For most of us regular mortals, riding 70/30 road bias, the Tuareg 660 fits the bill better I would think. Esp at under $12k here now, in the US. That Duc is sexy and am sure is crzy competent… though not sure it’s worth $8k more…again for 90% of us anyway. Cool review! Thanks.
yep just ducati tax again, same with the road bikes, if you're well off then maybe it's worth it.. but for most people that extra money is better spent on mods and gear (or feeding your family or something, idk)
I compared the Tuareg 660 to the standard Desert X side by side last spring. The seat height and balance of the bike made the Tuareg a better choice for me. I sent under $800 getting the suspension sprung for me and properly valved. It is my favorite bike without a doubt.
lol.. how to say you’re poor/stingy without saying you’re poor/stingy. There are people who like more expensive bikes and still work for a living. And I don’t mean only Ducatis, but other bikes too. If you can afford T7 fine, nobody forces you to get more, but don’t rain on others’ parade..
Excellent review Carl, very honest and great footage, thanks for sharing the Cons not just the Pros. Awesome looking bike for a high premium. Like anything, you get what you pay for or can afford. 👍😎
They look like a great bike, but their Achilles heel is the air filter access. If you can’t change / clean an air filter in less than 15 minutes they are a liability in dry conditions. If I win the lottery tomorrow I will but one though 😎
I have a standard Desert X but I added a Tractive suspension ($4.5k including install) I added crash bars, skid plate, aux lights and an Ohlins steering stabilizer at roughly $2,500 more. All that to say the extra $4k is a bargain on the rally. I went that route vs waiting on the Rally because I wanted a 50/50 machine. I also have a KTM 890 Rally......both are amazing but I personally prefer the DX in the package I created. I would love to try one of these DX Rally's but then again, I may not want to....;-)
It's a nice review where you hit it's minor flaws what #Ducati need to improve in their next year's Desert X like the unavailable heated grips. Apart from that the Weight of the bike which is a bit too much is also hurdle, its quite smaller Windscreen, it's chosen stock Tires, & low front Fender on the non Rally base model. If all of those would be corrected. This bike would be amazing. Especially if you replace the exhaust with an aftermarket one. I guess the height of the bike is just enough because it's used after all into different terrain especially in rough roads. For some who can't able to reach the floor with their two feet. It's fine I think they could just adjust height into their preference. There are also some taller guys who wants this bike so it makes it even. Anyway, opting for shorter is way difficult as it makes their leg cramp in a long ride. Also on a side note why is this bike's red bar frame is bulging at the tail end. It really upset the looks which isn't normal to an adventure bike or it's rivals. Yes, it helps a bit when you need to yank the bike, but the Factory can able to put it on the side or maybe not. It doesn't matter anyway.
You can't compare this against the ktm 890 adv R , the shorter wheel base of the ktm makes it alot better offroad and the ktm suspension is alot better than these kyb suspension, the stupid seat height on the ducati is going to stop anyone under 5 foot 10 even riding the the rally , you can see in every review vid out today that the suspension is still too soft for a experienced offroad rider and lots of money still needs to be spent to make it as good as the 890 ktm adv R offroad...I own a desert x I ride my mates 890 adv and mates t700 and they alot easier to ride and the ktm just oozes a proper offroad bike.
WP suspension better than KYB? Who told you that?! For off road, KYB is widely regarded as the absolute best stuff available. You will see people replace the WP kit on their KTM/Husky/GasGas dirt bikes all the time… no-one replaces their KYB kit with WP. I’ve not ridden a Desert X but I would definitely think that you’re right about the KTM being better off road though. The reviews of this bike seem very specific in their praise… “the best adventure bike over 220kg”… so not as good as the KTM then, basically 😂
@@Mockle07 I own a modded desert x and I ride mates 890 regular , the ktm is alot better offroad, the suspesion is better .its more progressive and the ktm turns so much better and it feels alot lighter , granted on road it's no where near as good as the ducati, I never bought the ktm as I heard so many horror stories about reliability I thought I'd give the ducati a try with the 4 year warranty . If ktm gave the same warranty I would of got the ktm 890 adv R, I've never bottomed out mates ktm on small jumps, the ducati crashes through the stroke and that after ots been tweaked for my weight, I got to bite the bullett and get ohlins or tractive suspension on it just so I can ride it like I can on mate 2023 890 adv R
@@Rust_valley_adventures that all makes complete sense. The KTM was conceived as an off road orientated adventure bike with real dirt bike DNA. The Desert X looks incredible and would be a good 60/40 road/off road bike I’d say (you tell me) but if you want a bike that is alright on the road but comes alive off road road the KTM is really the only option. Sticking crash bars and upgraded suspension on the X isn’t going to get it to KTM levels of ability. I suppose it depends what/where/how you ride, ultimately. Looks nice though 😃
@@Mockle07 i got a yamaha tt600r belgarda over lander as my main offroad bike for travel long distance offroad and a kdx 200 and another 2 stroke for playing in the woods , my xr600r and xr650r are retired to supermoto as they was my main offroad bikes , if I wanted a another offroad adv bike I'd get another xr650r and fit electric start on it or a new ktm 690 enduro, I've been spoilt with my xr's and and the tt600r as there's nothing out there that's as good for travel offroad for a week with my camping kit and luggage and a big 21 liter fuel tank 😀
Beautiful looking bike, nice review but if old mate @ 6’2” has trouble I’d say that leaves a little of people out of the equation and then there’s the price…
I am 180 cm ( 5 11) with long legs for my height and my 945 mm seat height on my KTM 640 Adventure isn’t a problem. The Ducati has a lower seat height than that.
Have you actually ridden the KTM 890 Rally? It is a very bold claim for someone to make who claims is not an off road expert. I am sure it is amazing but I will stick with my KTM .
Ducati's, always a bunch of hit and misses that make you think WTF? I personally don't see how anyone could make a Ducati a primary motorcycle as far ownership goes. I can see snagging one if you were wealthy enough to have a stable of motorcycles but otherwise I'll pass on owning a Ducati. :(
I'm kind of interested in why it has wheelie control. It's only a 100 odd horsepower bike and has less than 70 lb-ft. Those are roughly early R1200GS numbers while only being about 35lb lighter. Just seems like extra computer intervention where it isn't needed. Maybe I'm wrong though I haven't ridden one
The thing you gotta understand is as follows: The entire electronics package was developed once and can now be used on all the Ducati bikes with only a little bit of tweaking. So it doesn't cost them anything to put it on the bike, yet it holds some marketing value. If you don't like it as a rider, you can still turn it off, no problem.
Why would you ever take the most unreliable and expensive to maintain bike brand off-road! Hey im sure its fantastic, maybe, perhaps as good as a KTM whilst riding. The problem is anything goes wrong, and something will, you wished you'd gotten a KTM or even a T7 Rally. On another note, you can get a well specced GS1300 at 19 grand. This bike is just too expensive
No getting around the price of the rally for sure its crazy expensive, but as someone who owns the standard Desert X and have owned the KTM 890 R, and a 1200 GSA... I can tell you the DX is the only one that I haven't had reliability problems with. Currently 8,000 miles of touring and hard desert riding and it's been unstoppable. Yes it's annoying to pull the tank to do the air filter. After the first time I've got it down to a 35 minute job. I haven't had the chance to put any miles on the new 1300 yet but that bike is so much more road focused than the other bikes you've mentioned.
It’s your money so your choice. I get that. But that doesn’t change this is a bad choice. - Ridiculously more expensive. - Duc road bikes are expensive but have merits. This one? Why one needs more expensive to get, and difficult to maintain (this is a big part). Plus less reliable bike to go adventure tour… Let’s make a video to change or just clean the air filter in the middle of dessert 😂 the problem is evident. Design is decent just like duc but it’s kind of okay at best.
I’d love to pay $19k my Ducati I payed $36k out the door for my Panigale! V4S!! @ 5’4” I have no chance of riding this the properly as much as I want to!!
Great bike for sure but no journo mentions what it takes to get the air filter out and clean it??Big fail for ordinary guys who just want to ride at the weekends with their mates in the Dirt and Dust.
There's a bit too much of this creeping rip-off from manufacturers, most notoriously KTM, with electronic features that are built into the bike, but you have to pay extra for, like the heated grips mentioned, here,
As someone who had to shell out $2971 Can for a replacement rear Desert-X wheel before it ever even saw a trail, the new wheels seem to be mandatory. As someone who has realized that Ducati doesn't stand behind their product, I will be giving this a hard pass
Best thing about it is it's not limited. Good on them for that. It not as good off road than the 890 R. Close I would say. But for that price it has to be a lot better. And maintenance costs on this are going to be stupid because it's a Ducati. It's very good looking for sure.
Back to tubed tires at that price point ??,,A Flat just ruins everyones ride. No one is that hardcore to ride off road to damage the original Tubeless Spokes. Tubes are NO-DEAL !!👎👎👎
I have the "normal" desert x. While I have not had an issue with the wheels, I have not ridden it on anything near rough conditions yet, but I understand that the guys who run it over big rocks and hard dry ruts etc. end up damaging the edges of tubeless rims because they overhang the tyres.
For most of us regular mortals, riding 70/30 road bias, the Tuareg 660 fits the bill better I would think. Esp at under $12k here now, in the US. That Duc is sexy and am sure is crzy competent… though not sure it’s worth $8k more…again for 90% of us anyway. Cool review! Thanks.
yep just ducati tax again, same with the road bikes, if you're well off then maybe it's worth it.. but for most people that extra money is better spent on mods and gear (or feeding your family or something, idk)
I compared the Tuareg 660 to the standard Desert X side by side last spring. The seat height and balance of the bike made the Tuareg a better choice for me. I sent under $800 getting the suspension sprung for me and properly valved. It is my favorite bike without a doubt.
This bike is almost 25.5k euros in the Netherlands. Absolutely ridiculous.
Well, he's talking about capabilities.
Enjoyed the review, well presented, good editing.👍🏻
Sweet but sane people who work for a living will buy a Yamaha T700 for half the price.
or a Tuareg which is even better
It’s almost as if you’re insulted that this bike even exists! Who cares?
Thats still way cheaper than the Desert X Rally@@deployeddan
What a useless comment. The T7 is a neat bike but it's nothing like this.
If it's not for you it's not for you.
lol.. how to say you’re poor/stingy without saying you’re poor/stingy.
There are people who like more expensive bikes and still work for a living.
And I don’t mean only Ducatis, but other bikes too.
If you can afford T7 fine, nobody forces you to get more, but don’t rain on others’ parade..
great riding in Morocco‘s desert together, great review🙏🏽 cheers, Tibor
Thanks, I really learned alot . That is one special bike.
Excellent review Carl, very honest and great footage, thanks for sharing the Cons not just the Pros. Awesome looking bike for a high premium. Like anything, you get what you pay for or can afford. 👍😎
They look like a great bike, but their Achilles heel is the air filter access.
If you can’t change / clean an air filter in less than 15 minutes they are a liability in dry conditions.
If I win the lottery tomorrow I will but one though 😎
This bike looks amazing! I’d be tempted. But first, can you remind me how you change the air filter, though?
Visit Ducati dealer
Great review, Carl. Nicely put together. Looks like Ducati really nailed it with this one.😊
I have a standard Desert X but I added a Tractive suspension ($4.5k including install) I added crash bars, skid plate, aux lights and an Ohlins steering stabilizer at roughly $2,500 more. All that to say the extra $4k is a bargain on the rally. I went that route vs waiting on the Rally because I wanted a 50/50 machine. I also have a KTM 890 Rally......both are amazing but I personally prefer the DX in the package I created. I would love to try one of these DX Rally's but then again, I may not want to....;-)
Great bike, but the difficulty in reaching the air filter is a deal-breaker
Nice review Carl - thanks for posting.
This is a high risk option, Honda or yamaha for me anyday
Great review. Cant wait to get mine
It's a nice review where you hit it's minor flaws what #Ducati need to improve in their next year's Desert X like the unavailable heated grips. Apart from that the Weight of the bike which is a bit too much is also hurdle, its quite smaller Windscreen, it's chosen stock Tires, & low front Fender on the non Rally base model. If all of those would be corrected. This bike would be amazing. Especially if you replace the exhaust with an aftermarket one.
I guess the height of the bike is just enough because it's used after all into different terrain especially in rough roads. For some who can't able to reach the floor with their two feet. It's fine I think they could just adjust height into their preference. There are also some taller guys who wants this bike so it makes it even. Anyway, opting for shorter is way difficult as it makes their leg cramp in a long ride.
Also on a side note why is this bike's red bar frame is bulging at the tail end. It really upset the looks which isn't normal to an adventure bike or it's rivals. Yes, it helps a bit when you need to yank the bike, but the Factory can able to put it on the side or maybe not. It doesn't matter anyway.
Sadly it cost around $77,419 here in Nepal!!
Does it still weigh the same as a GS!?
You can't compare this against the ktm 890 adv R , the shorter wheel base of the ktm makes it alot better offroad and the ktm suspension is alot better than these kyb suspension, the stupid seat height on the ducati is going to stop anyone under 5 foot 10 even riding the the rally , you can see in every review vid out today that the suspension is still too soft for a experienced offroad rider and lots of money still needs to be spent to make it as good as the 890 ktm adv R offroad...I own a desert x I ride my mates 890 adv and mates t700 and they alot easier to ride and the ktm just oozes a proper offroad bike.
WP suspension better than KYB? Who told you that?! For off road, KYB is widely regarded as the absolute best stuff available. You will see people replace the WP kit on their KTM/Husky/GasGas dirt bikes all the time… no-one replaces their KYB kit with WP.
I’ve not ridden a Desert X but I would definitely think that you’re right about the KTM being better off road though. The reviews of this bike seem very specific in their praise… “the best adventure bike over 220kg”… so not as good as the KTM then, basically 😂
@@Mockle07 I own a modded desert x and I ride mates 890 regular , the ktm is alot better offroad, the suspesion is better .its more progressive and the ktm turns so much better and it feels alot lighter , granted on road it's no where near as good as the ducati, I never bought the ktm as I heard so many horror stories about reliability I thought I'd give the ducati a try with the 4 year warranty . If ktm gave the same warranty I would of got the ktm 890 adv R, I've never bottomed out mates ktm on small jumps, the ducati crashes through the stroke and that after ots been tweaked for my weight, I got to bite the bullett and get ohlins or tractive suspension on it just so I can ride it like I can on mate 2023 890 adv R
@@Rust_valley_adventures that all makes complete sense. The KTM was conceived as an off road orientated adventure bike with real dirt bike DNA. The Desert X looks incredible and would be a good 60/40 road/off road bike I’d say (you tell me) but if you want a bike that is alright on the road but comes alive off road road the KTM is really the only option. Sticking crash bars and upgraded suspension on the X isn’t going to get it to KTM levels of ability.
I suppose it depends what/where/how you ride, ultimately. Looks nice though 😃
@@Mockle07 i got a yamaha tt600r belgarda over lander as my main offroad bike for travel long distance offroad and a kdx 200 and another 2 stroke for playing in the woods , my xr600r and xr650r are retired to supermoto as they was my main offroad bikes , if I wanted a another offroad adv bike I'd get another xr650r and fit electric start on it or a new ktm 690 enduro, I've been spoilt with my xr's and and the tt600r as there's nothing out there that's as good for travel offroad for a week with my camping kit and luggage and a big 21 liter fuel tank 😀
Get Nitron suspension, then you will have control of low and high speed compression giving you perfect on-road and off-road setup.
Beautiful looking bike, nice review but if old mate @ 6’2” has trouble I’d say that leaves a little of people out of the equation and then there’s the price…
I am 180 cm ( 5 11) with long legs for my height and my 945 mm seat height on my KTM 640 Adventure isn’t a problem. The Ducati has a lower seat height than that.
@@AussieDazza Thanks for that. You and me are the same height then.
99% of people just need the standard DesertX. I’m 5’9 and with the low seat, I can flat foot the bike easily. It’s an absolute blast.
@@GrIrTi Thank you. I find the review a little bit misleading in that area.
Should've launched this bike at Davos, it's for elites!
Have you actually ridden the KTM 890 Rally?
It is a very bold claim for someone to make who claims is not an off road expert.
I am sure it is amazing but I will stick with my KTM .
.Overpriced with a great name and high maintenance just like my girlfriend.
She's a great ride too 😂
its true. she really is.
@@superhands8041 😆😆
Ducati's, always a bunch of hit and misses that make you think WTF? I personally don't see how anyone could make a Ducati a primary motorcycle as far ownership goes. I can see snagging one if you were wealthy enough to have a stable of motorcycles but otherwise I'll pass on owning a Ducati. :(
new king it is
Air filter buried under the tank still?
I'm kind of interested in why it has wheelie control. It's only a 100 odd horsepower bike and has less than 70 lb-ft. Those are roughly early R1200GS numbers while only being about 35lb lighter. Just seems like extra computer intervention where it isn't needed. Maybe I'm wrong though I haven't ridden one
this guy is delusional
The thing you gotta understand is as follows: The entire electronics package was developed once and can now be used on all the Ducati bikes with only a little bit of tweaking. So it doesn't cost them anything to put it on the bike, yet it holds some marketing value. If you don't like it as a rider, you can still turn it off, no problem.
@@Blockbuster2033 Well exactly. It is just extra TC algorithms meaning it costs them virtually nothing to replicate and can be switched off anyhow.
Oh boy..
this bike has new ducati wheelie assist?
Still doing more road than dirt, so I'll keep the standard one !
Yeah, I'm not sure it's the king of offroad when the 890 exists. A close second or third behind the tuareg and 890.
They shouldn't be able to use rally to market without even being a part of rally.
My 2016 1190 would piss ball that all day long!
Why would you ever take the most unreliable and expensive to maintain bike brand off-road! Hey im sure its fantastic, maybe, perhaps as good as a KTM whilst riding. The problem is anything goes wrong, and something will, you wished you'd gotten a KTM or even a T7 Rally. On another note, you can get a well specced GS1300 at 19 grand. This bike is just too expensive
No getting around the price of the rally for sure its crazy expensive, but as someone who owns the standard Desert X and have owned the KTM 890 R, and a 1200 GSA... I can tell you the DX is the only one that I haven't had reliability problems with. Currently 8,000 miles of touring and hard desert riding and it's been unstoppable. Yes it's annoying to pull the tank to do the air filter. After the first time I've got it down to a 35 minute job. I haven't had the chance to put any miles on the new 1300 yet but that bike is so much more road focused than the other bikes you've mentioned.
Even translap is better than this.
Even the bonkers 1290 Super ADV R is cheaper than that..🥺🥺🥺🥺😱😱😱
It’s your money so your choice.
I get that. But that doesn’t change this is a bad choice.
- Ridiculously more expensive.
- Duc road bikes are expensive but have merits.
This one? Why one needs more expensive to get, and difficult to maintain (this is a big part). Plus less reliable bike to go adventure tour…
Let’s make a video to change or just clean the air filter in the middle of dessert 😂 the problem is evident.
Design is decent just like duc but it’s kind of okay at best.
Who wants to take an anvil off road?
Until they fix tank off for air filter change, no thanks.
Why’s he parked in disabled bay? 😂
Because he’s 5’7”😂
I’d love to pay $19k my Ducati I payed $36k out the door for my Panigale! V4S!! @ 5’4” I have no chance of riding this the properly as much as I want to!!
Crazy money for the Panigale but it will hold value more than a bike ridden offroad and showing lots of wear.
$23k
Great bike for sure but no journo mentions what it takes to get the air filter out and clean it??Big fail for ordinary guys who just want to ride at the weekends with their mates in the Dirt and Dust.
Xtz 750 laughts since like 30years. Well ducati finally got it done what yamaha was doing since decades😂
Africa twin way better
My 2018 ktm 1090 r is more powerful, has better suspension, longer range tank and lighter. Just tell the truth. This bike is aimed at the ducatista.
SO SO
typical journo comments. he doesn't really know what he's talking about.
£27k fully kitted out , £2k more than a 1300 GS fully kitted out 🤷♂️ road bike clutch in the Ducati not the best
Hmm. Nope
Ktm 690 is all you need
19k £ for 232kg wet and 110hp is nothing special ...
There's a bit too much of this creeping rip-off from manufacturers, most notoriously KTM, with electronic features that are built into the bike, but you have to pay extra for, like the heated grips mentioned, here,
As someone who had to shell out $2971 Can for a replacement rear Desert-X wheel before it ever even saw a trail, the new wheels seem to be mandatory. As someone who has realized that Ducati doesn't stand behind their product, I will be giving this a hard pass
Best thing about it is it's not limited. Good on them for that. It not as good off road than the 890 R. Close I would say. But for that price it has to be a lot better. And maintenance costs on this are going to be stupid because it's a Ducati. It's very good looking for sure.
Great review mate 🍻
Back to tubed tires at that price point ??,,A Flat just ruins everyones ride. No one is that hardcore to ride off road to damage the original Tubeless Spokes. Tubes are NO-DEAL !!👎👎👎
I have the "normal" desert x. While I have not had an issue with the wheels, I have not ridden it on anything near rough conditions yet, but I understand that the guys who run it over big rocks and hard dry ruts etc. end up damaging the edges of tubeless rims because they overhang the tyres.