Ducati DesertX Honest Review 

One think I can say about all of the Testy engines is that don't even bother assessing the bike until about 2k miles. It becomes a different machine. I have a DX and thought it was ok at first and have grown to love it. I also added the upgraded Termy exhaust with EVO map. I own a 2021 GS, 2023 Pikes Peak, 2022 Super Duke Evo and more and if I had to choose only one bike it would be my DX.

Had this bike for 8 months or so - I find that this bike is OUTSTANDING and is beautifully beautifully engineered . I agree with @chrisvantassoel8867's comment ... if I had to choose only 1 bike... it would have to be the Desert X

Thank you for the honest review. Not too many people will freely speak about some issues with brand new Ducati. All other reviews pretty much just say how incredible this bike is in every possible aspect.

Suggestion; I don't think body height is a good yard stick when measuring seat height. It depends upon your inseam. Not everyone's height and inseam are proportionate.

A "adventure " bike that needs a fuel tank removal to change air filter? And on top of that not a easy removal? No thanks. Most ducati are beautiful bit we dont need a technician to follow us in every trip!

I test rode a 2024 version of this bike today, and a 2023 KTM 1290 Adventure R a few days ago. Neither the Desert X or 1290 fit me. Both felt cramped and required foot control location modifications to safely ride them. My 2017 KTM 1090 Adventure R fits me perfectly, has fewer electronics, and rides better than either of the newer bikes. Great video, thanks for sharing!

Bought one 3 months ago and mostly agree with what you said. But since I'm way taller, everything size related doesn't affects me at all. The wind is a problem on highways though, bubble should have been way smaller, or way bigger for my size at least. But yeah, the heat is definitely a problem in cities, so much so, that I actively try to go around them when I'm traveling. As for the fuel gauge it can be turned to "km left" which is just as hilarious. I can make 100km+ and it still says I have a full tank ! Now I just know that around 350km I should look for a fuel station which is fine by me. All in all, a great bike if you have the money and don't mind a few quirks.

Urgh. I really wanted to like this bike, but Ducati… Wish someone else had built it 😅. All that weirdness they fail to work out. Way way too many faults and a ridiculous price tag vs competition…

I got rid of my 1090 adv r for this bike, the dx is lower to the ground and narrower at the seat. So flat footed is much easier than the 1090 which at 6’1” was only one flat foot for me. It feels lighter by a lot than the 1090 but on the highway the dx seems way more refined. I took it off road to test it and it seems to jump better and seems like a lower center of gravity. MPG is where this thing is really shining, 80mph I am getting 50.6 for an hour and lower speeds 55! My 1090 would drop way down in all situations unless going 45mph. The brakes are so good, so good. In a few days I am doing the southern part of the Wyoming BDR, I’ve done some of the mountain parts up north on the 1090. I’ve also done the Idaho BDR on the 1090 which was pretty good.

How comfortable would you say the suspensions are compared to an Africa Twin or Super Tenere 1200?

I rode this bike while my f800gs was in for service. Power was great though it was higher in the rev range than my bike. Weight felt low down. On road it was tremendous. Loved the X. But that is alot of money.

Hi V-Told, thanks for your reviews. I bought this bike early, fitted the larger windshield, lower suspension and modified my seat narrower. I would also suggest some of the issues might be tuning from your supplier. But the big issue is the heat, and i live in Thailand, so thats my critiscim. Otherwise i really enjoy it (but i am lucky enough to have other bikes as well)😊

I'm so glad I picked my 2023 Triumph 900-GT-Pro instead of this Ducati. You get so much more for with the Triumph, more reliable, cheaper to own, and the price was right

The air filter change takes to long and the rear end looks unfinished without the AUX tank.

Great, just in time for my Saturday coffee... 🤝 Loved that classic Green Jaguar 😁

I wanted to love it too, but it’s not for me. I’m a senior motorcyclist with old school expectations like reasonable fuel consumption and decent comfort, neither of which are high on the DesertX’s list of virtues. I accept of course there will be others who might get a lot more out of the bike than I could but, with the frankly ridiculous price, I don’t think the Ducati offers great value compared with other bikes in its class. I ended up with a Triumph 900 Rally Pro which is less ‘pro’ than the DesertX but it has the same power, does 80% of the off-road stuff, is way more comfortable on tarmac, returns close to half the fuel consumption and is 30% cheaper for equivalent spec. My previous two Ducatis spent a lot of time in warranty repair so I’m naturally wary of the brand, despite enjoying them immensely and feeling the emotion of riding great Italian motorcycles. I still have my KTM 1290SA which has zero faults in five years and 30,000 miles but it’s worth very little on the second hand market. My guess is that a DesertX will not be worth much at all out of warranty.

stock exhaust does sound like a two cylinder lawn mower.

Very good review. Thanks

There’s one bike of Ducati that I will give it a try. The new Diavel. And they also have a sports style bike that I also want to test the Super sport 950 S. The Desert X doesn’t ring my bell . Excellent review, as always . Thank you. ✌️✌️

Love Poland Witold

First batch of Multistrada V4 did blow up and engines were replaced under warranty with an extra gift from Ducati to compensate the early adopters for their “heart attacks” 😂😂 So when you were thinking that your 7K bike might just blow an engine that is not something totally imaginary😅😅 Thanks for your honesty 🍻🍻

Its all about geometry. Stable at speed but slow turning.

i have a Scrambler 800 and engine heat is horrible. It's unrideable in summer time. Also, that exhaust heat boils the rear master cylinders and Ducati are oblivious to that. Worst customer service i had by far.

Nice haircut W

Did you get any feedback from the dealer/owner about the bike almost stalling after revving the engine? I recently picked up a gently used 2021 Multistrada 950s with only 1300mi, and it does the same thing. Local Ducati dealer gave me the classic "That's just how Ducatis are" response, but there are numerous other videos where I see people revving their engines where this almost stalling doesn't occur.

Marokko is calling

Nice video , good shots on the bike. Keep doing 👍🏼

Good analysis. What do you think is the most balanced middleweight trail bike?

Thank you.

It's funny - people seem to love or hate this bike. Love the looks and expect some of the usual Ducati nonsense like the heat but think I'll stick to my 1250GS. Thanks for another great review!

Outstanding review. Too tall and heavy for off road or urban, then what is it good for? Given the price, an 8 out of 10 is too high. I bought a V-STROM 1050 thanks to your review. I will avoid the Desert X like the plague. Well done VTOLD.