Against its European opposition Ducati has languished in the off-road ready adventure market, but the DesertX is the marque’s first proper adventure bike. It’s the machine that every judge in AMCN’s 2022 Motorcycle of the Year (MOTY) presented by Shannons Insurance couldn’t wait to get their hands on.
Every modern Ducati has impeccable build quality and the DesertX is no different. Fit and finish is excellent, and it’s adorned with desirable goodies like Brembo monoblocs, side-laced tubeless wheels and adjustable foot controls. The Cagiva Elefant-theme paintwork looks amazing and the matte paint on the tank where knees rub seems durable. The fairing feels solid and the non-adjustable screen with its detail print stays put in the rough stuff.
I love the look of the DesertX, and there’s no doubt it’s put together with loving Italian hands – but that’s all for nothing if it isn’t backed up by performance. With 81kW of power and 92Nm of torque on tap from the 937cc Testastretta V-twin, and a relatively low 202kg claimed dry weight, the X is a very lively package. It’ll loft the front wheel on command, it’s a pleasure to scratch on and the long-travel suspension soaks up even the worst road conditions. There is some dive at the front-end when you grab a fist full of the front Brembos, but that’s a common theme with all long-travel off-roaders. Full marks to the DesertX for fun factor on and off the road, though; it’s hard to fault.
The DesertX could be classed as innovative against the rest of the Ducati range but, when compared to the market, the DesertX has simply given Ducati a position at the true adventure bike table. There’s no feature on the DesertX that can’t be found on the likes of the KTM 1290 Super Adventure R or BMW R 1250 GS Adventure.
The DesertX seemingly ticks all the boxes a big adventure machine should, but when it comes to the nitty gritty there’s one area where Ducati designers left the apprentice in charge when they went to lunch: airbox access. The DesertX requires the removal of its tank to access the airbox and while Ducati says its a 30-minute job, it’s a terrible oversight for a bike which wants to fight – or ride – with the big guns. Of course, if you’re not heading bush for extended periods this won’t be as big of an issue, but somewhere along the line it’s going to cost owners either time or money. It’s a pity, because in every other element the DesertX hits the design brief mark.
When most people think Ducati, they think expensive. But the DesertX comes in at a very reasonable and surprising $24,700 ride away, and for that you get a fast and beautifully rugged motorcycle with solid performance on- and off-road, plenty of electronic fruit and the street cred that comes with owning a Ducati. By comparison, the base 1290 Super Adventure is $7K more expensive, and the R 1250 GS Adventure will set you back $28,300.
TEST: PETE VORST
Over the next few weeks we will reveal more about the eight MOTY finalists on the AMCN website and eventually announce the winner. If you can’t wait that long to find out which motorcycle has been awarded AMCN’s 2022 Motorcycle of the Year presented by Shannons Insurance, grab a copy of the AMCN Yearbook, which is on sale now at newsagents and select supermarkets.
