Test Pilot - Funnelweb Desert X Air Filter Trial

Late last year I was given a pre- production Funnelweb air filter to test in the Deserrt X. I had already purchased a Unifilter for it…..which had sat on the bench for at least six months. My reluctance to fit it was 100% because of the difficulty in accessing the air box on the Desert X…..and this reluctance didn’t change when the Funnelweb arrived. The following video is probably the most succinct version of the Desert X tank removal.

So, armed with this example, I decided to launch into fitting the Funnelweb. It went pretty well until I got to the controversial vent tubes. One came off easily. The other…..not so much. Twenty minutes of pulling on it by hand, then pliers, then by hand and pliers again - this time while cursing profusely - then resting while considering using a Stanley knife 😡……and then one last huge yank on the tank saw it finally come free! The Italians had glued the bloody thing on! 

WTF?

Offending vent tube is the lower one. Grrrr….Top tube is the one that kinks and implodes the tank 🫤

The top of the airbox is held on with six self tapping screws. Classy move there Ducati! Of course, two of them are inaccessible unless you are willing to strip the frame 🫣 so I had to make do with just the four rear screws to access the genuine filter.

Looking forward on the bike with the Ducati paper filter still in place.

I was pleasantly surprised to see how clean it was after 13 000km of use. I had been in discussions with another Funnelweb test pilot who claimed to ride in clean air (I always ride alone on the dirt) and whose filter looked like it had had a handful of dirt dumped on it!

The Funnelweb does look the business and comes pre-oiled. 

Very well pre-oiled too.

It also comes with a nitrile glove……which I clearly didn’t find until later…..🙄

There is talk that the standard Ducati filter is a bit of a loose fit in the airbox edge recess but I found mine hard to pluck out of the recess, so it was well sealed/fitted. The Funnelweb goes one better, not only fitting into the recess but also having a wider top edge that gets squeezed between the airbox and it’s cover giving a fantastic seal.

Putting the whole shebang back together wasn’t too bad. I had fitted the internal spring to the top vent tube as per the Ducati recall. This next video is by the other Funnelweb test pilot, Darren, who does a great job of describing some double checks so one doesn’t implode their fuel tank due to vacuum.

Tank about to go back on.

The tank went on easily in the end. Like most jobs, once you know how to attack it, it becomes much easier. I reckon I can have the tank off in about ten minutes next time. Now to get the bike out for some testing……but first a mountain biking trip to Tassie needs my attention.

Does anyone want to buy an unused Desert X Unifilter……?

EDIT 23rd March 2024 - Darren, the other rider testing the filter for Funnelweb has logged 3000km of dusty riding on his test filter.  He runs an adv touring company so gets the kilometres up fast,  following a bunch of bikes to deliberately expose the filter to dust. From the photo of the disected filter,  it looks to be doing it's job well.