The brand-new DesertX is Ducatis first severe off-road capable ADV and theres plenty to be thrilled aboutIf you think about it, the DesertX is a motorcycle that should have been with us earlier. It also assists immensely that the engine is the familiar 937cc liquid cooled L-twin, but well get to that later.The DesertX has an enormous wheelbase of 1,608 mm, which is even longer than the Diavel and just 7mm shorter than the most extended out Ducati you can purchase– the xDiavel. NO ANGER HEREThe rest of our couple of hours on the DesertX was spent on the roadways around Bologna where we got to ride through some city areas and towards some winding hilly roadways. The DesertX may be a rugged Ducati, but its still a really well equipped one. Hopefully, it will be closer to the base Multi because that will position it well versus the Tiger 900 Rally Pro (Rs 15.5 lakh), which is our existing choice of the segment.Either way, the DesertX has all the Ducati qualities of being a stunning device that is capable, fun, wonderfully equipped and loading a high rate tag to match.

The brand-new DesertX is Ducatis very first serious off-road capable ADV and theres plenty to be thrilled aboutIf you consider it, the DesertX is a motorcycle that must have been with us earlier. The demand for this sort of a motorbike has existed for years, and Ducati also has genuine heritage to lean on thanks to the Cagiva Elefant of the 1990s. Ah well, much better late than never, right? Because take a look at this thing– its gorgeous!A PRETTY FACEThe callback to the enormous, Ducati-powered Cagiva is clear in the shape of the DesertXs face and total silhouette, however its a style that has contoured and finessed into the future. The twin circular LED headlamps together with the high (non-adjustable) windshield offer this bike an instantly recognisable face, specifically considering that Honda went a bit Angry Birds with the most recent Africa Twin. The DesertX gets a big 21-litre fuel tank, however unlike many ADVs, this tank manages to feel great and slim where the riders knees interface while standing up. The ergonomics on this bike are truly extremely well judged, whether youre sitting or standing, and a big part of that goes to the clever style with tidy surfaces.The rear section is far easier with the sleek oval LED tail-lamp being the only expensive looking element. Because it gives the DesertX a feeling of purpose and durability, I like this. With some light adjustments, and in the most talented of hands, the huge Multistradas can be quite capable off-road, but for most of us regular folks, the Multis feel a bit too pretty and perfectly crafted to drop. The DesertX also manages to be an excellent looking bike, however it comes throughout as a more rugged one that wouldnt have you flinch as severely when you undoubtedly drop it off road. DUCATI BACKBONEUnderneath that oh-so-pretty bodywork is a really conventional trellis frame– no extreme new, Monster-style front frame here. It is a brand-new chassis, Ducati tells us, however the company is so well versed with getting metal tubes to work in triangular shapes that you can accept its claim that this bike was completely established in simply 2 years time. It also helps immensely that the engine is the familiar 937cc liquid cooled L-twin, however well get to that later.The DesertX has an enormous wheelbase of 1,608 mm, which is even longer than the Diavel and only 7mm much shorter than the most extended out Ducati you can buy– the xDiavel. Interestingly enough, I never ever seemed like this was a excessively long or lazy motorbike, and the number discovered as quite a surprise when studying the spec sheet. We got a brief amount of time to ride it off road at the World Ducati Week (WDW), where the bike felt high, but likewise quite simple to ride and light on its feet. The DRE course at WDW was very fundamental, however it sufficed to tell that with its 21-inch/18-inch wheel sizes, this bike is going to be great and really capable enjoyable off-road. The standing up ergos are area on, the suspension has loads of travel (230mm front/220mm rear) and theres 250mm of ground clearance. Even with the low seat, the seat height is at a tall 865mm. At this basic dirt course, the couple of things I could inform was that Pirelli tires do a good job in dry dirt; the steering feels a little heavy when moving the handlebar from lock to lock at low speeds (as it does on a lot of huge ADVs); which the seat is slim, however quite high. The stock seat height is 875mm, however India will get the low seat as standard which brings it down to 865mm. For referral, the Tiger 900 rallys seat is set at 860mm. NO ANGER HEREThe rest of our couple of hours on the DesertX was invested in the roadways around Bologna where we got to ride through some city areas and towards some winding hilly roadways. The familiar 937cc L-twin is similar to what youll get in the SuperSport, Hypermotard, Multistrada V2 and the Monster, although in a different state of tune. With 110hp and 92Nm, its peak figures remain in the ballpark of its brother or sisters, however the DesertXs engine has the most soft and mellow tune of the lot.It definitely does not have the punch of the acoustic drama or the lightweight beast and aggressive actions of the Hypermotard. The power delivery is rather linear and theres a good surge above 6,000 rpm, but there were likewise moments where that strong Ducati kick I was expecting– coming out of corners at about 3,000 rpm– simply wasnt there. Eventually, its very much a fast motorbike, but also a friendly and rather calm one, which must appeal to the wider crowd. New vertical TFT display is easy to check out and control.Unfortunately, we didnt spend much time in jammed traffic or at prolonged highway speeds either, so that will need to wait till we ride it back house. On the other hand, the Euro heat wave meant that we viewed as much as 37 degrees Celsius, which felt quite like house, and simply like the majority of Ducatis, this one likewise throws off quite a great deal of heat. Like most Ducatis, the hydraulic clutch is on the heavy side.Up on the winding roads outside Bologna, the bike handled extremely well, as soon as you got used to the extensive motion of the long-travel suspension. It kips down rather quickly, feels stable when leaned over and even side to side shifts dont take much effort. I remember being impressed by the Tiger 900 Rallys roadway manners considered that it has a 21-inch front wheel and this bike is similar to it. When fully leaned over, the main distinction is that the Ducatis blocky stock tires feel quite squishy. The DesertX flights on Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR as standard, which are a halfway home between a full-on off-road tire and a roadway focussed ADV tire (like the Tiger Rally gets). Stick some more road-biased tyres on it and I make sure the DesertX will be a really good roadway handler. When it comes to the brakes, you get twin Brembo M50 calipers in the front, however mated to a basic axial brake master cylinder. The resulting efficiency is much like the engine– not aggressive, but strong enough when you want it. ALL YOU COULD WANT? The DesertX may be a rugged Ducati, however its still an effectively geared up one. The sheer variety of electronic features and rider assists are highly likely the best in the section. The new vertical TFT display screen looks great and it provides you manage over practically all the exact same rider assists youll find in Ducatis sportbikes. The DesertX has 6 customisable riding modes, four power modes, multi-level traction control, wheelie control, cornering ABS and more. Not just can you shut down the rear ABS, however also the front system if youre talented/brave enough. Further high-ends come in the kind of an up/down quickshifter, cruise control and heated grips– it actually has nearly everything you could need.Optional auxiliary fuel tank holds 8 litres.There is only one totally geared up variation, although Ducati will offer you a number of devices, consisting of a fantastic looking eight-litre auxiliary fuel tank that sits on either side of the pillion seat. The DesertX will only make it to India by the end of this year and we anticipate the cost to be someplace in between the present Multistrada 950 (Rs 15.49 lakh) and the Multistrada 950S (Rs 17.49 lakh). Hopefully, it will be closer to the base Multi since that will position it well versus the Tiger 900 Rally Pro (Rs 15.5 lakh), which is our current pick of the segment.Either method, the DesertX has all the Ducati qualities of being a gorgeous maker that is capable, enjoyable, magnificently geared up and loading a high price to match. How well it works in our environment is something were actually excited to discover out.