Ducati Desert X Test Ride

Not that I am in the market for a new bike.....but lets call it research....and through a bit of boredom, I have watched a couple of ride reviews of the new Ducati Desert X. When I first saw pictures of this thing I thought it had a face only a mother could love. However, after watching these reviews and in fact, after re-watching the MAD TV Aussie review a couple of times as it is sooo in depth, I have come to some sort of "appreciation" for it's look. Some may suggest it is a form of Stockholm Syndrome which may be true but hey, here we are - it isn't that ugly.

In contrast to it's potentially polarising looks, it is getting nothing but praise from ADV test riders world wide. (for an in depth review in Aussie conditions see the YouTube video at the bottom of this post)

So as not to be counted amongst the keyboard warriors assuming it is this or that, I thought it best to judge for myself. I sought out a test ride at Brisbane Motorcycles in Windsor (no affiliation) to see if they had the big white rhino on the floor. Upon arrival I was pleased to see four examples of the Desert X on their showroom floor and on closer inspection I could see tyre wear and dust on one of them. 

A demo! Awesome!

First thing I noted was that the bike is in no way as big as it looks in photos. All of that white acreage makes it look like a big behemoth but in fact it is quite a compact bike. Not as compact as the Aprilia Tuareg mind but nowhere near an Africa Twin or GS1250. The extremely bland styling gave me the willies initially when I first saw pictures of this bike but now I see it as a great opportunity to peel that stupid red stripe off and customise the hell out of the graphics. Ducati left us a clean canvas if you will.

Anyway, I didn't beat around the bush and asked straight up if I could test ride it. Being an "older gent" these days has it's advantages as there was no stuffing around, it was just a case of "where's you licence?" and "sign here" then I was off on a solo test ride!

While I waited at the first set of lights I messed around with the ride mode and changed it from Enduro to Rally, Very easy considering I had 30 seconds experience with the bike!

The immediate thing I noticed with the Desert X was how low it carried it's weight. Just like the Tuareg last week, the Desert X felt light and nimble (it did only have about 4 litres of fuel in the tank so that may help). Well, maybe not as nimble but better than my AT. Standing up I had a slight hunch to the bars but I noted that they were rolled back. If I rolled them forward 20 degrees there would be no need for bar risers.

The dash is quite easy to read, even in the bright, summery morning sunshine today. Maybe not quite as easy as the new Africa Twin though but close enough for my old eyes. The dash was pleasingly uncluttered too.

I flicked around some of inner north Brisbane's hilly residential streets and found the bike very easy to ride with planty of power on tap, though a smidge doughy off the bottom of the rev range. Nothing I have ridden yet in the ADV segment seems to pull from low down like the Africa Twin does (mind you, there are plenty of bikes I haven't ridden yet). The exhaust note is very much a strangled XR200-Honda-with-a-standard-pipe-fart-in-a-jar type noise, not any kind of a roar you might expect from a Ducati L twin. It does concern me as to what it might cost to extract some decent exhaust notes from the bike with Ducati being so proprietary with it's electronics. I hear the Termignoni and it's supporting ECU flash is about $2k US!

But, and this is a big but, the price of the bike here in Australia is $24 700 ride away. That compares to about the $20K that they are selling for in the US. So, with the exchange rate where it is, it would seem that we are getting a very sharply priced ADV bike here. 

Perhaps it is because Ducati are trying to lure a new cohort of owners who have never been Ducatisti before? That price range is right in Africa Twin grounds and an AT will be around 4-6 months away from placing your deposit where as the Desert X is here, in stock now. By all accounts the Desert X is a better bike both on and off road. 

The fly in the custard though is the lack of perceived owner serviceability with the Desert X. The owners manual tells you to take it to your dealer for everything from an air filter change to a drive chain adjustment to a rear wheel removal. Now that is just not cricket for most ADV riders and simply will not fly here in Australia!

I would imagine a whole aftermarket segment will spring up around this bike because when a manufacturer tries to lock people out of the chain, well...people find a way around that lockout. Especially once the 24 month warranty period is over and you are on your own as an owner.

So, what do I think? Who cares I hear you ask!

 

This bike has a LOT of potential as for the money you get the best electronic package on an ADV bike as of 2022. You get great suspension straight up. You get a strong, proven engine (Multistrada V2 heritage). You get Brembo brakes. You get a steering damper as standard. You get usable foot pegs that don't need changing out. You get a height adjustable rear brake lever. You get 21 litres of fuel with a slick 8 litre auxiliary tank (yes, at a price). You get cruise control.

These are all things (well, apart from the engine) that you need to ADD to most other ADV bikes to make them work properly in the dirt.

The bike really only needs crash bars, a bash plate and perhaps heated grips before you leave the showroom and these will set you back $1700ish AU. Yes, I have checked.....

On my way home I also stopped in at Motorcycles R Us (again, no affiliation) in Springwood as they are my "local"  Ducati dealer. They would be happy to take my Tuono back as a trade on a Desert X....as would Brisbane Motorcycles.

Hmmmm. There are some pretty saucy decal kits out there.

What to do......

Cheers.