Desert X

So….. if you weren’t doing the off road stuff and this was just for road based fast touring, honing to the shops, long and short distance, is this the best bike out there for that at the mo in your opinion? Handles like a sports bike, confy like a tourer, plenty of punch and power for when needed but fun when being ragged on a tight B road?

 

I’d think the little v-twin Multistrada would be better for that.

 

I've been playing around with the Ducati Configurator. I haven't checked the prices, but right now I'm looking at something like this:

Exhaust ... the standard exhaust has to go. Call me a tart but I always tend to go for a full system rather than a slip-on if possible, ideally full titanium like the Akra I had on my Superduke and the Arrow I have on my Africa Twin. I'm a bit of a traditionalist and a Ducati it just has to be Termi as far as I'm concerned so I'll probably go for the OEM Racing Exhaust.


The other big ticket items that Ducati offer are luggage, an auxiliary fuel tank and a posh satnav. I already have both soft and hard luggage set-ups for my Africa Twin so I'll wait till their racks become available for the DesertX. The auxiliary fuel tank looks super cool but it will make luggage mounting much more difficult. The main tank will give 200+ miles range which is plenty for me 90% of the time, and I can do without the weight of a built-in tank that I don't need. I'll do what I've always done and just strap and extra fuel can onto the bike if I need it. I certainly don't want the Ducati Zumo XT as my Garmin Montana is way better for adventure riding but I might go for the mounting bar (which you can buy on its own) if a better option isn't available from a third party.



Protection : (ooeeerrr Missus). I'm likely to have dropped the bike off-road a few times before the third-party manufacturers get their accessories through R&D and into production, so I'll probably go for the Ducati crash bars and water pump protector assuming they are readily available. Looking at the reservoir positions on the bars I don't think full ally Barkbusters will fit so the upgraded Ducati ones which are part ally, part plastic are probably the best bet anyway. The Ducati radiator protector looks fine and the upgraded bash plate, while not absolutely necessary for most UK off-roading could be an engine saver on trips to Portugal and Spain so depending on price I might go for the whole Ducati "Off-road Accessory Package".



The Ducati "Headlight protection grille" is one of those thick metal ones which look cool but can let small stones through and actually reduce the effectiveness of the headlight considerably so I'll probably put some PPF on the headlight till a third-party plastic one becomes available.



Comfort: The bike is a little taller than my Africa Twin, but because it is narrower and lighter it didn't pose a problem on the test ride. The "low" seat option looks ok on the picture below but it only reduces the height by an extra 10mm so I won't bother with that unless I manage to try it before I buy it somehow and find it makes a big difference in confidence off-road. Heated grips are essential for winter riding and I'll probably get the OEM ones like I did with my Africa Twin because they integrate with the rest of the bike so much better than aftermarket ones.

I reckon that's about it ... so bike will probably end-up looking a bit like this one ... with battle scars to be added in pretty short order ;-)

 

Thanks ... I’ll check ‘em out

 

With all that on it probably weighs as much as my GS
I'm just jealous

 

I’ve ordered the Iconic Parts one. The adjustability was the crucial factor as my Garmin Montana is a different shape to the more common road-oriented GPS units.

I’ve also ordered their headlight protector. IMHO it is a better design than the Ducati one, which is the all-metal grille type. I had something similar on my CRF1000 for a while before it succumbed to off-road abuse, and I found it had a significant impact on the brightness of the headlight.

 

I quite like the look of these, wouldnt buy one, but they look good.

 

I’ve been away for the last two months (riding my CRF1000 from Kenya down to Cape Town … but that’s another story) and just spoken to my dealer about collecting my DX when I get home next week. The Akra has been fitted but all the other accessory parts haven’t yet arrived from Ducati, and are now not expected till some time in November (I’ll believe it when I see it).

 

That’s annoying.

 

Agree 100%...... handles equally as good as my Multistrada

 

Just had notice that my heated grips are on the way to my dealer from Italy. That’ll be the last of the accessories I ordered so I should be taking delivery soon

 

I saw one in the petrol station today (first one I’ve seen) and they look a lot better in the metal. I’m half tempted by one.

 

Finally my bike is ready. GT are going to deliver for free in recompense for the wait I’ve had. I’ve got my local bike detailer coming round to remove the last vestiges of the Namib desert from my Africa Twin and apply ceramic coating to the DesertX. Never had it on a bike before so I’ll be interested to see how it performs.

 

Are they going to wrap it and put it under a tree for you