DUCATI DESERT X vs YAMAHA TENERE 700
Both of these bikes are great.
The difference in price is almost PLN 30,000 in favor of the Tenere 700.
So is it worth paying extra for Ducati?
These are probably my two favorite motorcycles from the set of motorcycles we currently have for our customers. They are my favourites, but it's an individual matter, they won't be favorites for everyone, I'll write about my subjective feelings as usual.
For me they are great, because they are real ADVENTURE motorcycles, i.e. suitable for traveling both on asphalt and unpaved surfaces.
You will say that it's practically like all motorcycles in this segment ... well, no, because these are really suitable for driving in all conditions and do it so well that it's hard to believe.
We'll start with the asphalt. Both Tenere 700 and Desert X drive great on asphalt, have great suspension, weight lower than "GS" and "Multistrad" by almost 50 kg (in the case of Tenere) and over 30 kg (in the case of Desert X), great comfort and position that allows you to work your body actively. This makes both the Tenerka, and especially the Desert X, better for me when cornering than the bigger competition. The Desert X deserves a special mention here, which in my opinion is the best-handling motorcycle from the ADVENTURE segment on asphalt, I'm seriously not exaggerating with the best one, but that's my opinion.
In the field - here Tenere reigns, although Desert X does not differ much from it.
The Tenere 700 does a great job off-road, closer to the handiness of the KTM690 than to the heaviness of the Africa Twin (although this one is great on unpaved surfaces compared to, for example, the R1250GS).
Desert X also gives advice, feel the difference in weight compared to the Tenere, but on all kinds of unpaved roads it will be similar, the differences will be felt in more difficult terrain, of course in favor of the Tenere.
I recently had a direct comparison on gravel and light hills with stones, where on the same day I rode Tenerka, Desert X and Africa Twin DCT.
There is a small difference between Tenerka and Desert X, but between Desert X and Africa Twin this difference is huge, in favor of Desert X of course.
In general, both of these motorcycles are a great choice if someone is considering a universal motorcycle, one that will go anywhere, but also one that will be able to travel comfortably and efficiently (really efficiently) also on asphalt.
The Tenera is extremely simple, it has no traction control, no riding modes, no electronic suspension, just ABS that turns off with the push of a button. But as it turns out, you don't need anything else from such a motorcycle ... Everything works well there, the engine, despite only 74 HP, allows for a really dynamic ride around the corners, it's also great off-road, because it gives power from the bottom right away, for one wrap you have plenty of time to get out of any situation. The engine also sounds exceptionally good (2 cylinders in a row with a changed crank - patent like in the Africa Twin or the new R1). In addition, Yamaha promises reliability and solidity. This is a really great choice if someone is looking for a real adventure bike. I will only add, although it seems obvious that it is rather a 1-person equipment.
The Desert X is packed with electronics, there are probably 5 factory-set driving modes, each of them can be individually adjusted - you can change the engine maps and the gear ratio of the electronic throttle (we can choose from as many as 4 maps, from gentle power to FULL , where the reaction to the gas is completely direct), we have several traction control settings, including special settings for off-road, where the traction control allows for quite a lot of power slides, but at some point intervenes to be safe. The same is true with ABS settings. For this we have a quick-shifter that works very well.
These settings mean that we can actually have two or three slightly different bikes, depending on where we ride and what we like.
The Desert X is like a typical Ducati, it likes and cooperates with the manager only when you drive dynamically enough. It does not like low revs, then it has hiccups and a little shaprit, in the medium and high range it repays with great work and giving torque and power in a truly devilish way. This bike weighs 202 kg dry and has 110 hp. However, the driving feel in terms of dynamics is like a much more powerful bike. First of all, the engine is on DESMO, it gets extra power somewhere around 4000 rpm and this power does not weaken until the end of the tachometer scale. Low weight and awesome (I really haven't ridden a bike of this class with a better one) suspension makes cornering super fast, very precise and easy at the same time. Desert X was created on the basis of Multistrada V2 (earlier 950). I have had such a 950S privately for over 3.5 years and to this day it is for me the best riding motorcycle around corners. Well, the Desert X, despite the 21-inch front wheel and higher suspension travel, corners as well as the Multistrada V2, but it is "faster" than it - the same engine, but a larger rear sprocket and maybe (I don't know for sure) different gear ratios make it feel as dynamic as almost never before on other bikes. Once you've been riding the Desert X for a bit, this mix of low weight for such a bike, super suspension and a great engine makes for a huge amount of fun to ride! And now, if we add really good off-road properties and a beautiful, unconventional look, this is my favorite motorcycle, which I would really like to have as the only one, privately. And I haven't had such a feeling or certainty for a long time... If anyone has read or watched any of my other motorcycle reviews or tests, they know that I am always honest and critical towards the tested motorcycles, I want to say here that there is no artificial sweetening for Desert X
To sum up, the Tenere is similar to the Desert X, it's the same kind of motorcycle, made according to a similar recipe. However, the Desert X is much faster and will give you more fun on the asphalt, and with this look it has an additional element of awesomeness, it's a dream bike.
But is it worth putting so much into it? You have to pay for dreams, but from a practical point of view, approaching pragmatically, these are similar devices, with a similar purpose, you will enjoy both
Great
entertained, Tenerka can also do more in the field. So with a reasonable approach I would buy Tenera. If I wanted a motorcycle that I would ride more off-road than on asphalt, I would buy a Tenere. However, if I would like to have a really awesome motorcycle that will make me happy like a child every time I ride it, and if it was also to be equipment for driving fast on asphalt, then I would like a Desert X.
Finally, I would like to mention that none of the bikes we currently have (BWM R1250GS, Triumph Tiger 1200 and Tiger 900, Kawasaki Versys 1000S, Africa Twin DCT, Multistrada V4S) gave me as much fun on asphalt as Desert X ... The closest is here Tiger 900 GT Pro (great on asphalt) and Multistrada V4S.
I will add that the Desert X is like Tenere, rather a 1-seater motorcycle (considering the suitability for longer trips in two people, because for one-day trips it is also suitable for two people).
And will you have a similar opinion about these motorcycles, maybe yes, maybe not. It varies, some of our customers share my opinion about the Desert X or Tenere, others did not like these motorcycles. So it is with motorcycles.
If you would like to check it out in person, we are available with them, you can also check these two motorcycles on gravel in our area.
Come and visit us for a holiday with motorcycle testing!
