Ducati DesertX Revealed — Italian Retro Desert Stallion Is Finally here

The Ducati DesertX was first unveiled as a concept back in 2019 at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. The concept DesertX featured an air-cooled 1,079cc L-twin engine with around 85bhp and 88Nm of torque on tap.

The production-spec Ducati DesertX has gotten rid of the air-cooled L-twin engine and replaced it with the smaller 937cc liquid-cooled Testastretta 11° Desmodromic valvetrain engine. Though smaller in capacity, the 937cc L-twin engine produces 108.5bhp at 9,250rpm and 92Nm of peak torque at 6,500rpm.

The engine is paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox with a tall sixth gear for highway cruising while the first and second gears are quite short. Ducati claims that this is 'to facilitate the low-speed driving phases of certain difficult passages typical of off-road use' aka low-speed crawling while off-roading.

The Ducati DesertX is offered with six different riding modes. The first four riding modes — Sport, Touring, Urban and Wet – are tuned for everyday riding. The final two riding modes on the Ducati DesertX - Enduro and Rally — are tuned for off-roading.

Enduro Mode reduces the power output from the L-twin engine and features specifically designed control settings to allow the rider to tackle the most demanding dirt roads with greater safety and makes it easier for less experienced users to ride off-road.

The Rally mode, on the other hand, gives the rider control of all of the engine's horsepower and reduces the power of the electronic nannies. Rally mode claims Ducati is designed for more experienced riders who want to make the most of DesertX's off-road performance. In these two offroading modes, riders can turn off the cornering ABS setup with a dedicated button.

The Ducati DesertX features an all-new steel trellis frame chassis with a fully adjustable suspension setup from Kayaba. At the front is a 46mm upside-down fork with 230mm of travel while the rear end sports a monoshock setup with an aluminium swingarm and 220mm of wheel travel. The Ducati DesertX features 250mmof ground clearance and a seat height of 875mm, which could bother shorter riders.

The Ducati DesertX features a staggered setup with a 21-inch wheel up front and an 18 incher at the rear. Both wheels are shod in Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres that measure 90/90-21 (front) and 150/70 R18 (rear).

Braking duties are handled by Brembo brakes on both ends. The front features twin 320mm disc brakes with Brembo's four pistons M50 radial callipers. The rear tyre is bought to a halt by a single 265mm disc brake with two-piston callipers.

The Ducati DesertX sports a 21-litre fuel tank as standard. Those looking to really stretch their legs offroading can add the optional 8-litre auxiliary fuel tank which is mounted at the rear. The DesertX is also offered with optional aluminium hard luggage. Despite all the heavy hardware on offer, Ducati claims that the DeserX weighs in at only 202 kilogrammes (dry).

Thoughts On the Ducati DesertX

The Ducati DesertX sees the Italian marque head into the adventure motorcycle segment. With its retro looks, powerful engine and go-anywhere attitude, the DesertX sure looks to be real deal when it comes to offroading.