Ducati has added a third member to its popular DesertX family, with the new DesertX Discovery slotting in between the base model and top spec Rally versions of its mainstream adventure bike offering. Costing £2300 more than the standard DesertX, the Discovery comes in its own distinctive black and red livery and comes loaded up with some of the most popular accessories from the options list, which would cost more than £3600 when purchased on their own.

In addition to the components of the £2264 touring pack, which consists of metal panniers, heated grips and a centre stand, the DesertX Discovery also gains the £1226 off-road package, which adds reinforced hand guards, a water pump and engibe protection guard, radiator grill and a reinforced sump guard to make it more suitable for tackling rough terrain. It also gets a larger touring windscreen, which is a £175 option on the standard machine. With 76-litres of luggage capacity it’s clear that Ducati are pitching the DesertX Discovery to riders looking to rack up the miles on their rugged adventure machine.

So, for buyers thinking of a DesertX, the Discovery represents a clear saving over buying all the farkles on their own, but under all the bling lies the well proven DesertX package which is powered by Ducati’s 110bhp 937cc V-twin engine and features the Italian company’s well respected electronics package of rider aids. It also utilises the Ducati Link App, which connects to the rider’s smartphone and allows turn-by-turn navigation to be displayed through the DesertX’s 5” TFT dashboard display.

The DesertX discovery is in Ducati showrooms later this month, as an early release 2025 model. The standard model remains, albeit only now available in white, and both the base version and the Discovery can be specified in a lower power, 47bhp, version for A2 licence holders.