DIRT-READY DUCATI

The Italian factory has revealed all the information about its most off-road oriented motorcycle for years: the Desert X. Here’s what you need to know.

The DesertX’s beating heart is a tweaked version of Ducati’s infamous 937cc liquidcooled Testastretta 11° Desmodromic valvetrain engine, which offers a healthy 110hp at 9250rpm and 92Nm of torque at 6500rpm. It’s the same unit that powers the latest Monster and Multistrada V2 and has the same lighter 8-disc clutch and lower friction bearing-mounted geardrum as those two bikes, but it also gets different, shorter gear ratios. First and second are much shorter to allow for easier low-speed manoeuvres (which are typical off-road), while sixth gear is particularly long to better aid higher speed miles.

There’s also some state-of-the-art electronic systems as standard. More specifically, the DesertX features a grand total of six Riding Modes (which work in conjunction with four Power Modes

– Full, High, Medium, Low). The big news is the fact that the Enduro mode works as a more easy-going off-road setting aimed at less experienced riders, while the newly introduced Rally mode offers full engine performance and reduced electronic interference and is aimed at the more capable off-road enthusiast. They join the Sport, Touring, Urban and Wet modes to offer a huge amount of choice no matter the terrain or the conditions. They each offer a different balance of Ducati’s electronic controls, including the Engine Brake Control (EBC); Ducati Traction Control (DTC); Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC); Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up & Down; and ABS Cornering (which can be set between three different levels or completely deactivated).

The chassis consists of a new steel trellis frame, which works in conjunction with some long travel suspension. At the front there’s a 46mm diameter upside-down Kayaba fork with 230mm travel and at the rear there’s a Kayaba monoshock with 220mm of travel. With 250mm of ground clearance and a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel (which come fitted with a 90/90-21 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR and a 150/70 R18 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR respectively), the DesertX should be more than capable of tackling the trickiest of terrains without too much trouble. It’s also worth mentioning that the DesertX will be homologated to fit both off- and on-road tyres.

Stopping is provided by some seriously capable Brembo M50 monobloc radial callipers with four 30mm diameter pistons, axial pump with adjustable levers and double 320 mm discs with aluminium flanges. At the rear there’s a single 265mm diameter disc which is gripped by a Brembo twin-piston floating calliper.

Ducati claims the ergonomics of the DesertX have been developed to prioritise the standing-up position. It’s primarily an off-road bike after all. But it also reckons there’s still a decent level of comfort for riding sat down on the 875mm-tall seat. That does sound tall, but actually the bike’s narrow profile and soft suspension should make it relatively easy for riders to get a foot down on the ground.

There’s an impressively large 21-litre fuel tank as standard (with the option to mount a second 8-litre tank to the rear, which is available as a factory accessory); it’s capable of carrying close to 120 litres of luggage; and there’s a high resolution 5-inch TFT colour display which is capable of working with the smartphonecompatible Ducati Multimedia System.

Expected to be available in UK dealerships from May 2022 at a starting price of £13,795, we cannot wait to get our hands on the DesertX and put it through its paces.

With the much cheaper Yamaha Tenere and Husqvarna’s newly-introduced Norden in the same ballpark, it’s got a serious fight on its hands to prove its worth as a properly capable bit of bigmile off-road kit.