KTM 890 Adventure R vs Ducati Desert X Rally | Off-Road Head To Head

We join forces with @BrakeMagazine to test the KTM and Ducati ADV bikes off-road. 2 days of puddles, jumps and mud, Chris' best couple of days ever!
#ktm #ducati #adventure

[strutter]

You are one of the best bike journalists 👍👍👊👊👊

[bsmukler]

So cool. I bought a base Desert X in May, rode it from California to the Arctic Ocean (Tuktoyaktuk, NWT) and back, and put 10, 000 miles on the clock in the first two months. Granted, that’s a very different form of riding from that shown here, but it was a testament to the level of design, development and construction of the Desert X, with zero failures or defects. I think the bike looks great, and it somehow manages to handle like a much smaller and lighter bike than actually is. Simply great fun all around.

[cp]

I’d buy the one which won’t eat its own camshafts……. 😂

[andrewpeter]

Truth…”adventuring” is all about he journey, and the experiences along the way.

I did giggle a little bit though…”look at that view”; I’m just finishing up a week touring in Alaska complete with bush flights, glacier caves, ice climbing, wildlife, etc. Granted, my V85TT doesn’t go as fast, but enjoyment can be had in many ways.

[timmoore]

Absolutely buzzing for this. Two of my all time favorite journalists in motorcycling in one video?! It is gonna be a good day

[ramonsuarez]

I own a KTM 990 Adv and after many years I finally found a bike that I could replace it with. That’s the Ducati.

[gpzfan]

One big thing you don’t mention… KTM 12 month warranty, DesertX 4 years!!

[PeteAnda]

The best biker reviews. Im not a SUV rider but still enjoy watching this.
Great skills on display.

[atillacakroglu]

KTM not ready to race KTM ready for repair :D

[pmr]

the bit where says that the ktm makes you ride like a dick is why i think most ktm owners have them....they really do have a very alive feeling that spurs you on. there is a 'you can do better than that' vibe when you ride them

[mancavemoto]

Great video yet again, thanks Guys. After riding the Desert X Rally at the Ducati Adventure Centre, I have to agree. My off-road skills are nowhere even close to a quarter of yours, so I'm not getting anywhere near the bikes limits. But it made me feel like a hero, and I am away with the wants.

[Designer_Opine]

No experience with this class of bike or riding style but, I have two Ducati. It’s the feel. No surprise it’s evident in whatever they produce. It’s a core brand tenet. Thanks for the enjoyable review.

[deployeddan]

I've been through so many Ktm's (9 in total) and will never ever go back. Too many headaches from lack of reliability and basically zero warranty help. The fact ktm markets their crap as ready to race, but you ride it to work for example and it breaks. Then take it to the dealer and get blamed for it breaking. What a pile of dishonest bs! Yeah there are people that are lucky, and others that show blind obedience to the brand. But the rest of us are just tired of

[JonahAlexanderMCDougallGardner]

Seems like 890 R’s pro suspension package was the biggest advantage for KTM. To justify the comments about “bottoming out” “faster through the jumps”. The X needs to be brought out again. This time with top off-road racing suspension. Great entertaining video 🔥🔥🔥

[SHI-tscl]

I came from a tricked out KTM 790R, which was a great bike. I did however replace it with the DDX Rally, which I find to be an even better bike. I have so much fun riding it, and the Ducati Desmo engines are something very special. Paired with the Termignoni race exhaust and ECU tuning, the Rally fully comes alive. It is almost a must have, to get the bike to what it should be.

I have personally not experienced any bottoming out of the Rally suspension yet, neither on gravel or trails, and I am 205 lbs, but I did up the preload. I find the suspension really good and it eats up all the smaller pot holes and uneven surfaces on the ground quite effectively.

I will however still upgrade the springs on the shock and forks to my weight. I did this for the WP suspension on the KTM, and the difference was substantial. I might even upgrade the rear shock to the Öhlins shock for the Rally, that soon will be released. With those changes, the Rally will be nothing short of phenomenal.

The Ducati engine is “bulletproof, ” and has that special character only a Desmo engine has, something I can not say about the KTM 790 engine.

[theislandrider]

These 2 guys could be the European Zack & Ari :D

[timbrandt]

The fact the Desert X even exists and is doing this competition vs just 5 years ago is amazing really. Kudos to Ducati, and oddly I never thought I’d say this but I just might prefer the Desert next bike. Fun bikes and fun video!

[gpa]

the one you get, that one.. is the best

[risingphoenix]

Good comparison and the your honesty is what comes through in leaps and bounds.
Keep up the good work. 👍🏿

[ssmith]

Great review as always, well balanced and nicely balanced the subjective and objective. Both bikes clearly have their pros and cons.
Having owned a KTM in the past, I would go Ducati -- the engine is a well tested platform with years of solid reliability under its belt (in the Hypermotard, Supersport, Monster and Multistrada). The L/V-Twin really is also a lovely engine. I've also experienced first hand that quality control on KTMs is seriously lacking, and am not in the slightest bit surprised at the latest camshaft goings on.
In reality though, I wouldn't be able to ride either at their limits.... so would go for the bike that is in budget, has joy of ownership and has a proven motor as a platform. If I were on a tighter budget, I'd be happy with a T7.