21 “front wheel, 18” at the rear, 110 hp Testastretta engine, long travel suspension and wide ground clearance: this is the first real Ducati born for off-road with the ambition to tackle even extreme situations such as dunes of the desert, but we know that the “normal” motorcyclist will find himself using it for most of the time on the road, venturing only occasionally on some dirt road or on the paths that lead down to the sea. It is no coincidence that the new DesertX is fitted with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires as original equipment, not excessively knobbly, to highlight a rather versatile use.
The lines recall those of the first maxienduros of the 80s and 90s, embellished with more modern elements such as the digital instrumentation, the lines of the tank and the “eyes” (drl) that surround the full led headlights.
The saddle is high, 875 mm, but its particularly narrow shape and the suspension travel with only the rider’s weight still guarantee a comfortable seat and allow you to rest your foot on the ground when stationary. The height can be reduced by 10 mm by mounting the low seat and even by 30 mm by combining the lowered suspension kit. Despite the rather bulky tank, the triangulation between the footpegs, the saddle and the wide handlebar is definitely effective, both sitting and standing, and you always have the feeling of maximum control.
The electronics are of a high standard: there are six Riding Modes available (Rally, Enduro, Sport, Touring, Urban and Wet) that work in combination with the four Power Modes, i.e. different engine mappings that allow you to shape the character of the engine Testastretta according to the needs and driving skills. Also thanks to the Bosch inertial platform, each Riding Mode modifies the response of the DesertX by acting on the intervention of the electronic controls: engine brake, traction, wheelie, electronic gearbox and Abs Cornering, able to intervene even when cornering. The more geeks can therefore have fun for a long time looking for the specific setting that suits them best.
I admit that when I saw the vertical instrumentation display (5 “) I twisted my nose a little, instead it is one of the clearest and most legible that we have seen for some time, both in terms of visibility and in terms of information formatting. In Enduro and Rally mode it changes appearance and the operation of the tripmaster used in rally bikes is replicated.