punch of the lightweight monster or the aural drama and aggressive response of the Hypermotard. The power delivery is quite linear and there is good surge above 6000 rpm ,but there were also moments where that strong Ducati kick coming I was expecting out of corners at about 3000 rpm-just was not there . Ultimately ,Its very much a quick motorcycle ,but also a rather calm and approachable one,which should appeal to the wider crowd. Up on the winding roads outside bologna,the bike handled very well ,once you got used to the extensive movement of the long travel suspension . It turns in quite easily ,feel stable when leaned over and even side to side transitions do not take much effort. The DesertX rides on Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR as standard ,which are a halfway house between a full on off road tyre and a road focussed ADV tyre . Stick some more road –baised tyres on it and I am sure that DesertX will be a very nice Road Handler
As for the brakes ,you get twin Brembo M50 calipers in the front ,but mated to a simple axial brake master cylinder .The resulting performance is just like the engine –not at all aggressive ,but strong enough when you want it .
ALL YOU COULD WANT ? : The DesertX may be a rugges Ducati,but its still a very well equipped one .The shee number of electronic features and rider assists are very likely the best in the segment .The new vertical TFT display looks nice and it vies you control over almost all the samr rider assists you will find in Ducati sportbikes. The Ducati X has six customizable riding modes,Four power modes,Multi-level traction control, wheelie control, cornering ABS, and more. Not only you can deactivate the rear ABS,But also the front system if you are talented/brave .The price of the Ducati DesertX will be around $ 20,000 .Either way ,the DesertX has all the Ducati qualities of being a beautiful machine that is capable, fun, superbly equipped, and packaging a high price tag to match.
Ducati DesertX Specfications
| Price | Around $ 20,000 |
| Engine | 937 cc L-twin ,Liquid Cooled ,4 Valve |
| Max Power | 110hp at 9250 rpm |
| Max Torque | 92Nm at 6500 rpm |
| Gearbox | 6-Speed |
| Fuel Capacity | 21-litre |
| Wheelbase | 1608 mm |
| Seat Height | 865 mm (Low seat) |
| Kerb Weight | 223 kg |
| Suspension (f/r) | 46 mm USD Fork/Monshock |
| Brakes (f/r) | 320 mm twin discs/265 mm disc |
| Tyres (f/r ) | 90/90-21/150/70/R 18 |