We join forces with @BrakeMagazine to test the KTM and Ducati ADV bikes off-road. 2 days of puddles, jumps and mud, Chris' best couple of days ever! #ktm #ducati #adventure
So cool. I bought a base Desert X in May, rode it from California to the Arctic Ocean (Tuktoyaktuk, NWT) and back, and put 10,000 miles on the clock in the first two months. Granted, that’s a very different form of riding from that shown here, but it was a testament to the level of design, development and construction of the Desert X, with zero failures or defects. I think the bike looks great, and it somehow manages to handle like a much smaller and lighter bike than actually is. Simply great fun all around.
And I had the opposite experience. Randomly stalling and not starting, broken wheel on the way home from buying it, left had switch gear randomly quitting and coming back. I took a bath on it, just to be rid of it. Then there is the annual and km based maintenance warnings with no hack available to reset from home. Pay $460 for heated grips and install them yourself? Still require a trip to the dealer and $ to "emable" them. After owning several Ducatis, they will need to change their direction before I own another.
Truth…”adventuring” is all about he journey, and the experiences along the way. I did giggle a little bit though…”look at that view”; I’m just finishing up a week touring in Alaska complete with bush flights, glacier caves, ice climbing, wildlife, etc. Granted, my V85TT doesn’t go as fast, but enjoyment can be had in many ways.
That is because you don't learn anything meaningful from those videos. Otherwise no more test bikes for them. Ever wondered why no big manufacturer makes "unicorn" bike? Yep - all other bikes would be mostly useless. And it would not be a difficult job at all.
No experience with this class of bike or riding style but, I have two Ducati. It’s the feel. No surprise it’s evident in whatever they produce. It’s a core brand tenet. Thanks for the enjoyable review.
Great video yet again, thanks Guys. After riding the Desert X Rally at the Ducati Adventure Centre, I have to agree. My off-road skills are nowhere even close to a quarter of yours, so I'm not getting anywhere near the bikes limits. But it made me feel like a hero, and I am away with the wants.
the bit where says that the ktm makes you ride like a dick is why i think most ktm owners have them....they really do have a very alive feeling that spurs you on. there is a 'you can do better than that' vibe when you ride them
I experience the same on my DDXR, equipped with the Termignoni Race Exhaust, and included ECU tune. It opens up the engine even more to 118Hp and 98 Nm of torque. It is so much fun to ride, and the geometry of the bike makes it feel very stable both on and off road.
I've been through so many Ktm's (9 in total) and will never ever go back. Too many headaches from lack of reliability and basically zero warranty help. The fact ktm markets their crap as ready to race, but you ride it to work for example and it breaks. Then take it to the dealer and get blamed for it breaking. What a pile of dishonest bs! Yeah there are people that are lucky, and others that show blind obedience to the brand. But the rest of us are just tired of it.....
True that, I’ve always wanted the 500 duel sport in any of the 3 formats, even with it having the best rep out of all the bikes , still can’t commit to it.
I came from a tricked out KTM 790R, which was a great bike. I did however replace it with the DDX Rally, which I find to be an even better bike. I have so much fun riding it, and the Ducati Desmo engines are something very special. Paired with the Termignoni race exhaust and ECU tuning, the Rally fully comes alive. It is almost a must have, to get the bike to what it should be. I have personally not experienced any bottoming out of the Rally suspension yet, neither on gravel or trails, and I am 205 lbs, but I did up the preload. I find the suspension really good and it eats up all the smaller pot holes and uneven surfaces on the ground quite effectively. I will however still upgrade the springs on the shock and forks to my weight. I did this for the WP suspension on the KTM, and the difference was substantial. I might even upgrade the rear shock to the Öhlins shock for the Rally, that soon will be released. With those changes, the Rally will be nothing short of phenomenal. The Ducati engine is “bulletproof,” and has that special character only a Desmo engine has, something I can not say about the KTM 790 engine.
@@shanelogie7644 It is not difficult to change it, but a bit tedious. You also don’t need to replace it as often since it does not pull air close to the rear wheel. I bought the Funnel Web filter, that protects better against finer dust, and prolongs the service interval. I am sure they will come up with a better solution in the future, like Aurora’s version. This is what KTM had to do for its 1290 Adventure model.
Don't spend money on Ohlins if you have the DDX Rally, it's a waste. . Suspension quality is top notch, closed cartridge forks with Kasima coating and equivalent shock with 46mm piston, and CNC milled anodized materials inside. Just customize springs and valving to your use.
@@user-bx3hh1cl3tThe forks are fantastic, the rear shock is good, but not as good as tha forks are. I will see how much better the Öhlins will be when it comes out, if it actually is worth the investment. New springs alone will however make a noticeable difference, that is what I have experienced in the past. Maybe an Öhlins spring will do for the rear, we will see. I am Swedish after all. 😜👍
Seems like 890 R’s pro suspension package was the biggest advantage for KTM. To justify the comments about “bottoming out” “faster through the jumps”. The X needs to be brought out again. This time with top off-road racing suspension. Great entertaining video 🔥🔥🔥
The fact the Desert X even exists and is doing this competition vs just 5 years ago is amazing really. Kudos to Ducati, and oddly I never thought I’d say this but I just might prefer the Desert next bike. Fun bikes and fun video!
Great review as always, well balanced and nicely balanced the subjective and objective. Both bikes clearly have their pros and cons. Having owned a KTM in the past, I would go Ducati -- the engine is a well tested platform with years of solid reliability under its belt (in the Hypermotard, Supersport, Monster and Multistrada). The L/V-Twin really is also a lovely engine. I've also experienced first hand that quality control on KTMs is seriously lacking, and am not in the slightest bit surprised at the latest camshaft goings on. In reality though, I wouldn't be able to ride either at their limits.... so would go for the bike that is in budget, has joy of ownership and has a proven motor as a platform. If I were on a tighter budget, I'd be happy with a T7.
You are a really good rider. Love your channel. I would probably go KTM. That desert X looks like it’s a great bike. I just feel like KTM has it down they have been in the game for a long time now.
The Duck doesnt look like a pile of traffic cones surrounded by an island of black plastic covering the disposable camshafts. I'd take that one. I can afford neither.
No mention of the camshaft problems! Guess you're not a brave enough journalist to confront them, just in case ktm cut you off from their supply of test bikes?
He's calling you out for not even mentioning it which is quite a reasonable position to take, you are convincing people to buy the bike without any mention of their well earned reputation. @@BikeWorldTVshow
@@blairknight7793 We don't know enough about the issue to mention in an off-road head-to-head, if we'd had an issue on the test then we would have covered it. We have asked KTM for information and we're waiting for a response from the factory.
100% agree the low center of gravity and better suspension should seal the deal , but of course not...the high tank and not as good suspension brings the win to ducati in this guys eyes! kind of funny
Both excellent bikes. In Europe, the KTM costs about the same as the Ducati when adding those extras, which Ducati has included as a standard (quick shifter, cruise control, 4yrs warranty...). What I find is very annoying is the min. speed of Ducatis cruise control. It wont work below 50kph. But the engine of the Ducati is better for sure 👍🏼
This is why i love my ktm 890smt. When you adjust the suspension it reveals crazy good handling. On tight twisty roads, which is all there is here on the west side of Norway, it is faster and better than pretty much anything. Love it
Would love one of them ducati but tried sitting on one they are a tall machine unfortunately my legs aren't long enough. How was that steering shaking though looked like both bike's was doing it over that section looked unsettling that was it a common problem on the test?
after owning the gs for 5 years I am on my second one and been all over on it I am in the middle of changing to a desert x, I’ve got one last europe trip in a few days then it’s time to wave goodbye. The desert x is just a better bike for me anyway .
Its funny before I even started watching , which I skipped through most of it , knew from the start he would pick the Ducati ! lmao, KTM , the company everyone loves to hate!
Never thought to admit something from China is on my list, let alone a bike without any history. That being Kove 800X twin possibly coming to the US market. Power, range and a svelte 185kg !
With KTMs current deals there is something like £6k differential in price here. Would the test not have been better with more price comparable models….either the standard X or the R SE version? Love the channel and the review
I can't speak for the KTM, as I haven't ridden the Adventure. Only the (super)dukes. But I have to say that I'm shocked that you were able to bottom the suspension of the Rally regularly and/or easily. I've spent a few days riding the Desert X rally and I was really impressed with the suspension. I started out thinking I would never pay the surcharge of the rally vs the standard Desert X (which I also rode a few days after its launch), but left thinking it was a must have upgrade for offroading. Mostly due to that suspension ( the lighter wheels don't hurt, but I don't want to sound like a Ducati advertisement). I'm also quite a bit heavier than you Chris, but even with jumps and bounces I don't think I ever hit the bumpstops. The terrain here isn't as gnarly as Wales or parts of the UK, but for me the suspension took everything very nicely. I think I'm as surprised as you are, because to me the suspension on the Rally just felt like it could go on forever. Even to the point where it feels slightly more vague at the front during aggressive roadriding, as compared to the standard Desert X. Thanks for doing the comparison, I think I need to do another test of the Rally before settling on buying it.
Ktm eggs you to charge!!! I completely agree 😂😂😂 I'm very new to this adventure world and I often prefer taking it slow but that Ktm I'm telling you 😂😂😂 I'm also shocked as to how forgiving it is for me.
After dealing with the KTM people for 6 months after my Ad R cams failed at 30km, I'll never own another KTM as long as I live. Seriously dont invite this risk of failure into your life.
@@ltonkerinstein873 because it didn’t come up on the ride, if we’d had engine issues on the day it would of been discussed. And don’t call us dishonest, this is getting very boring.
@@BikeWorldTVshow Yes, the truth and your service to the industry’s consumer is boring. I believe I heard Two Tier Keir also recently say the truth shouldn’t be spoken.
And THAT.....my dear friends, should be a lesson to all the spec sheet crybabies. Reminds me of the initial reception of just about every new motorcycle in recent decade, all the hecklers have a go around the equator of the earth before the real story gets its shoes tied. V-Strom 800DE was one of those: aw it's too heavy! aw it has a parallel twin! aw it's got simple brakes! aw the spec sheet!! ... Next thing you know guys are swapping parts and racing Baja with it, other people are ripping up the side of steep mini-mountains launching into the air.
It's really hard watching English riding, not your fault...you don't have real terrain, it's all bmw1250r terrain...I'm from Idaho and Utah it's all a walk in the park 😉
Still better specs on the DDXR since you get the excel wheels, and some more goodies. To get it all on the KTM side, you have to buy the full Rally version, which at least in Europe is more expensive.
Here’s the first part: The Ultimate Off-Road ADV Bike? Chris Builds His Dream Yamaha Tenere 700 To Find Out. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BkBz51uJJik.html
Owned KTMs..always great performance, always chaotic maintenance and poor dealer support. Owned a DX, pain to work on, chain wore out after 6k miles..air filter work is crap. Bottom line, buy a T7 and put the extra money into goodies.
The tiger 900 rally is a great bike, between the two, offroad the 890 beats by quite a margin it but the tiger is nicer on-road and you can choose based on preference. If you only do gravel roads the tiger 900 is good enough and will be more comfortable. The 890 rally spec is much better kitted suspension wise and is lighter weight
@@axelfiraxa I’m not a dirt guy, so this is why I bought a 2024 900 GT-Pro, Great Road bike, and the new updates just put the icing on the cake for this model. 👍🇬🇧
@@elithegreat6463tiger doesn’t come close to the ktm or the desert x. The gt is a pointless variant of the bike it’s no more an adventure bike than a z1000 kawasaki. The rally pro is another one. The 1200 holds its ground the 900rally is not as good as ktm, desert x or now even the f900.
Nice vid but paying crazy $ for a desert x "rally" and still getting shitty suspension it is not right... 9:04 that sound 😱 also air filter access on Ducati is a joke finally the geometry of the ducati where you are sitting inside the bike with a huge metal tank between you and the handlebar compare to sitting on top with lower fuel tank on the KTM makes the desert x a good adv road bike but not so much real off-road.
@@salsadurauk yep I get the fun factor, I have a 1290, here in Australia, dusty, dusty, dusty, air filter maintenance on multi day rides is paramount, I would rather be sitting in the pub.
@@wicko2363 buy a different bike if you thinking on changing bikes mate that Ducati is not for You in that case or moved to other country 🤣 for us in the U.K. is perfect and I am buying one as my second bike .
@@salsadurauk 2 bikes are the way to go, I have a GasGas 700 and the 1290. Guys I talk to out on the trails love their desert x’s, each to their own, I just prefer easy air filter maintenance and as you say dust is not as much of an issue in the UK. I also like throwing hand grenades on the internet, because every bike on the market have positives and negatives no matter what brand and You Tubers tend to not disclose any perceived weaknesses, they all love those OS junkets.
Agreed 100%! I have owned several 950 and 990 and the standard DesertX. The Ducati is sold and the old KTM is still in my collection. Several riding buddies have 790/890 and they are not only ugly they are problematic as well.
@@therealturbofanisme Done that many times and you shouldnt listen too much to biased journalists. The 950 is my favorite. The engine is so smooth and the bike is more rewarding. Both bikes feels like tanks compared with a real enduro bike.
@@Checkyoursix77 I'm not listening to journalists, I own an 890 and helped my buddy find and buy a 2011 990 Dakar. It's a great bike but it's just not the same as the 890. More stable at speed due to the longer wheelbase, but the 890 platform is so good and it feels so much lighter (even though it isn't) and more playful in the dirt. I don't fault anyone for choosing a 990 but it's not the same experience.
I had a Multistrada 950 S(identical engine as DesertX), and man that thing was 0 issues from new all the way to 45 000km when I sold it and bought the 1260 Enduro. So I agree on this one!
@@BikeWorldTVshow Well, it’s what you said at 1:30, if motorcycles with more specs than a T7 or a CFMoto are worth the cost difference or not. But after seeing the whole video I realized it’s just a KTM versus Ducati comparison.
They're a bit closer in price when you factor in the price of the cone valves on the 890R. Llel is effectively riding an 890R Rally which is ~$22k. The forks on that 890R are like $4k.
