Ducati DesertX Review: Is It The Best Adventure Bike?

Photography & Videography: Arvind Salhan

The twisty road snaked up the mountainside, and the adventure bike I’m astride dipped in and out of corners like a boss, the intake roar from its inline three-cylinder engine and exhaust note complementing the pace and corners. And when the road surface ended, the 21-inch front wheel, combined with the plush suspension, made light work of the dirt section. After two days of riding some spectacular roads in Andalucia, Spain, I was smitten! My next bike just had to be an adventure bike, which can take me to places in comfort, offer sporty handling in the twisties, and when the asphalt ended, it needed to have the capability to tackle all kinds of terrain with ease. 

Also Read: Ducati DesertX Launched In India At Rs. 17.91 Lakh

The Ducati DesertX intends to shake up the middleweight adventure segment, but punches a segment above as well.

It feels almost like yesterday, but that was more than a decade ago. I ended up acquiring the same middleweight adventure bike soon after, and still have it.  In the years that followed, ADV bikes became all the rage, particularly in India, which was a sort of late bloomer when it came to the adventure motorcycle segment. One after another, adventure bike after adventure bike across segments were launched, each boasting of features, electronics and capability that seemed to be the segment benchmark in features and performance. For me, not a single adventure bike made an impression like the one that did during those two days of riding in southern Spain more than ten years ago.

Also Read: All You Need To Know About Ducati DesertX Rally

The Ducati DesertX was launched in India in December 2022, at a price of Rs. 17.91 lakh (Ex-showroom).

Now, at the end of 2023, we finally have our hands on the 2022 Ducati DesertX, an adventure bike with which Ducati takes a shot at the versatile middleweight adventure segment. With the DesertX, Ducati intends to rule uncharted territory, boasting of a level of off-road cred and versatility which could possibly shake the best all-round adventure bikes. But is it that good? And does it make the cut to make me lust for it, just like I did before I acquired my personal Triumph Tiger 800? Those were questions that needed some answers, perhaps more from a mid-life temptation to acquire a new two-wheeled toy, rather than from any practical need for a new motorcycle in the garage.

Also Read: Ducati DesertX First Batch Sold Out In India

Is there a perfect adventure bike?

Ducati Multistrada V4 or Ducati DesertX?

The DesertX is Ducati's first true-blue, off-road oriented adventure bike. And it makes quite an impression!

In the past, the Ducati Multistrada V4 came close to being a personal favourite, but it was more of a sport touring bike than a true-blue adventure bike with real off-road capability. And then there’s that price tag! The Ducati Multistrada Enduro did have off-road capability, but it was still a heavy and big adventure bike, which to me, was more suited for tarmac adventures with limited off-road capability. It wasn’t the bike I’d prefer to go exploring places out in the boondocks. And again, it was an expensive bike to acquire, and live with.

The Ducati DesertX has been on sale in India for over a year now.

When Ducati launched the new DesertX adventure bike last year, it immediately piqued my interest. It looked the part of an off-road capable ADV. But there were some doubts. The first pictures revealed the DesertX to be a big bike, and big always means heavy, and heavy and off-road capability don’t always go hand in hand. Will the DesertX be heavy and difficult to manage? Or will it really establish Ducati as a serious player in the off-road ADV genre? These were some of the questions I had and had to wait for over a year before finally getting my hands on a press bike for a review.

The Ducati DesertX cuts a striking pose, with its long-travel suspension, spoked wheels with knobby tyres and rally-raid inspired design

Ducati DesertX Design & Features
Design inspired by 1990s Cagiva Elefant

The Ducati DesertX cuts a striking pose, and if presence is what you’re looking for, the DesertX doesn’t skimp on it! It’s a tall bike, but what stands out is its long wheelbase of over 1600 mm, which makes it one of the longest adventure bikes available right now. It has a commanding stance, thanks to its spoked wheels on stilt-like long-travel suspension (230 mm front suspension travel and 220 mm rear suspension travel) and knobby tyres. Our test bike is equipped with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber, and from experience, these tyres with their big treads and sticky compound can offer a lot of confidence on any off-road excursion. And as I’d find out soon, on tarmac as well, the STR’s offer very good performance and grip.

Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres offer superb grip off-road and very good performance on tarmac as well.

The DesertX certainly nails it when it comes to big ADV styling. It’s a design inspired by Ducati’s own history, of a related, but different brand which was a legendary adventure bike in its own right. A look at the mass of bodywork, the twin round-shaped LED headlights and the body graphics all point to the Cagiva Elefant from the 1990s, a bike which used a Ducati engine, since Ducati was owned by Cagiva during those years. In fact, legendary Italian racer, Edi Orioli went on to win the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1990 on a slightly modified version of the Lucky Explorer Cagiva Elefant 900.

A 1991 Cagiva Elefant 900ie Lucky Explorer, a limited-edition production model which was a tribute to Orioli's Dakar-winning Cagiva Elefant.

Orioli’s bike had a bored out 944 cc engine, and he went on to win the Dakar again in 1994, on the Elefant. Cagiva did make 1,000 units of a race-spec bike with the Ducati 904 cc engine. And although the Cagiva Elefant 900ie was quite different from the factory rally bike, it was well-equipped and an incredible adventure bike, considered far ahead of its time.

To underscore its rally-raid inspiration and heritage, the DesertX also features a rally-inspired portrait-oriented TFT console, but it’s completely modern with not-so-intuitive menus and a long list of settings which you can tweak and manage the bike’s electronic aids. You get six ride modes in all, which include Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet, Enduro and Rally. But each are further customisable, where you can choose varying levels of throttle response, traction control, wheelie control, ABS and quickshifter settings, according to your own requirements and riding conditions and skill level. Frankly, it’s a lot of permutations and combinations to explore, and I decided to stick to default settings – Urban, Touring and Sport for tarmac use, and Enduro and Rally for off-road use.

The DesertX will not surprise you with its power delivery, even in Sport mode. It's all about handing you the performance, when you need it, rather than try and tear you off the bike. 

Ducati DesertX Engine & Performance

937 cc, Testastretta, 11-degree, L-twin

The Testastretta L-twin is shared with the Ducati Multistrada V2, the Monster and the Hypermotard, but on the X, the gear ratios are different. For a middleweight bike, the power is more than enough. It’s not urgent and won’t take you by surprise, even in Sport mode. The revs build up quickly and before you realise it, you would be doing more than double the speed limit if you’re not careful. The quickshifter works like a charm; the shifts are precise and it’s difficult to find fault with it, this combination of smooth power and exceptional gearbox. 

On the road, the DesertX offers a comfortable perch for long hours in the saddle. The suspension glides over tarmac, and there's no sense of diving under braking that you'd expect with the kind of play it offers. 

Urban mode does seem to soften up the X, in both power delivery and throttle response. But then, you can individually also customise the parameters if you so desire. Even Touring mode is quick enough with a smooth power delivery to dart ahead of traffic at stop lights. And unless you glance down at the console, you won’t realise how fast you’re really going. And when the twisties do come up, the X flexes its Ducati genes. Despite the 21-inch front wheel, turn-ins are well controlled with a level of stability and composure that instantly offers confidence. 

There's cruise control for those long highway runs, and the DesertX seems tailor-made for even those who may not want to spend big bucks for any off-road riding.

For longer journeys, there’s cruise control and standard heated grips, if you’re so inclined to head up to the high mountains for your dose of adventure. Around town though, the only spot of bother is when you’re waiting for the light to turn green. Even with an ambient temperature of around 17 degrees Celsius, the engine heat can be felt, through the thick abrasion resistant material of my riding pants and tall adventure boots. I don’t dare imagine what it would feel like standing at a long stop light on a hot summer day.  

If you do decide to take your DesertX off-road, that's when you'll appreciate its capabilities.

Ducati DesertX Off-Road Performance

Hit the dirt, Jack, don’t you come back no more!

When you leave the tarmac behind for the loose stuff, the 223 kg kerb weight of the DesertX seems to magically disappear. Rally mode offers full power with traction control dialled in low, allowing for increased wheel slip. For me though, Enduro mode proved to be far more entertaining, with power dialled in to 74 bhp, and as for traction control, I could still customise it for the least intervention, or completely turn it off if I wanted to. 

Any obstacle and any kind of terrain is despatched with a shrug.

Going over the crest of a small rocky hillock, I encountered a slope of big boulders on the far side. With the tall and heavy, not to mention, almost brand new DesertX, I took a moment to choose a line over the rocks, before committing to one. And then it struck me! The engine, throttle response, chassis, suspension, wheels, 250 mm ground clearance and the steering damper all work together to give you an off-road riding experience that is difficult to equal. The X offers a level of confidence that is not like any other middleweight adventure bike that I’ve had experience with, or with any other ADV bike, including the full-size big boys. 

The DesertX's fine weight balance, and low centre of gravity makes it nimble and sure-footed

Perhaps a smaller and lighter bike, like the Yamaha Tenere 700, or the Aprilia Tuareg 660 could make such excursions even more enjoyable, but then, those two aren’t available here in India, and not likely to be, at least anytime soon. 

Over the loose stuff, the DesertX seems to be tailor-made for such terrain.

The well-distributed weight maintained low down on the DesertX makes it feel agile, nimble and easy to handle off-road. You can take liberties with the DesertX you wouldn’t want to with other similar-sized bikes. And when you have to crawl over slower rocky terrain, or take a slow u-turn, the throttle modulation and feel is just right. There’s no fear of the engine stalling and in Enduro mode, power delivery is just enough so that you don’t encounter any unpleasant surprises from wheel spin.

Ducati DesertX Price & Value

Still an expensive Ducati!

At Rs. 17.91 lakh (Ex-showroom), the Ducati DesertX is by no means an affordable adventure bike. But with just one variant, you get all the electronic rider aids, adjustable suspension and other nifty features that you may need for any two-wheeled adventure, on tarmac, or off it. And considering what it offers, in terms of performance, capability and dynamics, its high sticker price still seems justified, so long as you appreciate what you’re getting for that kind of money. Some aftermarket accessories like sturdier hand-guards will help protect your levers in case of a spill, and apart from that I don’t see anything else you’d require, apart from the crash guards, which will protect the bodywork when you hit the trails, but do kind of cover up the Ducati DesertX branding on the fairing. 

Ducati DesertX Verdict

Is it the best ADV right now?

The DesertX is a true-blue off-road adventure bike, with which you can explore trails and go over the rough stuff when the tarmac ends. And when you do need to cover long distances, it has long legs, and the power to make effortless cruising on the highway entertaining. It’s still got Ducati DNA, so on a twisty road it has sporty dynamics which will help you chase and keep up with your buddies on sportier machines. But when the road ends, it feels lighter, nimbler and easy to handle in the dirt than what its size will have you believe. 

In the ultimate analysis, there really isn’t any adventure bike right now like the Ducati DesertX. Its design, the 937 cc Testastretta engine’s performance, its handling on off-road trails, and its comfortable ergonomics and sporty dynamics all come together to put it in a class of its own.  Yes, there are a few downsides. The heat of the engine, even on a winter afternoon, can be felt while at stop lights. In the harsh Indian summer, the engine heat will be something to contend with. The Brembo M50 calipers offer strong bite, and superb stopping power, but as I discovered quite unexpectedly, the front tends to lock up too quickly in the dirt without the lever offering any feel on progression. Consequently, I have had to nurse a hurt ego and a rib injury for a few days afterwards. 

But the DesertX has made a strong impression. Strong enough to want to spend some more time, over a few more days, or better still, maybe a few more weeks or months to get to know it better. Up, close and personal; you get the drift. It certainly has the perfect balance of sporty street performance and dedicated off-road capability that’s difficult not to appreciate. In my book, the DesertX totally nails it as a true-blue adventure bike, perhaps even making it THE best all-round adventure bike you can think of right now. As for me, there’s a bigger question that remains. Is it now time to take that leap of faith and give in to temptation?