X For Adventure

We were lucky to be among the first few from India to get astride the recently launched Ducati DesertX in Italy. Here is our first impression

- Azaman Chothia

WE FIRST SAW THE DESERTX MAKE its début as a concept at the EICMA 2019. It was one of the most unique and attractive-looking ADVs there, which made it a big hype. While the design remained identical to the concept model, Ducati decided to make use of their more popular 937-cc twin-cylinder motor in the production version compared to the 803-cc, twin-cylinder, air-cooled motor from the Scrambler that it was earlier showcased with. For this ride, we started from the Ducati factory in Borgo Panigale and rode all the way up through some fantastic twisty roads to arrive at the Raticosa Pass.

This is one of the first modern-day Ducatis to sport a 21-inch wheel at the front and an 18-inch one at the rear. The design language is reminiscent of Dakar bikes of the 1980s and '90s, closest to the Cagiva Elefant 900. And to stay in tune with the theme of the past, the bike is currently only being sold in white. The bike sports some Ducati and DesertX branding with a red strip across the sides of the large 21-litre fuel-tank. At the front, it gets a set of round LED daytime running lights (DRL) that are covered by a large Dakar-style fairing and the bike becomes slim as it flows towards the rear with split seats and an upswept exhaust unit on the side. I really like their modern take on this vintage Dakar-inspired design and most Ducatisti at the WDW 2022 seemed to love it too.

At 875 millimetres, the seat is quite tall for riders of a short stature but the unit that we will be getting in India will come with a seat height of 865 mm. To get it even lower, there is a kit that has a shorter seat and the suspension is lowered to bring the saddle height to 845 mm. The riding position is like you would expect from an ADV; upright and comfortable with a wide handlebar and a slim seat that allows a rider to move around easily.