In the world of adventure touring motorcycles, Ducati may not be the most known name in the category, but with the antics that the Italian brand has pulled in its efforts in Australia, it might as well be. Nick Selleck, the Lead Instructor of the Ducati Riding Experience Adventure Academy, has always wanted to ride the Tatts Finke Desert Race.
The bike of choice? Definitely the DesertX. The most off-road-going motorcycle in the Italian manufacturer’s lineup, currently, it was a no-brainer for the task of taking on one of the most arduous off-road rally races in the world. So what did Ducati do to prepare? Some dealer-installed protection and accessories plus a full tank of gas and that’s about it. Only genuine Ducati accessories were used and all of the bells and whistles were fitted to give the DesertX the best shot at making it the whole way.
Now, it wasn’t just a fuel economy run that Ducati wanted to do. The brand could have easily hopped on the highway, reported its best effort, and concluded the trip with a press release, but this is Ducati we’re talking about, and the DesertX is the new kid on the block in the world of middle-weight adventure bikes. To stick it to the big wigs in the category, the idea of doing the Finke Desert Race on one tank of gas (plus the eight liters from the auxiliary tank) is a rather tall order for the all-new big off-roader in the brand’s stable.
Gallery: Ducati DesertX Australia Finke Desert Fuel Economy Run
The Finke Desert race spans from Alice Springs all the way to Finke, and if that wasn’t bad enough, participants are then required to go back to Alice Springs, tracking a total of 460 kilometers or about 286 miles. That kind of mileage on an adventure bike on solid asphalt is possible, but doing that distance paired with the taxing terrain of the desert is a big ask.
It’s also important to consider that the DesertX is no scooter when it comes to fuel economy. The model comes with a maximum output of 110 horsepower from the factory which can be detuned down to 75 horses depending on the rider’s preferred settings.
If you want to get to the riding bits on the video, head on over to the eight-and-a-half-minute mark. Will the bike make it? Spoiler alert, it did but watch the video to find out how it did and what challenges the Ducati team plus Nick Selleck faced in order to get the job done.
