Ducati DesertX Detailed Look – In 5 Points

In this first look article we share Ducati DesertX details and talk about the specifics of the retro ADV which is easily one of the most talked about products of recent times

Ever since Ducati unveiled their DesertX Concept back in 2019, the world of adventure biking has been very excited to see this bike come to life. It gave us a very promising glimpse into what could be one of the best off-road bikes in the industry. And now that the motorcycle has come to India let us summarize it in five points…

Styling – 

  • The Ducati DesertX has a mix of modern as well as a retro desert racer look with a very minimalistic body styling and panels, exposed rear shocks, taller stance, auxiliary fuel tank and so much more. 
  • It aptly looks the part of being an adventure bike and has the tools to prove it too.
  • The double front headlight has two twin-function poly-ellipsoidal modules with Daytime Running Light (DRL) and has been designed to ensure excellent visibility and is a full LED set-up. 
  • The rear light is equipped with the Ducati Brake Light system which in the event of sudden braking, automatically activates the flashing of the rear light to alert the following vehicles. 
  • Ducati believes their DesertX’s intense character deserves a special homage. This is why for the first time the Ducati Centro Stile designed a dedicated livery for the bike. 
  • The outstanding livery of the ADV is inspired by the iconic “Dakarian style” and is named 21/18 – a celebrative tribute to this bike’s tyres sizes.

Engine and Gearbox – 

  • In 2019, the concept that was showcased carried the Scrambler’s engine. 
  • The production ready Ducati DesertX borrows the Ducati Multistrada V2’s motor which is also shared by the Monster, Supersport and the Hypermotard.
  • This engine is a 937 cc liquid-cooled Testastretta 11° Desmodromic valvetrain engine putting out 110 BHP at 9250 RPM and 92 Nm of torque at 6500 RPM.
  • This makes it compete directly with The BMW F850 GS, Triumph Tiger 900 and KTM 890 ADV. 
  • It also gets its own off-road dedicated gearbox with tuned gear-ratios. The first two gears are kept considerably shorter for better off road work while the third, fourth and fifth are kept moderate and the sixth gear has been kept longer for better highway cruising.

The Fuel Tank – 

  • The most unique feature of Ducati DesertX is its direct inspiration from the desert racers that are used majorly in the Dakar Rally. 
  • Since the concept itself, Ducati has added an optional auxiliary tank at the rear which can hold an extra 8-liter of fuel over the standard 21-liter the main tank carries. 
  • The auxiliary tank feeds into the main reservoir which further feeds the engine and can be activated directly from the main console when the main fuel tank level reaches a pre-selected level. 
  • This increases the claimed range of 375 km from the main fuel tank to 518 km when combined with the auxiliary tank. 

The Chassis – 

  • The chassis is made of a new Steel Trellis frame which is attached to 230 mm long-travel 46 mm diameter upside-down Kayaba shocks suspension at the front and a Kayaba monoshock paired to an aluminium swingarm allowing 220 mm suspension travel at the rear. 
  • This set-up provides a generous ground clearance of 250 mm to tackle whatever the wilderness has to offer. 
  • The ADV will challenge the world running on 21” front and 18” rear strapped with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR as standard and are homologated to utilise both off and on-road tyres as well. 
  • The ADV stops utilizing all Brembo M50 monobloc radial calipers with four 30 mm diameter pistons, axial pump with adjustable levers and double 320 mm discs with aluminium flanges at the front and a single 265 mm diameter disc on which works a twin-piston floating caliper at the rear. 
  • The Ducati ADV gets ABS and Cornering ABS as standard.
ducati desertx details

The Tech

  • The DesertX ADV is decked-out with the latest and most sophisticated electronic systems which Ducati has created specifically to provide better rideability and safety for the rider. 
  • It comes with 6-riding modes combined with 4-power modes – Full, High, Medium and Low – that modifies the power and responsiveness of the Testastretta engine.
  • The new addition to the riding electronics is the specific settings for the Enduro Riding Mode and the introduction of the new Rally Riding Mode, in addition to Sport, Touring, Urban and Wet. 
ducati desertx details
  • Each Riding Mode is using the Bosch IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) and can change the character of the bike according to the rider’s input, by intervening and controlling various electronic controls – Engine Brake Control (EBC), Ducati Traction Control (DTC), Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC), Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up & Down and ABS Cornering. 

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  • The dashboard is a vertically-oriented 5” full-TFT colour display positioned to offer clear information especially in stand-up riding position. 
  • The instrumentation is equipped to integrate the Ducati Multimedia System which allows the rider to connect the phone, access functions such as music and incoming/outgoing calls or Turn-by-Turn navigation (optional).

The bike is priced at £13,795 in the UK putting it at the premium segment of the ADV bikes. It is slotted over its direct rival the Triumph Tiger Rally Pro. To know its India pricing, delivery details, check out the launch article.