Ducati Desert X Offroad Assessment (Owners Perspective)
1- Suspension travel : DeX has 230mm travel at front with its upside down Kayaba 46mm fork and 220mm rear monoshock travel. Both front and rear are fully adjustable for preload, rebound and compression. But how do all these numbers translate into real world performance? Well a motocross bike would have about a 100mm or 4inches of more travel than the DeX…so we are pretty close here.
DeX fairs very good on this parameter. I will give it a 4 out of 5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2- Suspension setup: Just out of the box, its setup a bit plush…The rear definitely needs a bit of tuning though because it feels bouncy. But like I said…these are a fully adjustable set..so you can tune it to your liking anytime. I rate the DeX at 4 out of 5.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3- Ground clearance: The DeX has a substantial 250mm of ground clearance which is good enough!!! Best in class too I believe. I would rate it a full 5 stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4- Tyres: For a good offroad bike you need a set of good knobby tyres. DeX comes with the Pirelli STR’s (which are somewhere in between on and off-road). DeX has come prepared well for this battle with a 21-18 combo! I rate it 4 stars (4 stars because the STR are neither hardcore offroad nor focused on-road tyres…they are a good compromise for something in between) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5- Power delivery: Now this is where the secret magic sauce for DeX lies in!!! If you choose the right riding mode to ride offroad…you are set at par with the best..electronically.I was riding in the rally mode (Full power) only to realise that for difficult terrain I had to move back to Enduro (Less power)…and it felt like magic! The rally mode is excellent for flat sandy surfaces…you get good power to pull through, the rear slides and drifts just enough to create that drama and excitement..without scaring the rider off the bike…and the enduro mode is good for trails, steep inclines, rocky surfaces! The sprocketing is also perfect…the 1st and 2nd gear is where you will stay at mostly while doing the trails…and they are short…enough not to intimidate the rider because the power is tuned down in the enduro mode! I will rate the DeX 5 out 5 here! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6- Weight- 223 kgs wet weight! 2 stars out of 5 ⭐️⭐️ 😕. Its a heavy machine! Before hitting the trail…reduce that fuel weight and carry only enough fuel for the trail…dont hit the trail with a full tank! Any offroad focussed motorcycle (Motocross, Trail etc.) would typically weight between 100 to 130kgs…the DeX is a whole 100 kgs heavier compared to these…and you might feel I am being a bit harsh here and comparing apples to oranges…but we are purely looking at the DeX from an offroad standpoint right? So why not compare it with the benchmark in the class?
7- Chassis: The chassis on the DeX is designed to perfection…and it shows in the way she handles! Very balanced…basically the chassis need to be strong enough at its most vulnerable and impact prone areas…and yet have enough and more flexibility to flex while traversing through those big rocks, sudden drops etc. I think the DeX performed brilliantly in this area! I would rate it a solid 5 out of 5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
8- Ergonomics- 3 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️. What is needed on a good offroad machine ergonomically? A riding position which is commanding (read high)..rider should be able to move quickly and freely on the bike..for eg. be able to stand quickly if and when needed. A wide handlebar which will help have better control of the front especially offroad. The DeX has a good wide handlebar but its far out from the riding position…One has to reach out to grab the handlebar especially if its set at the offroad position..this creates fatigue if you are riding for longer duration. The seat is set low and tucked down…so moving on the bike front and back while offroading does not come naturally…these are some minor drawbacks of trying to find a middle-ground between on and off road. The flat seat which comes as an accessory might solve this niggle. Overall its definitely comfortable but if you are looking at it from an offroad standpoint there would be room to improve.
9- Electronics- I think this would be a straight 5 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. The Enduro mode is good for technical trails and the Rally mode is good when you are going through flat sandy surfaces…You can customise everything from traction control, wheelie control, ABS, Power output, engine braking etc. from an offroad standpoint the important features would be ABS, Traction and Power output…and all these can be customised as per your comfort. One can toggle through different modes while on the go.
Final verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ( 4 stars )! Its compromised in certain parameters because it has to don 2 very different roles. A good mid size touring motorcycle and a capable off-road machine. Both these roles demand very different mechanical aspects for good performance and finding a better than average baseline should be considered as a big win for Ducati engineers!