DUCATI’S DESERTX: ABOUT TO DROP!

Ducati has been on the pipe when it comes to model releases since late September, drip-feeding the market several new and/or significantly updated machines for 2022. And to underline the fact the Italian manufacturer is intent on engineering more off-road capability into several of these new models, next week will see what’s arguably the most-anticipated machine of the lot – an all-new, 2022-model adventure bike called the DesertX. With a completely new chassis that’s designed around a 21-inch front wheel, and powered by the much-loved liquid-cooled 937cc Testastretta engine, the DesertX promises to be the most off-road capable machine that Ducati has ever produced. Or, as Ducati’s marketers say, “the new DesertX is the bike that will allow riders to make their most adventurous travel dreams come true”.

But what else do we know about this soon-to-be-released new model from Ducati? And where will it ‘sit’ in the increasingly populated mid-capacity travel enduro market segment? Here’s some background to the DesertX, and our take on what the bike’s unveiling next week is likely to reveal…

WHEN DID CONCEPT/PROTOTYPE VERSIONS OF THE DESERTX FIRST APPEAR?

In early 2019, Ducati began teasing us with sketches of what they called their ‘DesertX Scrambler’ concept, positioning it as a throwback to the glory days of Paris-Dakar in the early 1990s, when Edi Orioli twice won the great race on a Ducati-powered Cagiva Elefant. In late 2019 (at the EICMA show), the Italian marque then pulled the wraps off an actual concept bike – simply called the DesertX (in other words, it had dropped any reference to ‘Scrambler’). And it’s fair to say the appearance of a new adventure bike from Ducati with serious off-road intentions took the market by surprise. At EICMA, the DesertX debuted alongside the 800cc Motard Scrambler, with both concepts appearing to be aimed at broadening Ducati’s model line-up using existing platforms.

WHAT JUMPED OUT ABOUT THIS DESERTX CONCEPT MACHINE? AND HOW WAS IT RECEIVED AFTER EICMA?

The initially response seemed pretty damn positive and focused primarily on how capable the machine promised to be in off-road terrain, given its spoked 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels, 275mm of ground clearance, 210mm of suspension travel, motocross-style handlebar, and Pirelli Scorpion Rally tyres. The fairing and tanks gave the machine a muscular look that both honours and updates the Elefant’s aesthetics. The twin, round LED headlights are another nod to the original and gave it a striking neo-retro appearance, while the shock absorber on the left side of the bike appeared similar to the design on the Scrambler 1100. There was lots of talk about its generous fuel capacity (estimated to be 30 litres) and the fact that front and Dakar-style rear tanks (which all appear to be split into left and right compartments) means four separate fuel caps. The concept unit ran a cargo rack in place of the pillion seat, and there were no passenger footpegs on it, but we’d expect the production model DesertX to come with both seat and pegs for a passenger.

SO, WILL THE PRODUCTION DESERTX USE THE AIR-COOLED 1079CC AIR-COOLED DESMODROMIC L-TWIN ENGINE, OR THE LIQUID-COOLED 937CC ‘TESTASTRETTA’ POWERPLANT?

Back in 2019, one of the few technical details released about the DesertX Scrambler concept was that its engine was based on the Scrambler 1100 platform with its 1079cc two-valve, air-cooled, Desmodromic L-Twin engine (which produces 86hp at 7500rpm and 65ft-lb at 4750rpm). However, based on what scant information Ducati has released ahead of next week’s DesertX unveiling, the production machine sounds like it will be powered by a variant of the liquid-cooled 937cc ‘Testastretta’ engine also used by Ducati’s recently released 2022 Multistrada V2 and V2 S models.

WHY DID THE ENGINE PLATFORM CHANGE?

Right from the get-go with the DesertX, Ducati welcomed input on the designs and component spec, and even whether they should put the bike into production. So all we can assume is that the move to the liquid-cooled Testastretta powerplant was driven by market feedback. With several high-performance machines now in the segment, the last thing Ducati would want to do is arrive late on the scene and with the underpowered air-cooled engine.

WHAT SORT OF POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO WILL THE PRODUCTION DESERTX BOAST?

Well, Italian website http://www.moto.it estimates the DesertX’s weight to be around 190kg, which would put it close to the KTM 890 Adventure models’ 195kg dry weight. The 937cc Testastretta engine used in Ducati’s 2022 V2 and V2 S models pumps out 113hp, but we’d expect the DesertX’s Testastretta donk to give up a little peak power in favour of some extra torque for off-road tractability. In any case, the DesertX’s power-to-weight ratio sounds like it’s likely to right up there in the increasingly populated mid-capacity travel enduro market segment.

WHEN WILL DUCATI REVEAL DETAILS OF THEIR 2022-MODEL DESERTX?

The final climactic installment of the ‘Ducati World Premiere 2022’ – a video-driven web series designed to deliver an episodic journey through the Bologna-based company’s 2022 model range for fans all over the world – will be all about the DesertX and is scheduled for December 9. So, stay tuned cos we’ll be showcasing images and info about this long-awaited new Ducati the second it’s revealed.