A ‘Yes, on or offroad, the Desertx hits the mark’
Where some of its rivals feel like bikes that have been converted into more hardcore machines, the Desertx gives the impression it has been designed as a complete package. What this means is that all of its components work in harmony and the final result is a bike that is hard to criticise — both on the road or in an off-road environment. This makes the Desertx the clear classleader in the middleweight adventurebike market.
It would have been easy for Ducati to just assume that all adventurers want serious dirt-munching abilities (which it can certainly deliver) but the fact is that for many, adventure riding involves fairly light trails in the hands of relatively novice off-roaders, a role in which the Desertx excels. And between those trails are many more miles of tarmac riding, especially if you live in the UK and are looking at travelling abroad to explore off the beaten track. But does the Desertx offer anything more than the Multistrada V2?
If you are a serious tourer, the X’s marginally bigger tank (with the option of extending it further) is a bonus and so is the ability to take on rougher roads. However, you also lack a few creature comforts, such as semi-active suspension (on the V2 S) and arguably the enhanced agility and better roadholding offered by the Multi’s fatter ‘road-sized’ wheels (19-inch front, 17-inch rear). That said, for our money, the Desertx is the better buy as not only does it look way cooler, it opens the door to a wider range of adventure riding by including the option of turning off the beaten track. And all without compromising its road ride.