Ducati DesertX review torture test: adventure wannabe or serious contender?︱Cross Training Adventure

CREATIVE COMMONS VIDS
MUSIC
Clockworks by Dolby
#crosstrainingadventure #adventureriding #ducatidesertx

[crosstrainingadventure]

KNOWN ISSUES? You have to remove the fuel tank to clean your air filter. Up to a 45 min job. 😒
Quite a few owners get a lot of buffeting from the windscreen - as with most bikes with a non-adjustable windscreen this can depend on your height.

Will this bike kill you? If you try and ride it like this... probably. 😂 I'm actually a bit concerned with all the marketing that shows pro level riders doing crazy stunts on big adventure bikes. But I did think this sort of bike abuse by my Canadian cousins was acceptable to establish the credentials of the DesertX. Just don't try and ride it like this!
Remember to keep an eye on this pinned first comment. If we come across any issues we post our long-term comments here.

[petegrimshaw]

I've had my X since last September. I've added engine protection bars, rally seat, spots, soft panniers etc. I am astonished at the all round agility on and off road, it switches faultlessly from one environment to the next. I previously owned a 2017 Africa Twin, the X blows it out the water. It makes me feel more confident as a rider, its supremely comfortable and as for the looks, in my opinion nothing short of stunning. It's the bike you turn around to look at after parking her up. I'm 62 and I very much doubt that a better bike will arrive before I have to downsize due to decrepitude.

[toltod]

It is an extreme positive that the settings stay where they where when you power off the bike. More manufacturers need to allow this. Thank you Ducati for listening. Most all riders will see this as positive thing when offroading.

[lhurst]

Pre-ordered and received a year ago. Love the bike. The gap between 2-3 is because 1 and 2 gears were lowered for offroad use, while the rest of the ratios were retained for street use. The 'one guy' did not know what he was riding.

[pilotdane]

Barry - I am pleasantly surprised. That bike seems more than capable to stay up with the competition. That rider is really freakin good !!!! Never thought Ducati would enter this "arena"... Cheers

[JasdeepPannu]

Great brief, to the point review which gives you the most important takeaways! Nice!

[terrarecon]

04:00 other riders stated they felt the bike was less top heavy than other bikes and felt it has a lower center of gravity.

[pcsmax]

I have 2 Ducatis, a Desert X and a Multistrada v4. 6, 000 miles each, no problems. Best motorcycles I ever had for now. Also, Ducati's owner is Audi and for several years now, so not only Italian design and engineering.

[MichaelTucker]

Best have a chat with Peter Mainsbridge who rode one of the first DDX brought into Oz Barry.
Peter took that bike from East to West ( Byron bay to NW Cape). A few little issues including a detour to Adelaide for an electrical issue.

Most of the dealer network has been road orientated, but have quickly adapted to the Audi off-road bike.

[yorkchris]

Guatemala now has Ducati dealer and it's only about 4, 000 km's from me. I like what they did with the Sled - maybe we'll see a XX version??

[ZenAndTheArtOfMotoAdventure]

I'm a fan of your content; your journeys are captivating. 🌄 How about discussing your tactics for handling fatigue during those long rides and keeping yourself in peak condition? Can't wait!

[HowToGetMoreMetal]

Strongly considering one! Great video!

[aaronphillips]

Iv had one for a year now, love it so far. Only down side is the damn airfilter location. But the electronic settings are amazing. The looks are what swayed me to this rather then the 890r but id say the 890r would have the edge in dirtbike territory. As far as on road the desertx has the edge. So confortable imo and handles amazing

[BlackdogADV]

Beautiful bike! I just wish Ducati would use the more common valve spring setup instead of Desmo to make maintenance a bit easier.

[matteoromualdi]

I've had it for a year, 18k. Used both off-road and on the road plus trips in pairs with suitcases. the bike runs well but I'm afraid that in the event of a fall it won't be as sturdy as my old 990adv (and I hope not to try it) but it has a major flaw: on fast off-road terrain the handlebars snap despite the steering damper

[rotorhead]

I had my eyes set on a T7, largely because im big on reliability through simplicity, which yamaha lives by... but... The desert X is really giving me second thoughts on that, it seems that little bit better in every quantifiable way, as well as in a lot of the non-quantifyable ways. The hard part to get over for me is the reliability, or lack there of. It's said about Italian cars that they are built to be as absolutely perfect as a car can be, once. After that its non stop emotional highs and lows as you work your way through one problem, enjoy it for a bit, then right into another. I manages to talk myself through that with a car recently, where i bought the thing I really wanted, knowing full well it would break regularly, so I would just have to get over it if i were to do the same with a bike.

[Crust]

KTM1090R still the pick today long term had a amazing run

[TRAVERSE_ADV]

Seen the wheels are susceptible to damage on the lip with buckled rims not holding air.

[salsadurauk]

Please God when I reborn I want to ride like this 🙌🏻

[donuthole]

From a performance standpoint the X is probably a cut above the others in this category. Maintenance and cost of ownership standpoint, it's a Ducati