Ducati DesertX combines a retro adventure looks with modern adventurers’ innards

Ducati have combined the two most popular market segment bikes into one, creating one of the most exciting models in recent years.

Technologically interesting, beautifully styled and with the business case to cheer up the greyest faced accountant, the DesertX has all the raw ingredients to take the motorcycle world by storm.

Unlike the concept, which was based on the air-cooled Scrambler platform, the finished bike is based on the Multistrada V2. Powered by the same 937cc Testastretta V-twin as the Multi, it has an impressive 108 horses on tap as well as 68ftlb of torque.

As well as all the recent updates that have dropped just shy of 2kg from the motor, Ducati have also changed the gearbox ratios for the DesertX. The first two gears are considerably shorter for better off-road work, while third, fourth and fifth are also shorter than the Multi, with only sixth staying long for improved motorway cruising.

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This isn’t the only adaptation Ducati have made for improved off-road handling – it actually appears that was their primary focus. For a start the bike has 21/18″ wheels (a Ducati first), which not only take in the bumps and lumps better but also allow for a bevy of off-road tyre options.

Ducati have also fitted long travel Kayaba suspension itself bolted to in a brand new steel trellis frame, with 230mm travel at the front and 220mm at the rear with a damping set up tuned for riding off-road.

The result is 250mm of ground clearance with lots of off-road potential, albeit at the expense of a high 875mm seat height.

Braking comes from Brembo with a pair of M50 Monoblocs at the front but even the braking system has been designed with off-road antics in mind, with master cylinder set up for modulation on slippery surfaces rather than all out dead stop power.

The riding position too has been tailored for off-roading, with the seat-footrest-handlebar triangle designed primarily for comfort in the standing position. That’s not to say it’s a one trick pony.

Ducati have targeting padding in the rider and passenger seats for increased comfort on the long haul, while special attention has been paid to heat management from the exhaust and wind protection from the stock windshield.

It’s also more than capable of touring with a 21-litre fuel tank (with option for an extra 8-litres) plus a full suite of aluminium hard luggage available. Despite all these goodies, Ducati have still kept the claimed weight to 202kg dry.

In keeping with all modern Ducatis, the electronics are top notch. There are six riding modes, with four power modes, including two off-road modes with varying levels of power, wheel slip and ABS intervention.

Thanks to a Bosch IMU there’s also every safety aid you’d expect including engine brake control, wheelie control, cornering ABS, traction control plus a quickshifter.

It also comes with a 5″ full-colour TFT dash, which has all the connectivity you can imagine including turn-by-turn navigation, plus a dedicated ‘Rally Info’ screen mode. The DesertX will arrive in dealer in May 2022 priced at £13,795, around £1000 more than the Multistrada V2.

Ducati DesertX: Rally ready

There’s a groundswell of love for rallying now, inspiring the names of bikes, the styles of bikes and even the names of some of the electronics but it’s rare a bike has anything that closely resembles a rally bike.

The DesertX is a little different in that respect with a couple of items that would make it suitable for big bike rallies, such as the RallyMoto 500 series, straight out of the crate. 

For a start the bike has a tripmaster function in the odometer, which is a key piece of rallying equipment. This allows you to adjust the trip odometer up and down to match the roadbook, just like at the Dakar.

Normally this requires a dedicated piece of equipment, or the use of a smartphone app, so by building it in its clear that Ducati hope you might do more than make your way to the local Morissons.

There’s also the option to add a supplementary fuel tank in the subframe, which adds 8-litres of fuel capacity. Again just like the Dakar bikes there’s a dedicated button on the dash to activate fuel transfer from the rear tank to the front tank. 

There’s even a racing version of the official Termignoni exhaust that boosts power and torque by 7% when a dedicated map is activated plus a one-piece rally saddle… To go with the bike Ducati have even created a dedicated range of Dakar inspired clothing.

Keep an eye out for the Ducati DesertX review coming soon on MCN.