The Ducati Scrambler is just a scrambler in name and the Multistrada Enduro is just too big and expensive. Now, the DesertX changes all that and is a proper off-road Enduro bike

Ducati DesertX Is The Off Road Bike We've all been waiting for

Ducati is a road bike manufacturer, right? Always has been. Even the 250/350/450cc Scrambler models in the 1960s weren't really 'scramblers' as such but that doesn't mean they didn't have a whole load of style.

Fast forward to 2015 and the new Scrambler made its debut but, despite footage of off-road experts giving the new model a good thrashing off-road, it was clear that here was a stylish boulevard cruiser than a proper attempt at a pukka dirt bike.

Well, all that is about to change with the launch of the DesertX. At last, here is a Ducati that pays more than lip service to playing in the dirt. It might look like yet another retro-styled toy, but under the skin this is the most serious off-road bike Ducati has ever built.

The combination of retro good looks and ability is something that Triumph has done successfully with their own Scrambler 1200 and, if anything, Ducati has done it even better. Looking like a Dakar bike from the early 1980's, it follows a styling path that no-one has tried yet.

But it's under the skin that things get interesting. While the concept bike used the air-cooled v-twin from the Scrambler platform, the DesertX is actually based on the Multistrada V2, which uses the 937cc Testastretta engine producing 108bhp and 68lb.ft of torque.

The gearbox has completely revised ratios: gears one and two are much shorter for twiddly technical sections, while gears three, four and five are also lowered compared to the Multi V2, leaving sixth as a long, cruising gear.

Wheel sizes of 21" front and 18" rear demonstrate that Ducati really is taking the off-road thing seriously: a 21" front wheel is considered essential for coping with obstacles and the tyre sizes open the bike up to a whole raft of off-road tyre options.

Attaching the tyres to the all-new steel trellis chassis is long-travel Kayaba suspension offering 230mm travel at the front and 220 at the rear, with damping tuned for off-road riding. 250mm of ground clearance is as serious as you could wish for, but all the above does mean an 875mm seat height which is a necessary evil if the bike is to be any good off-road.

Braking might be handled by Brembo M50 monobloc calipers but the whole set-up has been tuned for off-road sensitivity rather than outright stopping power.

While the 'sit down or stand up' argument rages among adventure or enduro riders, the Ducati's riding position is firmly tailored to the latter, allowing riders to stand on the pegs without an uncomfortable stoop to the 'bars. Now, normally, this means that the seat is more like a plank of wood but Ducati has taken care to make the seat comfortable for longer journeys, something made possible by the 21-litre fuel tank (there's an option to add an additional 8 litres) making this a serious proposition for hardcore enduro riding well away from civilisation. Claimed dry weight is 202kg (445lb).

Naturally, the electronics are top-notch, a Bosch IMU (internal measurement unit) allowing a whole array of rider aids - engine brake control, wheelie control, cornering ABS, traction control and a quick-shifter. Six riding modes and four power modes including two off-road modes with preset power, TC and ABS intervention levels. All this is adjustable via the 5" TFT dash.

The Ducati DesertX has arrived at just the right time as interest in the aesthetics of rally bikes is at an all-time high. They are the perfect middle ground between full-on MX bikes and large adventure bikes, offering the best of both worlds, not to mention chunky and purposeful good looks. That the Ducati DesertX looks like it will have the ability to enter a hardcore rally raid event straight out of the box does its chances no harm whatsoever. For the first time, here is a Ducati that is more likely to be used seriously and not just to look good going to the shops or to work.