Ducati has taken the world by surprise with the newly unveiled Ducati DesertX, a bike with an intense off-road attitude that looks ready to take on desert dunes, narrow off-road paths, gravel roads and mountainous twisties.
Fitted with 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch at the rear, the design of the DesertX represents a contemporary interpretation of the lines of the Enduro motorcycles of the ‘80s.
The chassis layout of the new Ducati DesertX includes a new steel trellis frame, which works in combination with long travel suspension with dedicated settings. According to Ducati, the optimisation of all components led to a bike that weighs only 202 kg dry.
On suspension front, the DesertX is offered with 46 mm diameter upside down Kayaba fork with 230 mm travel and Kayaba monoshock.
Both elements are adjustable in compression, rebound and preload. The Kayaba monoshock is married to the aluminium swingarm and allows a rear wheel travel of 220 mm. In addition, the new DesertX has a generous 250 mm ground clearance.
The standard tyres are the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR, 90/90-21 and 150/70 R18, while the braking system of this new bike benefits from ABS Cornering function.
The front features Brembo M50 monobloc radial calipers with four 30 mm diameter pistons, axial pump with adjustable levers and double 320 mm discs with aluminium flanges.
At the rear the bike mounts a single 265 mm diameter disc on which works a double-piston floating caliper, also by Brembo. The Saddle on the other hand is 875 mm high.
While the fuel tank capacity is rated at 21-litres, there is also the option to mount an additional 8-litre tank that is available as an accessory.
Powering the Ducati DesertX is a 937 cc liquid-cooled Testastretta 11° Desmodromic valvetrain engine producing 110 hp at 9,250 rpm and a maximum torque of 92 Nm at 6,500 rpm.
In terms of rider aids, the new DesertX comes with 6 Riding Modes working in combination with 4 Power Modes – Full, High, Medium, Low – that modify the power and responsiveness of the Testastretta engine.
The main new features are specific settings for the Enduro Riding Mode and the introduction of the new Rally Riding Mode, in addition to Sport, Touring, Urban and Wet.
Other electronic controls include Engine Brake Control (EBC), Ducati Traction Control (DTC), Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC), Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up & Down and ABS Cornering.
The dashboard of the DesertX, vertically oriented and positioned to offer clear information also in stand-up riding, features a high resolution 5” full-TFT colour display.
