2019 Ducati World Premiere Archives

Ducati Desert X Adventure Bike Concept

The Ducati Desert X concept was shown at the Ducati World Premiere.
It will the most off-road capable bike for the manufacturer.
The prototype will be unveiled at EICMA 2019.

Also launched during the Ducati World Premiere was the Ducati Desert X adventure bike concept.

While every manufacturer harps on their building adventure bikes as the successor to their Paris-Dakar race bikes, Ducati hasn’t done so until now. And the Italian manufacturer knows that they are missing a pedigree adventure/dual-sport bike in their lineup. Yes, there’s the Multistrada Enduro but its meant for light trails and rough roads. For those kind of riding, they know they need a bike specifically designed for that task.

Cagiva had a history in the Paris-Dakar Rally when they owned the Ducati brand. The bike was called the Cagiva Elefant 750 and 900. The Elefant 750 won the 1990 edition while the Elefant 900 won the 1994 race, both times with Edi Orioli on board, beating out BMW, Honda and Yamaha.

Please click here to read more about Cagiva’s history.

The Desert X was inspired by the 900cc variant, though. It was powered by the air-cooled, two-valve-per-cylinder, 904cc, Ducati V-Twin which was also the engine for the 900SS.

The Desert X concept was designed by Ducati’s own Jeremy Faraud. The concept is based on the Scrambler 1100 albeit with much more suspension travel, besides the 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels. The engine will use the 1079cc, 2-valve, air-cooled V-Twin from the Scrambler 1100 which produces 86 bhp and 88 Nm of torque.

Please click here to read the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport review.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali mentioned that while they showed off the sketches only during the event, they already have a prototype. And this prototype will be unveiled at EICMA 2019!

We would love to see the Desert X in Rimba Raid.

2020 Ducati Panigale V4 and 2020 Ducati Panigale V4 S Updated

The 2020 Ducati Panigale V4 and 2020 Ducati Panigale V4 S were also updated.
They were revealed at the Ducati World Premiere.
Outwardly, they look like the Panigale V4 R.

More on Ducati; this was why they chose to debut new bikes away from EICMA because there are so many all at once. Included in the Ducati World Premiere were the 2020 Ducati Panigale V4 and 2020 Ducati Panigale V4 S.

The updates were aimed at moving the two bikes a little closer to the WorldSBK homologation Panigale V4 R model, but of course, the R still has more race-ready components.

First and foremost, they gain the V4 R’s winglets and fairing, complete with gills. The fairing is also wider along with a taller windscreen to provide the rider with more wind protection. Those winglets really work, and provide 30 kg of downforce at 270 km/h — the same figures as the R’s. The downforce they provide allows the rider to open the throttle earlier and keep on the gas while accelerating as wheelies are kept in check without having the anti-wheelie electronics cutting in. Ducati claims they obtained a 2.43m advantage over the 2019 model from the last corner to the finish line at Jerez.

The front of the frame was also made less stiff to provide more feedback. Better feedback equals better confidence. Additionally, the centre of gravity was moved 5 mm higher for better turning leverage.

Lastly, the already excellent traction control strategy was upgraded to DTC EVO 2, as per the new Streetfighter V4 and Panigale V2.

Ducati also released the prices. The Panigale V4 costs € 23,490 and the Panigale V4 S costs € 28,790. That marks a € 500 increase for both bikes.

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