Two years after Ducati’s first taste of a Dakar-inspired adventure bike set to conquer continents both on and off-road, the Italian manufacturer today fully unveiled the brand new DesertX, giving us all a glimpse of what’s going on in Showrooms will appear in the world in spring 2022.
What is there to know about DesertX? Keep scrolling for a full breakdown, but first the headlines:
- Equipped with the same water-cooled 937 cm³ Testastretta engine as in the Multistrada 950, with an optimized gear ratio for off-road driving
- 110 hp and 92 Nm torque at 6,500 rpm
- 21-inch front tires and 18-inch rear tires, fitted with tubeless Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires to cope with life off-road
- 202kg dry weight
- Kayaba forks with 230 mm travel at the front and 220 mm at the rear
- Brembo brakes
- 875mm saddle height
- 21 l fuel tank with optional 8 l rear tank as an extra
Ducati DesertX revealed
First, let’s talk about these looks.
Ducati opted for 80s Dakar styling with the DesertX (after Yamaha with the Ténéré 700 and Aprilia with the Tuareg 660) and got it right with a retro bike that is at home in the dunes .
From the round headlights to the dull screen, large tank, and minimalist tail section, it looks like it was picked out of a grainy chunk of helicopter footage from old rally races, and we assume it’s a guaranteed eye-catcher will be when it hits UK roads.
Obviously, off-roading is what Ducati has in mind with the DesertX, and it has packed it with a multitude of features that geared it up for life in rough terrain.
It comes with the same water-cooled 937cc Testastretta engine that is in the Multistrada V2although it has been optimized for off-road driving, with Ducati cutting power down a bit to make it manageable off-road. This means that it generates 110 hp and 92 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm (compared to 113 hp and 98 Nm for the V2).
There are also 21-inch front tires and 18-inch rear tires clad in gnarled tubeless Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber that sit at the end of the Kayaba fork, tuned for off-road riding.
The 46 mm upside-down fork offers 230 mm of travel at the front, while the Kayaba Monoshock offers 220 mm of travel at the rear, with both compression, tension and preload adjustable. The setup also gives the bike an airy ground clearance of 250 mm and a seat height of 875 mm.
Two 320 mm discs and Brembo monoblock radial calipers with four 30 mm pistons at the front and a 265 mm disc and Brembo double-piston brake calliper at the rear bring everything to a standstill.
The entire ensemble weighs 202 kg when dry and is therefore in the same league as competitors such as the KTM 890 Adventure and the BMW F 850 GS.
Touring credentials
The first prototype showed the DesertX with a 30 liter twin fuel tank in rally style. That is gone with the production model, with a solitary 21-liter fuel tank at the front.
Ducati does however offer the fascinating option of adding an additional 8 liters at the rear from the Extras catalog for a true, continent-destroying range, an approach that we are a fan of.
There’s a lot of tech too, which isn’t surprising given the approach Ducati has taken with the Multistrada range in the past.
The DesertX is equipped with a 5 ″ TFT, which is easy to read while sitting as well as standing on the footrests and can be toggled between two display options, rally and standard. It also comes with six driving modes; Enduro, rally, sport, touring, urban and wet.
Each changes the character of the bike for different conditions in conjunction with the Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU), engine brake change, traction control, wheelie control, quickshifter and cornering ABS.
When will it be available?
the Ducati DesertX will be in showrooms in May 2022 and prices start at £ 13,795.
What do you think of the new DesertX? Are you tempted? Let us know in the comments.
Would you like to test the Ducati DesertX off-road next year?
Well here is your chance. Ducati is bringing a fleet of DesertX bikes to the Adventure Bike Rider Festival 2022, offering you the opportunity to go on an off-road tour throughout the weekend.
Early bird tickets are available today herewhich can save you £ 30 on weekend tickets but they are almost sold out. This means you can get festival passes for three days and two nights including camping for just £ 99 (full price £ 129).
So grab yours today here to save £ 30 plus the chance to ride the brand new DesertX at Ragley Hall next year.
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