Ducati Desert Sled Off Road Review

[@julethijsse7301]

Finally a offroad review by someone who can actually ride offroad. All the reviews of the new triumph are done by journalists that can't properly ride the thing offroad.

[@leslieaustin151]

youtube can eat my ass with a spoon Other comments here - including from an owner who seems qualified to know what he’s talking about - seem to disagree with you. And do it without the bad language. Les

[@ZenJenZ]

Jule Thijsse 😂

[@stevenkelby2169]

Yeah but a 45 second intro on a KZbin video plus about another 2 minutes of shit music spoil it for me. Long videos are fine if they're constantly interesting or entertaining. Edit this sort of thing down guys. Otherwise, great job.

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

@@stevenkelby2169 We don't really edit for KZbin Steven, we're a TV show on Amazon Prime and SKY so most of our vids are shot and edited for Broadcast. Thanks for the feedback.

[@stevenkelby2169]

@@BikeWorldTVshow Fair enough, thanks for the reply.

[@renatojlopes]

That guy presenting the off road segment is one of my favourite off road reviewers. Awesome rider!

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

You'll be seeing more of Chris next year.

[@lifeandjeevan]

@Manu Adithyan he said he is 5'8

[@rocketman2458]

I'm knocking on 58, I'm 5'6 (hence why I've fitted the low seat) and weigh 14 stone. I've got one of the Black Editions with the high level Termignoni 2-into-1 pipe and ride on and off road in the Scottish Highlands and it's an absolute blast, especially on fast fire roads, but it can do the slow 'trials' like stuff too. I'm no Toni Bou or Graham Jarvis but this thing never ceases to amaze me! I've been riding motocross, enduro, trials and road bikes all my life but this is the best 'hybrid' I've been on so far. By far.

[@digger8180]

Yer full o it, get up that mast and change the lamps!😉

[@rocketman2458]

@@digger8180 the Desert Sled is good, but it won't get up the mast.

[@airoilcool]

Thank you for sharing your opinion. Guys like you spoke here and there and Desert Sled is building up a serious reputation of the best dual-sport bike THAT HAS STYLE.

[@ER_aka_RAM]

Does the lower saddle get both of your soles onto the ground, or are you still leaning to compensate for lack of height?

[@DanielMores]

I like Chris! He's got a nice style in front of the camera.

[@melciveng]

Daniel Mores Very relaxed style. Top dude 👍

[@Irishesbox11]

Jesus give Chris a fulltime review gig he is a natural.

[@SuicideRacingDevelopment]

I watched 15 seconds of this video just to hear the desert sled and decide if I’m potentially interested in actually pulling the trigger and I had to comment that he was a good rider 😂

[@kevinchamberlain7928]

The young man in Wales gave an absolutely bang-on review! Knows his shit!!! 👍

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Cheers Kevin

[@forrysc]

Chris is likeable and relatable. That's rare now-a-days in bike reviews.

[@motomillsy]

Couldn’t agree more. This video has just made me love my scrambler more than I already do. 😁

[@You-Toober]

Do you still have it and would you recommend it? What's the good and the bad about the bike?

[@sinki19841984]

Finally a revieuwer that comments on the ergonomics of the bike WHEN STANDING UP. The only position that truly matters off road.

[@grubb910]

In regard to standing ergonomics, my complaints as a Sled owner are; the upper mounting bolt on the rear shock bothers my inner thigh, and the foot pegs are a little slippery, as stated in the video. The foot pegs should be a little bit longer and have slightly more aggressive teeth. The shock bolt could be designed to protrude less into my leg's area. I only make contact with the shock bolt while standing up on the pegs, but it does become uncomfortable, after a short time.

[@leewatkeys9065]

Another top notch review and some excellent riding skills. So far the most I’ve taken mine off road is over some grassy fields and a dirt track. Great to ride on the roads though the saddle gets sore after about 2.5 hours

[@lucienvallun5385]

Great review by an obviously competent and objective reviewer. I've had my DS for eight months now and I'm thrilled with it and agree totally with the reviewer. It's an amazingly versatile bike and a real hoot to ride!

[@nacholibre1962]

That lad can ride. Reminded me of Steve McQueen in The Great Escape.

[@daltonconder7]

Best review for this model. This video was partially the reason I just purchased this same bike.

[@danielbergman1984]

Awsome video! I didn´t expect the offroad-rampage at all! Loved it! Brilliant approach!

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Thanks!

[@jamesfairmind2247]

Best review of the sled yet, glad to see it can actually go off road OK. Looks quite chuckable too.

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Cheers James

[@wipperwil]

Absolutely fabulous review. Actually makes me consider a Ducati in my stable for the first time EVER! Thanks for posting.

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

No worries, I'm looking to buy one myself in the new year. Al

[@rockiemountin7535]

Love this bike,I ride a XR650l Honda it’s heavy and a bit taller than I like and even uncorked its very low on power, but it is a blast for me in the dirt with 12” of ground clearance it’s great in the woods as well,I had to change the sprockets to 14-49 but that killed its highway speeds quite a bit

[@gordonemoore]

I'm riding a '15 Scrambler Ducati Icon, which I'm VERY happy with, in California and I must say your excellent vid features the wettest damn desert I've ever seen!

[@jimmyjoe1871]

Love mine. I feel it’s a great all around bike. Pretty competent off road out of the box, suspension changes are effective and intuitive, And this bike really handles on road. Engine is fantastic if you’re not looking for an absolute rocket. Great character and people love to look at it at gatherings. Very attractive!

[@fredtracy3931]

Yes, Yamaha should build an updated XT! Japan is really missing the boat, when it comes to scramblers, and dual purpose bikes.

[@nozzer6686]

Mega bike, superb ergonomics for my 70kg & 5ft 9” having great fun on some green lanes and also great on the road

[@jonathandizon4801]

Finally! The review I've been waiting for!

[@68luds3]

Love it but will you please do a back to back with the triumph scrambler 1200 at some point. You have too!!!

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

68 Luds yep, we can see an epic Wales trip coming up soon.

[@68luds3]

Cool. If you need an extra bod! I'll make the sarnies 😂😂😂

[@splodge57]

Sure love to know how the 1200 XE Scrambler will compare.

[@ronanrogers4127]

To. Single o.

[@68luds3]

@@ronanrogers4127 Yes it is. I'm so sorry.

[@MrAndrew1953]

Makes a pretty convincing case cafe and off-road mans. Sort of thing I enjoyed doing on my '82 Tiger trail and R80GS- though the Ducati looks very agile. Good company for a Panigale.

[@andrewpatrick7284]

I would love to know about those who gave this a 'thumbs-down'. Are they just anti-Ducati and or puritanical about what an off road bike should be or are they mainly wives who are cheesed off about their husband's preference of the bike to them? Taking my test next year. What with now being single and at 51 having an evolving mid-life-crisis I will be set to hopefully get the D.Sled or the Scrambler. I did have a MASH copy of the Scrambler, the MASH Falcone 125. Sadly it kept vibrating itself to bits until someone put it out of its misery - by ramming it from behind. It was very pretty.

[@falcn12]

The DesmoDue is a pretty damn good off-road engine. The only thing easier to set the valves on is screw and locknut. They are so easy to wrench! One of my favorite engines to work on ever. I have a 1994 Elefant that is fun to run around on off-road. It will be replaced one day with a DS. Got over 100k-Km on it now and still running strong.

[@juanramonoltra1440]

Cagiva Elephant? Keep it!

[@watsonater]

This channel is getting better all the time

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Thanks Mike!

[@80brax04]

He rides bikes and does bike reviews but gets on a bike the wrong way opposite the kickstand? But the guy who rode it off-road was the perfect kind of guy to review it.Far too many times people review off-road bikes aren't actual off roaders.Great review of a great looking bike!

[@scldma114]

Great job there! As often said, offroad 80% is the rider the rest is the bike. This is actually true probably only for the "proper" offroad bikes but still, give the average joe this Ducati and on such trails you'd see a very, very different video... 😂 That said I believe nobody expects the scrambler to turn Mr. "I take the bike to a spin to the corner pub" into Cairoli or Jarvis, and is nice to see though that if you k ow how to ride it you can have some real fun on this one. Great proper review. Thank you

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

SCLSCLSCL thanks!

[@michaelhayward7572]

Test rode one recently. Very impressive. Geared well lower than the 797 i also rode. Went for the M797 but prefered the DS.

[@joepphoto]

Damn, those riding skills!

[@bonnytrippler2966]

Thanks John & team for this and all the great vids in 2018. Merry Christmas to you! Cheers.

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Merry Christmas to you too!

[@lukaslukacio]

Great video! Very informative and well edited! So happy you addressed the weight and have put it straight.

[@paultaylor701]

Great review by someone who knows and shows his stuff.

[@m1cky6]

This guy does awesome reviews, I can't recall the last one I seen him do....new GSXR 1000 possibly?? But that also was a great review, he needs to do more!! Haha.

[@allansrensen1480]

I'm completely in love with the look of this bike! My god what a fantastic thing to look at.

[@dnzrdm]

İt's an absolutely fantastic bike. So much better than the little one. You might also want to mention henry crew doing the whole around the world thing.

[@RSRider]

Great video that shows how capable the Scrambler is. Would love to see it compared to the new 1200 Triumph offroad!

[@gadgetmanmr2]

Great show, and great reviews, John and Chris well done and keep up great work. 🏍️👏

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Cheers

[@KevGoesRiding]

I'm hoping you guys can throw in a comparo against the Husqvarna 701 supermoto which has similar amounts of power and somewhat similar in purpose. I think the desert sled is great though, only thing holding it back is maybe the size of the fuel tank

[@dkarmusic5424]

Too small innit

[@grubb910]

In regard to standing ergonomics, my complaints as a Sled owner are; the upper mounting bolt on the rear shock bothers my inner thigh, and the foot pegs are a little slippery, as stated in the video. The foot pegs should be a little bit longer and have slightly more aggressive teeth (one could sharpen the teeth easily). The shock bolt could be designed to protrude less into my leg's area. I only make contact with the shock bolt while standing up on the pegs, but it does become uncomfortable, after a short time. It fits my needs very well. I'll continue with other comments. I wish it had a little bit more fuel capacity... It would be nice to have about 5-10 more horsepower, for highway riding. (Everyone enjoys more power, and I do like the power delivery, overall. If it had a little bit more on the big end, I would give it 10/10 for the engine.) All of that being considered, I enjoy the bike immensely. The front end is a little heavier than I expected, and it does take an earnest effort to get it into a balanced wheelie position. You'll have to do some clutch work and use body english to get the front end up. It's a smile factory as a rider. It handles like a dirt bike after 10 mph. At low speeds you can feel the weight, but it feels very light at any speed above that. The steering may be too light, if you expect to spend much time cruising on the interstate. It takes almost no effort to change course at highway speeds, so you may feel unstable with crosswinds and passing traffic. It's easy to manage, but it's not "cruiser-stable". The suspension is not perfect, but the adjustable settings make a very noticeable difference, allowing you to get it dialed in closer to your desires. It's not good at taking large bumps. It wants to bulk up a little. Likewise, it seems very soft until you hit a pothole, and then it wants to jar you. Must be something in the high speed compression dampening, and partly due to the limited travel. After all, it is not a motocross bike. It feels confident on gravel roads and poorly maintained back roads, but the big bumps do seem to come as a surprise, initially. I do get many compliments on the looks, coming from people in traffic, at the store, gas station, or a biker bar. Harley guys in Tennessee stare at it for a half hour while they ask questions, and assume that it is fast. It's my favorite bike, so far. I highly recommend it.

[@DiggaDiggaDo]

Always approach the bike from the left side, mate! You won't have any of those, "struggle to get the leg over the seat" moments. ; )

[@eamonkavanagh6988]

Probably one of my favourite video's, especially when that Triumph Thruxton R appears around the 2:14 mark, at The Bike Shed.... (My new Shoei looks so cool!!!) 😁

[@dashcamtv1241]

Looks like an XT550 to me!

[@paulocarreiro5855]

Loved the slow motion edits!

[@maybeerainmaybeesnow]

Great review! I may buy a Desert Sled in the future. Such a beautiful bike and would suit my riding perfectly!! Thanks. Much appreciated!!!

[@mark.e.p]

For a minute there I thought it was going to be some hipster ride around the big 'Smoke' followed by a caramel latte in the Bike Shed! Good to see you took it off road for some serious riding.

[@johna6968]

Good looking bike for sure. Sipping a coffee @ the bike shed is more my thing.

[@johnfragos7660]

Α great review!!

[@streetsandpeaks3013]

Best Scrambler vid out there. Cheers

[@atomic_ryu]

I'm the same height as Chris and yeah I can get one solid foot down, but this desert sled owner that walked me around the bike at the dealership I bought mine at was only 5' 3" lol

[@gibb013]

thanks to the chap blasting round the forest, that's my mind made up. I saw another review, which made me wonder just how much off road you can do on this bike and this review proves, you can do all the fire tracks there are and a few lumpy sections to and then it's back on the road for a cruise home. Nice review. It's a no to the R nine t and a big yes to the Ducati.

[@Dave-sw2dm]

I think it is the perfect bike for someone like me who just wants to explore while out riding and not really rip it up. I wish I had a dealer closer the the other side of the 3 major cities closest to me which means 2 hours in any direction if there is no traffic, but have to get on the far side of each of the cities.

[@PatYouells]

Really great off-road riding. Also very good delivery on camera, I'd like to see him do more reviews

[@ShazeAn]

Vote this guy to do the offroading reviews!

[@TheUntam3d]

Great review and off-road skills, thanks!

[@hillkiran]

How does it compare to the big adventure bikes off road? Or on long tours?

[@renegade1987]

This was an awesome review! The only thing that puts me off ducati bikes is having those bloody belts. I need to look into how often they need looking at and how much it costs.

[@jimbosavage]

The belts are expensive for sure.

[@falcn12]

Belts Every 2-4 years depending on how comfortable you are with the new Aramid belts lasting. Belts alone are easy to change yourself. I maintain both of our Ducati DesmoDue bikes setting valves, changing belts, etc. Check out DesmoTimes for LT's maintenance manual.

[@Mr.Be93]

Great video. You could also put more knobby tires on to improve your off-roading experience and still be able to ride it on asphalt.

[@eddyquik]

wow! The offroad filming was so rad to watch.Nicely done review gents

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Ed Kumar thanks

[@scottshepherd7494]

Ducati owes you a few pints. You just filmed better promo footage than they ever have.

[@CastleBomb44]

I REALLY love this retro black + red/orange/yellow stripes on it. I wish this bike was cheaper; I think I will need to go with a Yamaha Tenere 700 instead.

[@AjarnSpencer]

All true but i have to say in Thailand we do trails like this on a Honda wave 110i too no problem. Always baffles me with millennials when they review if this or that modern scrambler can go offroad, as you can go offroad with a lambretta if you are used to it

[@alchase5062]

My sled is my most prized possession. Perfection, period.

[@Boleh888]

Off road with V twin? Its cool, and a fresh new looks and style. We also called it 'urban rugged' Ducati.

[@bobblanko1169]

Looking forward to the triumph scrambler 1200 xe review & off-road ride.

[@johneli495]

Fun to see these types of bikes in the hands of experienced riders

[@travelinben1966]

Great review guys,thank you!

[@Nrvct]

Great video and information now I like more that Ducati desert 🌵

[@stepheneldridge6998]

Great stuff...good review....great riding skills!. The trouble is we are spoilt for choice, especially now the new Triumph is out there and looking good. Test rode the Desert Sled...loved it, but it's on my 'wait and see what the Triumph's like' list! . One of the joys of a 'scrambler ' type bike with real off road capabilities is the plush suspension ...when you ride a so called scrambler and the first bump/hump/ or jump jars your spine it all feels a bit fake!. Cheers, Steve

[@Shahar_C]

Thanks, awesome review.

[@jetlee7743]

Any thoughts around the low exhausts ? Just seems odd they put the. So low when most others have them high obvious reasons

[@tedcrum]

Were you struggling with the rearward footpeg placement?

[@goteburgigram]

Great video. Excellent rider.

[@johnmontemurro5290]

Good review Wright to the points enjoyed your review,

[@mtojo8]

What an honest review and opinion!👍👍👍

[@jota3732]

I wish someone would remake a modern day stop 500 . I love the duke but for me a bit on the big size , I’m 5-7 and have to say you ride it like a demon 👍

[@martintin250]

Nice looking bike, what’s the reliability like?

[@m.schirpi5417]

Absolutely awesome Video 👌 with a great BIKE 😎

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Michaela Uthmeier thanks!

[@kilian9448]

love the the guy in the offroad segment! seems sound

[@54321kola]

Best video ever

[@Mew-qn3xm]

What jacket is that? When you’re at the bike shed?

[@stepirate]

Quality once again 😎💯

[@b8tzim767]

A great complement to the PD review by Sarge, albeit a more down n' dirty demonstration of the Sled's capability...

[@michaelgodliman436]

Under the seat are they the pillion grab handles?

[@IgWannA2]

Looks like fun, and I dig the styling.

[@jpm74]

I wonder how the Desert Sled would compare off-road to the BMW 850GS or 1250GS and its sister Ducati 950 Multistrada.

[@MrLtD-fx5fo]

Awesome review guys.

[@kennymacm3031]

Ex Enduro rider (decidedly average ability) and have to say I NEED one!!

[@melciveng]

Great review fellas. And I say this as someone who’s had a big spliff 😎

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Cheers

[@scaffolder12345]

i have a ktm lc4 enduro lots of fun on and off road ,i loving that Ducati tho .

[@uncletom1971]

Look at those shoes ( 3:39 and 3:59 ), where can I buy them??

[@antoniogulino3647]

Brilliant review! Thank you!

[@Chris-yy7qc]

Really enjoyed the second part

[@peterjones5351]

Great review cheers

[@knotingspecific]

is there a 400cc version on the Desert Sled ?

[@Diskubredor76]

I love this one beybe

[@alvarosenoceain9386]

Bien, es lo que necesitaba ver...como.se comporta en terrenos encharcados...👍

[@pacablo]

Very good video well presented, this off road guy es great¡¡ Rgds.

[@peteg3899]

Hey- what jacket are you wearing? Ta

[@edgarbleikur1929]

Great review