DOSSIER

DUCATI

DesertX: a very rustic character in addition to all the technology of the brand

The trail segment is still on the rise, and proof of this is that very interesting and long-awaited novelties continue to arrive, such as the Ducati DesertX, of which we were able to see the prototype at EICMA 2019 where it really raised many expectations. Now in 2022, the production model is practically a carbon copy of the concept and becomes the first motorcycle with a 21-inch front wheel in Ducati's modern era.

This 21' front wheel and 18' rear wheel setup is the traditional one for all enduro bikes, clearly marking the use this new trail model has focused on. But at Ducati they didn't give up anything, and their engine and cycle part are capable of bringing more than a smile to anyone looking for sporty driving sensations on asphalt. In addition, they have also equipped it with technology and comfort for use on trips and long distances, thus fulfilling the entire range of uses that we can make with a motorcycle.

All these riding sensations are accompanied by a very careful design, which combines the classic rally bikes of the 80s-90s, with the double round headlight typical of the time, with a modern style of LED lights, merging the two worlds with a taste exquisite. The rear leaves the subframe exposed, but it has two extra rear tanks as an accessory and, with or without tanks, the aesthetic is spectacular.

CYCLE PART DUCATI DESERTX 2022...The chassis was completely developed from scratch, looking for off-road performance, with a very narrow central part and a comfortable position, both sitting and standing. We noticed this from the first moment, feeling comfortable both in the position of the arms and legs. It also comes with an ergonomically very comfortable seat, located at 875mm and mounted on a bolt-on subframe, like any self-respecting country bike.

The seat can also be placed in a lower position -865mm- and go up to 895mm with the optional highest seat or stay at 845mm with the optional lowest seat. A flat seat -890mm- is also available, which will be the best option for those who are going to do a lot of field.

When we get up, everything also fits very well, also having a lot of movement capacity, without disturbing the screen at any time. In addition, we can put the gear and brake lever in two positions for the field boots.

In the suspensions, it mounts Kayaba material, with 230mm in the fork with 46mm bars -adjustable in preload, compression and rebound- and 220mm of travel in the rear shock without joints -also fully adjustable-. We hadn't seen the fork measurements in the segment, as they usually mount a smaller diameter, with the exception of the Adventure 890 R, which mounts 48mm. The 230mm travel is still only surpassed by the KTM and Tuareg, but only by 10mm.

The behavior is very good, with a lot of progressivity both in small and short holes and in deep and wide holes, and also on the road it gets very good sensations of support and balance. The shock in turn does a pretty good job too, feeling the job pretty good for the first half of the trip, but for off-road riding, a little more millimeters of travel towards the end would have been nice.

As for the brakes, it mounts a dual 320mm front disc with Brembo M50 radial-mount calipers, which we've already tested on other models, and which convey perfect feelings of power and dosage, both in the field and on the road.

The tank has a capacity of 21 liters, to which we can add the 8 liters of extra rear tank. While the declared final weight of the complete set is 223kg.

DUCATI DESERTX ENGINE 2022...For the engine they chose the same one that mounts the Ducati Multistrada V2, an L-twin with 937cc, 110hp of power and 92Nm of torque. To give it a more country character, they changed the development on the gearbox, being now shorter in the 6 gears. Something that improves driving on roads of some difficulty, but we did not notice worse driving on the road at high sustained speeds, running at a very comfortable and comfortable engine speed.

Most work on the engine was done on the electronics, and today the behavior of the engine can be completely changed just by changing the electronic parameters. At Ducati, the software for their bikes is self-made in all the brand's models, which allows them to fully configure the behavior of each one of them right from the Bologna factory, with its own test and development teams.

Work has been done on this engine so that the power and torque curves are as linear and usable as possible, seeking to improve behavior in the field and comfort when driving on the road. And they have achieved it in both directions, without also losing the verve in the rise of revolutions, which also allows us to have fun in sports driving on the road.

The low end of the engine is consistent and very manageable, continuing with some also very usable mids that link with seamless highs. In addition, it has a lot of stretching capacity and a very good rise in revolutions, being a very complete engine. To find something wrong, if we seek to work in a sub-regime demanding the engine at low speeds, we feel some vibration, but only forcing the engine to work on the edge of the stall, in the rest of the power band it feels extremely smooth. Something similar This happens with the Quickshifter, which is also included as standard, which works perfectly in the final part of the lows, mids and highs, but at low revolutions it feels a bit abrupt.

DUCATI DESERTX ELECTRONICS...In addition to these basic engine characteristics, there are 6 available driving modes -Touring, Wet, Sport, Urban, Enduro and Rally. These modes play by changing the actuation level of traction control, cornering ABS, engine hold, throttle response, front wheel lift control and total power -75CV Enduro mode, 95CV Wet mode and 110CV the rest. In addition, each driving mode has its own levels of intervention of the electronic aids, that is, a level 3 of traction control in Sport is different from a level 3 in Rally mode.

In this way we have all the electronic aids currently available on the market, and can also edit each engine mode to our liking, configuring our own levels of intervention for each aid.

An important part in the field is also that we have off-road ABS, which allows both trains to slide. But it also has another level of Enduro ABS, which deactivates the rear and allows more slippage in the front. And we also have the possibility of completely disconnecting both rear and front ABS.

Everything can be controlled through a 5' color TFT screen located in a vertical position, being able to navigate through the different menus from the buttons located on the left pineapple, where the cruise control actuation that comes as standard is also found, something which is always useful when we make long stretches on the highway. In the instrument panel we have all the information we may need, also having a stopwatch and an editable trip, like the one we find on rally bikes and which are necessary to navigate with Roadbook.

DUCATI DESERTX BEHAVIOR ON THE ROAD...The first instant sensations are of great handling. The riding position that we were talking about before, together with a center of gravity that we feel is very low, makes the bike feel very light and manageable, making us feel comfortable and being able to control the bike with ease. This allows us to make line changes at will, as well as strong acceleration and braking with total control. This is accompanied by a happy and easy to dose engine that, in sport mode, is capable of transmitting doses of sporty driving.

The change in behavior of the different modes is notable in all of them, with the difference in feel being very marked in the throttle twist, in power delivery or in the intrusion of electronic aids. It is always appreciated that the electronics are noticeable in each change, since it allows us to really configure the bike to our liking.

In Wet mode, for example, which is the most intrusive mode, we notice how we have to turn the throttle many degrees to notice that the thrust begins, and it does so very smoothly and progressively. In addition, we also notice how it does not let us accelerate when we are inclined, reducing power to a minimum the more inclined we go. In Sport mode it is the opposite, the throttle response is direct and we notice the power from the first moment, being able to dose the thrust ourselves. The electronic aids in this mode are barely noticeable, and if we wanted we could reduce them to a minimum by changing the mode settings ourselves.

The Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires also do a very good job as a whole, transmitting very good sensations on the twisty roads of Sardinia, where we can enjoy much more than expected, leaning to the edge of the tire with ease, transmitting a lot of information at all times. .

In addition, suspensions and chassis mean that we can also brake really hard while keeping the lines very well, something difficult to achieve on a trail bike. The suspensions, even with their great travel, hold the bike very well, while being comfortable on bad asphalt roads. The brakes, for their part, exude power and feel, being practically perfect. The slipper clutch does its job perfectly, which also makes it possible to enjoy downshifting with the Quickshifter working.

On the highway at sustained high speeds, the Ducati DesertX feels very stable, with a smooth engine with hardly any vibrations. The aerodynamic protection could improve, since with 1.80 height the head is somewhat exposed. But of course, if we had more screen height we would not be able to move well in the field.

DUCATI DESERTX BEHAVIOR IN THE FIELD...When we go off-road and roll on paths and tracks of all kinds, we are also pleasantly surprised. The driving position is very tough and the sensations that the DesertX transmits as well. The Enduro mode allows us to have real field driving sensations, allowing slippage of both wheels when braking and the rear wheel accelerating, but keeping us in the safe zone.

The performance of ABS in the field in both trains is good for the initial levels, also allowing you to really feel what the off-road driving sensations are like. The enduro ABS, which switches off the rear, works really well on the front end, and although we later took the traction control off completely, we didn't need to switch the ABS off completely on both trains.

In Rally mode we feel more power, but it is very similar to Enduro mode when it comes to off road freedom. And it is when we completely disconnect the traction control that we see the possibilities of the engine, transmitting high sensations of traction and great ease of use in the field. We feel some vibration in the subregime again, but it is a range of revolutions in which it is not usual to play.

At high speeds without potholes the stability is very good, but when we force ourselves to go fast on broken roads, we notice movements in the front axle, but these are quickly mitigated by the steering damper, which does an essential job if we want to go really fast in countryside.

The hydraulic clutch has a very good feel, which means that we can comfortably dose its performance in the most complex areas, since, remember, having perfect clutch control is key when driving in the field.

CONCLUSIONS AND OPINION DUCATI DESERTX...Comparing its behavior with the rest of the bikes in the segment, in the comparison of the 6 models that we did a few weeks ago and in which we made groups of two bikes due to similar behavior, we could place it between the Endurance style of the Yamaha Tenere and Aprilia Tuareg, and the sportiness of the KTM 890 and Husqvarna Norden. That would be its position since having high levels of tough ergonomics and comfort in the field, it also has sportiness on the road, being easy and comfortable to wear. In addition, it has good traveling capacity due to stability and volume, as the Africa Twin or the Tiger 900 may have, although it penalizes with respect to these in aerodynamic protection.

All of the above is accompanied by an aesthetic that many will surely like, who in addition to its benefits, will be attracted by its careful classic and modern design at the same time, which will probably also make it attractive for daily use to "show off" its adventurous motorcycle. The fun and control that the Ducati DesertX allows is very high in all situations that we can think of using it, both on all types of paths and on all types of roads, having a very good combination of benefits in all fields. . All users, regardless of the use they want to give it, will feel all their sensations satisfied, since it is good in all types of use.

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