Ducati DesertX India launch on Dec 12

Through one of Ducati India's latest social media teasers we see that the launch of the much awaited DesertX ADV bike is just around the corner, on December 12. The launch of the motorcycle in India was always scheduled for 2022 year-end, but now, the date has finally been confirmed. Excited much?

What is the Ducati DesertX

With its design inspired by some iconic models that competed in desert rallies back in the day, the DesertX boasts some robustly styled bodywork including a cool pair of circular DRLs in its headlamp unit – a clear nod at the bikes from the good ol' rally days in the '90s.

The Ducati Desert X promises not to simply be a looker. The DesertX is meant to mean serious business off-road. The Desert X gets 21/18-inch (f/r) wheels wrapped with Pirelli Scorpion STR tyres, a 46mm Kayaba fork up front with 230mm of travel, a monoshock at the rear with 220mm of suspension travel, 250mm of ground clearance, a 21-litre fuel tank as well as an optional eight-litre fuel tank mount option at the rear. The seat height of the bike is at 875mm - talk about a tall order, right?  The DesertX gets Brembo M50 monobloc radial callipers and 320mm discs at the front to help slow the DesertX on the road and a two-pot calliper and 265mm rotor to stabilise the rig in the dirt.

At the heart of the mid-size ADV lies the liquid-cooled, 937cc Testastretta V-Twin, the same motor that powers the Monster and the Multistrada V2, albeit the Desmodromic engine produces 110PS at 9,250 rpm and 92Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm, which is 1PS and 1NM down on the Monster's unit. But that's more than enough power to take on some trails. The motor sits within an all-new steel trellis frame and is paired with a 6-speed gearbox and Ducati has shortened the DesertX's first five gears for improved delivery off-road while the longer sixth gear setup for journeys down long open roads.

Like most modern Ducati bikes, the DesertX also flaunts a full electronics suite which includes ABS, traction control, anti-wheelie, engine braking control, and a bi-directional quickshifter. In addition to the four standard power modes (Full, High, Medium, Low) and ride modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet), the DesertX also offers a new Enduro and Rally mode.

Expected Pricing:

Considering the fact that the Multistrada V2 costs starts off at Rs 15.5 lakh the Ducati Desert X will sit on a higher shelf with its price tag in the vicinity of Rs 17.5 lakh, seeing as it's built to be the more off-road focused of the two machines. When it gets here, it will square off against the likes of the BMW F 850 GS, Honda Africa Twin and Triumph Tiger 900.

We'd gotten our hands on the Ducati DesertX briefly at World Ducati Week the last time around. Click here to read the Ducati DesertX first ride review.