This would never be a deal breaker for me… This is how you get to know your motorcycle…. Is it a pain compared to other bikes, sure. But a small trade off for sure. Great video. Next service will be faster!
Yeah, from what I understand, adventure bikes are not so easy (seems that KTM is the easiest one, but not as easy as a dirty bike). I went slow because I was discovering how to do it. I bet I'll be much faster the next times around.
@@merloti I have test ridden the bike and loved it, its a lovely bike to look at also. Agreed, second time is alway easier but for a bike designed for off road use, its not a good design. Air filters are one of those ‘on the trail’ jobs you do to keep the bike running health. On a long adventure trip it should be road side maintenance. I can change the filter on my PR7 in less than 5 mins and carry a spare oil soaked foam in a bag. This might be an issue that gets looked into on the next model. Thanks for putting the video up though. Its us RUclipsrs that help other.
In Australia, there is a oil impregnated foam filter available from an Australian manufacturer. That type of filter is better than a paper filter in very dusty environment. Also, when re-installing screws that are threaded in platic material, an easy trick to avoid "rethreading" the female part of the screw/receiver combo and ending with a part that wears out prematurely or has an inferior holding power, is to put the screw in, and with a light pressure on the screwdriver or Allen key, you turn backward till you feel the screw falling down into the original thread, then you scew it in. It helps to keep everything together the way it was intended to.
Is that Uni filter? I just watched an hour long interview with an Australian dude that went cross country with the Desert X. Very informative. He uses the Uni and it seemed to do a really great job at not allowing any particle through. It might have restricted the airflow as dust became a 1/4" layer of mud, but at least the engine is ok.
@@juanchovoley so the KTM airbox it's for off-road? All airbox After the 990 adv have airbox with leak.. and also reliable problem in general with KTM.. don't say shit ..
Holy shit that’s so much work. Thanks for posting this, after watching this I don’t think I’ll ever get one. Imagine if you got the bike flooded in deep water and had to do this trail side ?? 😂
Thank you for this video. It was exactly what I wanted to see about the air filter. Red Loctite requires heat to undo. (Or brake cleaner if you can get to it) Here are the basic colors of loctite: Red: probably not going to disassemble in the future Green: Almost the same as red. (wicking) Blue: medium strength, removable with tools (no heat) Purple: Low strength for things that are getting disassembled later. There are different versions of Blue such as 242, 243, and 248. Some applications will specify which exact type to use, along with the correct torque value. There are also products for metal to plastic, and plastic to plastic.
Thank you & it's safe to say that I will be taking this off my short list. The Triumph Tiger 1200 rally explorer keeps looking better & better. CHEERS!
An excellent video. Thank you for the very clear presentation. Desert X is an adventure bike but the adventure should be in where you ride it not in the basic maintenance. This complicated procedure for what should be a very simple job removes this bike from the list of long distance adventure bikes.
I am so disappointed. I was really thinking about buying that bike. Ouch!!!!!!! I think somebody at Ducati hates us. Excellent video. Thank you for the information.
I can do this job on my KTM 890R in about 5 minutes with no tools. Enough said. Ducati created a great bike that is basically designed to ride to Starbucks unless you have unlimited time on your hands which I don't.
I hadn't noticed before. Thanks for pointing out. I'm guessing it's a crack in the glob of paint and not actually in the metal or weld joint. I'll check it more carefully the next time I need to remove the side panels.
A great video that highlights the failure of form over function!!! I was seriously considering buying a Desert X but instead am going to stick with my 1988 R80GS. It may be slower and not have all the mod cons, but at least it’s easy to maintain!!!
You're welcome. For me at least, the joy of riding this beast on and off-road hugely overcomes the pain of maintenance. In fact, I don't mind spending a couple of hours with the bike on the garage wrenching and drinking beers. I actually enjoy it, but I understand your point of view.
Yes It's Better drive an Enterprise 3 meters large , than a ducati hahahahah 🤣, when you move the bike from the garage Remember to use the help of other 3 people
Thanks. It looks more complicated in the video, as it was my first time and I was taking my time recording the video. I think it will be much easier next time.
Thanks for doing this. I've been waiting for some clever dude to do it. That did not look like a very dirty air filter to me (just some sand). How much dust and sand did you ride in. Does the design keep the air filter cleaner than your other bikes?
You gonna have to keep waiting for that clever dude! :) Jokes apart, I'm glad you enjoyed. This was after a 400 miles of desert racing/riding with about 300 other riders. I was behind a dust cloud for long periods of time.
@@ne-adv That makes a lot of sense to me. Need an aftermarket pre-filter developed. Getting under the tank is not the biggest hassle, its those last steps to remove the ecu and access the filter.
I was going to say no, but then these guys from [instagram @aurora.rally] came up with a brilliant solution. It does require that you replace the tank as well. instagram.com/p/CsSrZBTIps4/ instagram.com/p/CsmH-uioHrB/
Africa twin is a nightmare changing the two air filters you have to remove crash bars aswell how many times really do you change your air filter per year once twice max
God was looking over me when I asked for my deposit back for this bike. This is insane. Imagine trying to do this on the road. I wonder how much Ducati will charge to do what should be one of the easiest DIY maintenance tasks at home as part of the pleasure of playing around with our beloved escape machines.
I had the same experience with my Triumph XC800. It’s the only thing stopping me buying a DesertX. I’m a Ducatisti since the 1970s. This is ridiculous for an ADV bike. Ducati need to rethink the air filter access and the fuel tank as well.
Hi Padu I also have the steering stabilizer and was just wondering if you used the spacer on the big mount? It doesn't show it on the diagram/instructions. After install mine can move freely up and down at center mount a lot which seems wrong but Im not sure ? I wish you would of done a video on that! Be safe
I saw a Desert X on a ride this weekend and wow what a pretty bike. Prettiest adventure bike made IMO. I have owned two street Ducatis and loved them and had zero issues with them. No Desert X for me though. Will stick with my ugly KTM 890r. It is designed much better for off road despite KTM's reputation for iffy reliability. No issues with mine so far. Fingers crossed!
How to change air filter on Ducati, proceeds with 40 minute video. Now we see why the owner's manual says 'see your Ducati dealer' for every maintenance instruction. I'd love to see the size of the actual maintenance manual.
Not easy, I agree, but it would take much shorter for someone that actually knows how to do it. I was recording while discovering. The fact that Ducati doesn't publish or sells service manuals is irritating though.
Very interesting video Padu ! Just a question , not about the air filter : are you happy with those crash bars ? I am looking for an alternative to the original expensive ducati bars . Thanks in advance.
Sorry if I am laughing. But making it THAT complicated to change an air filter is really bad engineering. Under dusty conditions the filter needs to be replaced or at least cleaned several times between regular service intervalls, a weekend of a group ride in summer on dusty forest roads is sufficient. Not to talk about some ”desert” riding! 😂 Getting to the air filter of a KTM 790/890/901 takes about as long as you need for seat and front screen removal! That’s what I call clever engineering!
I can't find my receipt now, but I believe Moto Forza here in San Diego charged 1/2 an hour, but that's because they were doing other inspections and repairs to the bike. I'm sure they would charge at least 1h if that was the only thing they had to do.
Nice video😁 However... When I replaced my air filter I didn't remove the front screen. I removed the Steering Damper and the fairing/side panel bolts closest to the fuel tank. Remove the seat and disconnect the wiring under the tank next to the fuel taps. Disconnect fuel hoses at the taps lift the tank up and disconnect the hoses from under the tank. You only have to remove 4 screes to remove the airfilter from it's housing, the 2 rear screes can stay in. The Unifilter works extremely good. The amount of dirt I had trapped on top of mine didn't affect the performance of the bike. It's only a 30minute job.
I didn't know you don't need to remove the front screen to remove the side panels. It's super easy though. So I'm guessing that by removing the 4 front screws, you just lift the cover and slide the filter through, right? Do you still need to remove the ECU? Removing those back 2 screws was the worse part of the process. I only learned about the unifilter after I had already ordered the DNA, which is also oiled. Do you have any insight on the DNA and how it compares against the unifilter? Thanks for the insightful comments.
@@percusski No, nothing wrong with them. I bought the enduro package many months ago, and it finally arrived. I hear it's probable the belly pan protector won't work with Heed, so I'll just replace it with the OEM that came with the package. Not sure what I'll do with the Heed one.
@@merloti during the summer it is very dusty on the local trails and I ride last in group since I am the one to film our adventures. This forces me to clean the air filter every weekend in order to keep the engine breathing smoothly. This process takes literally a couple of minutes on my 790R and without using any tools of course. Seeing your video, I was imagining myself doing this process on weekly basis on a Desert X...
I've ridden the Aprilia T6 and it felt really good off-road. A bit lackey on the road, and that's why I decided on the DDX, otherwise it would be my bike today. How are you liking it?
That is probably 1.5 hours at the shop to change the filter, and to forget to replace all the screws. I wear xl to xxl gloves. That Rally I’ve been mentioning to the Frau is going to have to wait.
PPL - don't listen to anyone's whinging "its all too hard don't buy a DesX" - they are just a bunch of soft ccks... its a big job the 1st time only, but its easy-peasy ~20mins every time after that.
Imagine you have to clean the AF because the Bike strugles with dirt... No sorry, that's why im happy with my T7! Seat off, remove 4 bolts and finish 🙃
I wish it was that easy. There are plenty of other things I'm happy with this bike though. I'm willing to pay the price of an hour every couple of months replacing or cleaning the filter.
I love this bike, but there is zero chance i would actually buy a bike a bike that requires a 41 minute video on cleaning the air filter. Simply a no go for too many areas I ride. Such a shame, that bike is so awesome in so many ways, and what I truly wanted, but ended up with a Norden so still pretty happy 😁
When I did it the second time, away from the camera, and knowing what to do, it took me 22 minutes. After 500 miles of off-roading, the new oiled air filter was barely dirty - there's a video of a guy in Australia that crossed the entire continent and never cleaned the air filter, so you're fine for most long trips, unless you're crossing the Sahara.
Very detailed and informative, thanks, but what an absolute pain in the backside for something as simple as a filter change! Not something that's really possible on a long tour or easy to do unless you've got a nice spacious garage. It's also not really something I'd trust a ham fisted dealer mechanic to do without forgetting to properly tighten or not cross thread a screw either. A lovely bike, but Ducati haven't made regular maintenance particularly easy.
I also have a Multistrada V4S, and I never worried about air filters. The thing with the Desert X is that it gives me the confidence to ride trails and environments I didn't dream about with the Multi. For example, I would never dream about racing the LAB2V with the Multi, hence no dust to clean.
All this to get to the air filter. Holy shit Ducati!!! Just to put more money in your pocket. I am a fan of this bike but just because of this reason, I won’t consider this bike. Honda…take my money
I just finished putting it back together, without having to concern myself with filming it. I was just over 15 minutes. It looks complicated, but after 2 or 3 times doing it, I think it will be pretty quick. Agree, it could be much simpler, but IMHO, not the main reason to buy or not.
@@merloti I feel like you have a little bit of brand loyalty when this is the case you could never give a truly honest opinion on the matter. Ducati’s make beautiful bikes but when you do low ball business like this I will abandoned you just like I will abandon my go to manufacturers like Yamaha and Honda if they use these business tactics. For Ducati to void your warranty just because you don’t go to their shop for maintenance is ridiculous. So warning to Yamaha and Honda if you pull this lowball tactics I will no longer buy your bikes. That’s a promise.
I think it has to be the worst in the world to replace, after 3hr doing my BMW R1200 RT air filter and complaining I have nothing on yours, no way you can do that on a multi day race
that's crazy.. Got this bike to test for a couple of week and it's actually an amazing bike with incredible suspensions but this thing about the air filter is a complete -no sense-
Yeah, not as easy as a dirt bike, but less than an hour is not out of this world. I'm curious how long it will take me next time, as I won't be discovering how to do it each step of the way.
@@merloti well there is no need to get a dirt bike to have a “smart position” for the airbox. My teneré has it just under the seat, 4 screws..2 minutes. 790/890 as well. Thing is: when you develop an adventure bike that will go offroad, you can’t hide the air filter.. A bit of a shame. Anyway, congrats for the bike: tested it for a couple of weeks and it really surprised me! Have fun mate
Almost bought DX, this filter nonsense stopped me. Now I own a KTM 890 ADV R, 2500km on the clock and have already washed filters with a pre-filter three times. I can not imagine how to maintain DX after every heavy dusty ride. Will be the first in the line to buy DX if theywill fix this.
What a pain in the rear!! And to think this needs to be done at every oil change?? All for a bike that cost 18k in the US and that just bare bones with no crash bars or luggage.. Ducati really messed this one up!! Every Ducati dealer in my area have all least 2 in stock and have had them for over 6 moths
You may not have noticed, but when you sprayed that dune out of the filter, you also sprayed camel seeds everywhere. Do you have a plan to handle 100 six-inch-high camels in your shop? So, you think the air filter is an easy roadside clean or replace? As easy as, let's say, DESMOS? And, dude, at least be running a VAC instead of blowing that fine silt all over the shop and bikes. Get a wide VAC head, and only flush where the head is.
Hahaha, what is a camel seed? I don't think air filter access is a road side job. Or at least, I wouldn't do it. I saw a video of this dude that did a 15K km ride in Australia (worse kind of dust, from what I learned), and his unifilter did an awesome job the entire trip. He didn't need to clean or replace the filter during the trip.
Ducati te la vende como una moto de aventura, pero no imagino a alguien cambiando el filtro en ruta, siendo tan difícil el proceso 😅😅🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ tbn la venden como un moto de súper aventura pero tiene tantos componentes tan expuestos, y se ve vulnerable 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️😅😅🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️ hay muchas cosas q replantear en esta moto porque tiene madera.. pero los de Ducati parece que nunca estuvieron en una verdadera aventura fuer del asfalto….😅😅
Has nobody here owned an Africa Twin? It's a good 90%+ as difficult as this, but like anything else, when you learn to do it, it's not bad. The fact that you did the ride you did sucking dust from a number of competitors and only had that much particulate tells me I'll be OK. I can probably get a season between changes riding the mountains near where i live. I wish it was easier for sure, but its not a deal breaker for me.
Good initiative Padu but you took 4 times more than standard procedure THAT TAKES LESS THAN 20 MIN. YOU ARE REMOVING A LOT O PARTS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARY.
40 minutes pour accéder au filtre à air . Autant pour le remontage.ça explique en partie le coût des révisions. Ducati a pourtant bien du le constater lors de la conception de ce modèle....
It’s the deal breaker for me! Ducati, this realy shows your lack of understanding for the rides in this sector. We do oil, air an other bits our selves an don’t get u to do it in the middle of the desert an it doesn’t cost us a second mortgage. I’m goin for a T7w raid!
I would NEVER purchase this bike for this design blunder alone. In two years the market will be flooded with used Desert X bikes with filthy air filters that "don't run right". Nice bike otherwise.
Air filter cleaning/replacement is a scheduled maintenance item, so as long as you don't do hard core dust riding, you will be fine with the scheduled dealer inspection intervals.
I was all for buying a Desert X until I discovered how difficult they made it to access the ail filter. Unacceptable for a bike that is designed to travel dusty roads
that is a ridiculous amount of work on a basic routine maintenance job. It is worse than having to lift the engine on some Ford cars just change the full set of spark plugs. At least it was 60K km before you had to do that. For a "off road" oriented bike, you would think you would want to change or clean air filter after every 20hr of off road riding.
It really depends. I went on a 1000 miles trip to Baja where 50% was off-road. The air filter was sparky clean after that trip. It got really dirty on a 400 miles desert race 100% in sand and really dusty roads, with lots of bikes in front of me.
I do want to love this bike, but man, this is really poorly thought out. Absolutely bonkers. This should be something easily done in the field - made near impossible by Ducati.
Total dry hump…. Ducati should be ashamed of themselves for making such a vital service item so difficult to access. I’m so happy I bought my 2022 KTM 890 ADV-R…
That really puts me off buying a desert x…. That’s a insane amount of work for a job that needs to be done every major ride.
Bike looks stunning and all but nowadays it’s not acceptable to have this kind of stress to replace or check the air filter…
Absolutely agree. It's absurd.
This would never be a deal breaker for me… This is how you get to know your motorcycle…. Is it a pain compared to other bikes, sure.
But a small trade off for sure. Great video. Next service will be faster!
Well said!
I do however like the tank-lift method of the 90’s and 00’s sportbikes to access the air filter😎
Put me off wanting one of these bikes. never seen such faff to remove a simple air filter
Yeah, from what I understand, adventure bikes are not so easy (seems that KTM is the easiest one, but not as easy as a dirty bike). I went slow because I was discovering how to do it. I bet I'll be much faster the next times around.
@@merloti I have test ridden the bike and loved it, its a lovely bike to look at also. Agreed, second time is alway easier but for a bike designed for off road use, its not a good design. Air filters are one of those ‘on the trail’ jobs you do to keep the bike running health. On a long adventure trip it should be road side maintenance. I can change the filter on my PR7 in less than 5 mins and carry a spare oil soaked foam in a bag. This might be an issue that gets looked into on the next model. Thanks for putting the video up though. Its us RUclipsrs that help other.
In Australia, there is a oil impregnated foam filter available from an Australian manufacturer. That type of filter is better than a paper filter in very dusty environment. Also, when re-installing screws that are threaded in platic material, an easy trick to avoid "rethreading" the female part of the screw/receiver combo and ending with a part that wears out prematurely or has an inferior holding power, is to put the screw in, and with a light pressure on the screwdriver or Allen key, you turn backward till you feel the screw falling down into the original thread, then you scew it in. It helps to keep everything together the way it was intended to.
Is that Uni filter? I just watched an hour long interview with an Australian dude that went cross country with the Desert X. Very informative. He uses the Uni and it seemed to do a really great job at not allowing any particle through. It might have restricted the airflow as dust became a 1/4" layer of mud, but at least the engine is ok.
@@merloti Yes, it is the one.
What is the "best" method to obtain a UniFilter in the USA?
Great video! You've saved a lot of people a lot of time. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Saved time by knowing why to NOT get this bike...🤣
@@ydocsaee421 A few screws and quick release fittings can be to much for some people I guess.
@@DavidBoscia Right... sure. 🤣🤣 I mean, whatever you gotta say to justify it👍😂
You are a very patient man. I guess I wouldn't bother and turn it off. Thanks for the video. In fact, I can say that I watched it like a movie.
Thank you for watching!
Very informative. Now you know why they send you to the shop for a simple air filter. At least you didn't have to remove the crashbars!
Yes, agree. I'm not sure this is true with the OEM crashbars though.
Thank you for taking the time to film this - very informative. Next up - an oil change video😊
I'll do it for sure!
As a new owner of the desert x, this is absolutely ridiculous. Makes me want to trade this in for a 890r
It’s why I bought the Norden 901. It’s not much difference in the 890 R and the Norden. I like the Norden styling, seat and fairing.
duh... I feel the same now, just got mine 8 Weeks ago and didn't know about this until now.
I love my 890R
The engine is not designed for a adventure bike, so is why the filter system is to bad
@@juanchovoley so the KTM airbox it's for off-road? All airbox After the 990 adv have airbox with leak.. and also reliable problem in general with KTM.. don't say shit ..
Damn Italians know how to make a sweet machine, but they never said they’d make maintenance cheap and easy. Immensely helpful, thank you.
Holy shit that’s so much work. Thanks for posting this, after watching this I don’t think I’ll ever get one. Imagine if you got the bike flooded in deep water and had to do this trail side ?? 😂
Thank you for this video. It was exactly what I wanted to see about the air filter.
Red Loctite requires heat to undo. (Or brake cleaner if you can get to it)
Here are the basic colors of loctite:
Red: probably not going to disassemble in the future
Green: Almost the same as red. (wicking)
Blue: medium strength, removable with tools (no heat)
Purple: Low strength for things that are getting disassembled later.
There are different versions of Blue such as 242, 243, and 248. Some applications will specify which exact type to use, along with the correct torque value.
There are also products for metal to plastic, and plastic to plastic.
Thank you. So I'll just use blue for anything related to this.
Thank you & it's safe to say that I will be taking this off my short list. The Triumph Tiger 1200 rally explorer keeps looking better & better. CHEERS!
Have fun!
An excellent video. Thank you for the very clear presentation. Desert X is an adventure bike but the adventure should be in where you ride it not in the basic maintenance. This complicated procedure for what should be a very simple job removes this bike from the list of long distance adventure bikes.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I am so disappointed. I was really thinking about buying that bike. Ouch!!!!!!! I think somebody at Ducati hates us. Excellent video. Thank you for the information.
Sorry to hear that. In my opinion, this is a great bike and the air filter is a minor inconvenience.
I would give you two thumbs up just for effort! Love my KTM 790 adv R with RR box!
Thanks!
Thanks for taking the time to film the process in good detail.
You bet!
I can do this job on my KTM 890R in about 5 minutes with no tools. Enough said. Ducati created a great bike that is basically designed to ride to Starbucks unless you have unlimited time on your hands which I don't.
Ok, I'm jealous.
Great how to video. Thank you. I wish Ducati made this easier.
A good video for all those who claimed that old Yamaha XTZ 750 motorcycles are problematic in the service.
At 20:00 minutes is there a tab from the tank that’s cracked which has a grommet? Above the fuel pump.
I hadn't noticed before. Thanks for pointing out. I'm guessing it's a crack in the glob of paint and not actually in the metal or weld joint. I'll check it more carefully the next time I need to remove the side panels.
A great video that highlights the failure of form over function!!! I was seriously considering buying a Desert X but instead am going to stick with my 1988 R80GS. It may be slower and not have all the mod cons, but at least it’s easy to maintain!!!
You're welcome. For me at least, the joy of riding this beast on and off-road hugely overcomes the pain of maintenance. In fact, I don't mind spending a couple of hours with the bike on the garage wrenching and drinking beers. I actually enjoy it, but I understand your point of view.
Yes It's Better drive an Enterprise 3 meters large , than a ducati hahahahah 🤣, when you move the bike from the garage Remember to use the help of other 3 people
Nice video! Thank you.
Buy the way, what is the manufacturer of such a nice decals?
rubberdust.com/
They have really nice decals for all sorts of bikes
@@merloti thank you!
Good vid. I’ve been eager to see this from the moment i first read they want the bike at the dealer to do it.
Thanks. It looks more complicated in the video, as it was my first time and I was taking my time recording the video. I think it will be much easier next time.
very similiar to the 1190r...Run the tank low on fuel and get parts and dig in.
Thanks for doing this. I've been waiting for some clever dude to do it. That did not look like a very dirty air filter to me (just some sand). How much dust and sand did you ride in. Does the design keep the air filter cleaner than your other bikes?
You gonna have to keep waiting for that clever dude! :)
Jokes apart, I'm glad you enjoyed. This was after a 400 miles of desert racing/riding with about 300 other riders. I was behind a dust cloud for long periods of time.
I'd put a bit of foam over the intake. Don't need to clean the filter. if the "Pre" filter catches everything.
@@ne-adv That makes a lot of sense to me. Need an aftermarket pre-filter developed. Getting under the tank is not the biggest hassle, its those last steps to remove the ecu and access the filter.
Do you think it is possible to relocate the air filter/box with custom fabricated parts?
I was going to say no, but then these guys from [instagram @aurora.rally] came up with a brilliant solution. It does require that you replace the tank as well.
instagram.com/p/CsSrZBTIps4/
instagram.com/p/CsmH-uioHrB/
Africa twin is a nightmare changing the two air filters you have to remove crash bars aswell how many times really do you change your air filter per year once twice max
By the way...for what it is worth, as an aftermarket air filter, the Aussie guy uses a Uni Filter. See minute 46:40 of that same video.
I saw that one before. I ended up buying the DNA one. Will experiment with the unifilter.
I’ve got the DNA one but haven’t put it on yet. How do you like it?
God was looking over me when I asked for my deposit back for this bike. This is insane. Imagine trying to do this on the road. I wonder how much Ducati will charge to do what should be one of the easiest DIY maintenance tasks at home as part of the pleasure of playing around with our beloved escape machines.
Yeah, no chance doing this on the side of the road. It shouldn't be needed though for most rides and environments.
@@merloti in Australia big rides on the dustiest roads require regular air filter cleaning. Unavoidable and necessary.
I had the same experience with my Triumph XC800. It’s the only thing stopping me buying a DesertX. I’m a Ducatisti since the 1970s. This is ridiculous for an ADV bike. Ducati need to rethink the air filter access and the fuel tank as well.
Thanks. Where did you find the online parts/schematics ?
You can download from Ducati's website: www.ducati.com/ww/en/service-maintenance/original-spare-parts
Hi Padu I also have the steering stabilizer and was just wondering if you used the spacer on the big mount? It doesn't show it on the diagram/instructions. After install mine can move freely up and down at center mount a lot which seems wrong but Im not sure ? I wish you would of done a video on that! Be safe
I installed the spacer on both ends, the longer in the center and the shorter on the arm.
Hi, thanks to sharing this video. Would be possible to share with me the service manual, which is on you screen in video please? Thanks a lot, Lukas
What's your email?
I saw a Desert X on a ride this weekend and wow what a pretty bike. Prettiest adventure bike made IMO. I have owned two street Ducatis and loved them and had zero issues with them. No Desert X for me though. Will stick with my ugly KTM 890r. It is designed much better for off road despite KTM's reputation for iffy reliability. No issues with mine so far. Fingers crossed!
Every time I go to the garage I fall in love... and I've been looking at this bike for 7 months now!
Way too hard ..... I believe Ducati has made a huge mistake not providing suitable and hassle free air filter access.
Let's see on the next redesign of the bike.
Подивився. Передумав куплять. Дуже дякую.
I have to remove the seat for an air filter change on the CB500x. If I could just get those extra 60 hp!
Unbelievable! 😮 On my Aprilia Tuareg 660 it takes about 5 minutes to remove the air filter
on my Tenere it takes even less, like 2 min…how can it be designed like this ?
This is proof that this bike/engine was not really though/designed well 😮...
But , you know wot ... I still want one 😂
Do you have a link to that gas cap?
Sure do.
shift-tech-carbon.com/products/st1284-twm-quick-release-gas-cap-black-st-edition-made-in-italy-tdpr-06-n
How to change air filter on Ducati, proceeds with 40 minute video.
Now we see why the owner's manual says 'see your Ducati dealer' for every maintenance instruction.
I'd love to see the size of the actual maintenance manual.
Not easy, I agree, but it would take much shorter for someone that actually knows how to do it. I was recording while discovering. The fact that Ducati doesn't publish or sells service manuals is irritating though.
Very interesting video Padu ! Just a question , not about the air filter : are you happy with those crash bars ? I am looking for an alternative to the original expensive ducati bars . Thanks in advance.
I am, but gladly I haven't had to use them yet :) It seems they are painted silver though, so it might scratch more with time. We'll see.
@@merloti Thanks a lot ! Hope you 'll never use them 😄
@19:54 is that a cracked gas tank tab? :(
I don't remember seeing anything cracked. It's a complex coupling tab, or at least looks complex.
Sorry if I am laughing. But making it THAT complicated to change an air filter is really bad engineering. Under dusty conditions the filter needs to be replaced or at least cleaned several times between regular service intervalls, a weekend of a group ride in summer on dusty forest roads is sufficient. Not to talk about some ”desert” riding! 😂
Getting to the air filter of a KTM 790/890/901 takes about as long as you need for seat and front screen removal! That’s what I call clever engineering!
I wonder what the Ducati Dealership Service Department would charge for this service?
I can't find my receipt now, but I believe Moto Forza here in San Diego charged 1/2 an hour, but that's because they were doing other inspections and repairs to the bike. I'm sure they would charge at least 1h if that was the only thing they had to do.
Of course for Ducati nothing is free
Nice video😁
However... When I replaced my air filter I didn't remove the front screen.
I removed the Steering Damper and the fairing/side panel bolts closest to the fuel tank.
Remove the seat and disconnect the wiring under the tank next to the fuel taps.
Disconnect fuel hoses at the taps lift the tank up and disconnect the hoses from under the tank.
You only have to remove 4 screes to remove the airfilter from it's housing, the 2 rear screes can stay in.
The Unifilter works extremely good. The amount of dirt I had trapped on top of mine didn't affect the performance of the bike.
It's only a 30minute job.
I didn't know you don't need to remove the front screen to remove the side panels. It's super easy though.
So I'm guessing that by removing the 4 front screws, you just lift the cover and slide the filter through, right? Do you still need to remove the ECU? Removing those back 2 screws was the worse part of the process.
I only learned about the unifilter after I had already ordered the DNA, which is also oiled. Do you have any insight on the DNA and how it compares against the unifilter?
Thanks for the insightful comments.
@@merloti
I haven't used the DNA filter. So, sorry but, I can't comment on it.
I didn't think there was an air filter harder to change than those in a Goldwing or KTM 1x90. Ducati, you win!
I can't tell. This is the first time I had to replace an airfilter on my own, except for my dirt bikes.
Try a Triumph XC 800. Just about the same. Unacceptable in this type of bike.
Not to be to much of hassle Mate, how can i get one of those sticker kits? Lokks awesome!
Thanks! They are from Rubberdust.com
lol what an absolute nightmare! Anyone who buys this with the intention of dusty off road riding should have their heads examined!!! great video!
Which crash bars do you have there?
Those are the heed crashbars. I just removed them to install the OEM ones.
@@merloti why? Vibrations?
@@percusski No, nothing wrong with them. I bought the enduro package many months ago, and it finally arrived. I hear it's probable the belly pan protector won't work with Heed, so I'll just replace it with the OEM that came with the package. Not sure what I'll do with the Heed one.
@@merloti ok cool... I've got a Triumph Tiger and heed make good ones for them
The video that clearly explains why not to buy that bike. Thank you.
Far from being a reason not to buy, IMO.
This is the main reason I bought a Husqvarna Norden 901. 🙀🙀
All this to maintain an air filter, I meant to change a paper air filter? I don't understand why all of the "Offroad Beast" advertisement!
I guess you have to ride one offroad to understand.
@@merloti during the summer it is very dusty on the local trails and I ride last in group since I am the one to film our adventures. This forces me to clean the air filter every weekend in order to keep the engine breathing smoothly. This process takes literally a couple of minutes on my 790R and without using any tools of course. Seeing your video, I was imagining myself doing this process on weekly basis on a Desert X...
Aprilia Tuareg: 6 screws, plastic off; 4(?) screws; airbox out..
I've ridden the Aprilia T6 and it felt really good off-road. A bit lackey on the road, and that's why I decided on the DDX, otherwise it would be my bike today. How are you liking it?
@@merloti lovin' it - it's always been more fun to ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow.. 🙄😄🤣
That is probably 1.5 hours at the shop to change the filter, and to forget to replace all the screws. I wear xl to xxl gloves. That Rally I’ve been mentioning to the Frau is going to have to wait.
PPL - don't listen to anyone's whinging "its all too hard don't buy a DesX" - they are just a bunch of soft ccks... its a big job the 1st time only, but its easy-peasy ~20mins every time after that.
Definitely not a reason not to buy it. It doesn't get dirty as much as people think, and 30 minutes cleaning it is not a big deal.
I thought it can't be harder that accessing the V-strom 650 air filte but it is...
I am almost sad I got this and not the Tuareg. :))
Good thing you don't have to cut the frame. That could be a problem. Especially on trips. Now only 4 hours and done.
good job Ducati.
As good as the bike is I would never buy a bike that takes so much effort to clean the air filter if you ride a lot of dirt.Cheers.
Imagine you have to clean the AF because the Bike strugles with dirt... No sorry, that's why im happy with my T7! Seat off, remove 4 bolts and finish 🙃
I wish it was that easy. There are plenty of other things I'm happy with this bike though. I'm willing to pay the price of an hour every couple of months replacing or cleaning the filter.
I thought the air filter access on my honda vtr1000 was absurd, but this is orders of magnitude worse. IMHO a serious design fail.
I love this bike, but there is zero chance i would actually buy a bike a bike that requires a 41 minute video on cleaning the air filter. Simply a no go for too many areas I ride.
Such a shame, that bike is so awesome in so many ways, and what I truly wanted, but ended up with a Norden so still pretty happy 😁
When I did it the second time, away from the camera, and knowing what to do, it took me 22 minutes.
After 500 miles of off-roading, the new oiled air filter was barely dirty - there's a video of a guy in Australia that crossed the entire continent and never cleaned the air filter, so you're fine for most long trips, unless you're crossing the Sahara.
I do not think this will by the deal breaker, but still think its too complicated. Thanks
I agree. It could be simpler, but definitely not a deal breaker for me.
This is the video that made me go with a Norden over a Desert X.
i dont own this bike . I just wanted to watch for the pure absurdity of this air filter replacement. STUPID! Thanks for filming and posting.
Very detailed and informative, thanks, but what an absolute pain in the backside for something as simple as a filter change! Not something that's really possible on a long tour or easy to do unless you've got a nice spacious garage. It's also not really something I'd trust a ham fisted dealer mechanic to do without forgetting to properly tighten or not cross thread a screw either. A lovely bike, but Ducati haven't made regular maintenance particularly easy.
Great video Padu.
Thank you!
Now I see why they say, "Just bring it to the dealer!" They don't design it for you to work on it!!
And we all thought the 990 Adventure was bad for air filter access...
I also have a Multistrada V4S, and I never worried about air filters. The thing with the Desert X is that it gives me the confidence to ride trails and environments I didn't dream about with the Multi. For example, I would never dream about racing the LAB2V with the Multi, hence no dust to clean.
I would clean it up and take it back for a refund
All this to get to the air filter. Holy shit Ducati!!! Just to put more money in your pocket. I am a fan of this bike but just because of this reason, I won’t consider this bike. Honda…take my money
I just finished putting it back together, without having to concern myself with filming it. I was just over 15 minutes. It looks complicated, but after 2 or 3 times doing it, I think it will be pretty quick. Agree, it could be much simpler, but IMHO, not the main reason to buy or not.
@@merloti I feel like you have a little bit of brand loyalty when this is the case you could never give a truly honest opinion on the matter. Ducati’s make beautiful bikes but when you do low ball business like this I will abandoned you just like I will abandon my go to manufacturers like Yamaha and Honda if they use these business tactics. For Ducati to void your warranty just because you don’t go to their shop for maintenance is ridiculous. So warning to Yamaha and Honda if you pull this lowball tactics I will no longer buy your bikes. That’s a promise.
Voiding warranty because of self maintenance is illegal in the USA.
I think it has to be the worst in the world to replace, after 3hr doing my BMW R1200 RT air filter and complaining I have nothing on yours, no way you can do that on a multi day race
that's crazy.. Got this bike to test for a couple of week and it's actually an amazing bike with incredible suspensions but this thing about the air filter is a complete -no sense-
Yeah, not as easy as a dirt bike, but less than an hour is not out of this world. I'm curious how long it will take me next time, as I won't be discovering how to do it each step of the way.
@@merloti well there is no need to get a dirt bike to have a “smart position” for the airbox. My teneré has it just under the seat, 4 screws..2 minutes. 790/890 as well. Thing is: when you develop an adventure bike that will go offroad, you can’t hide the air filter.. A bit of a shame. Anyway, congrats for the bike: tested it for a couple of weeks and it really surprised me! Have fun mate
This is madness, 29 minutes before you lay your hands on the filter! Insanity, who would build this!
Almost bought DX, this filter nonsense stopped me. Now I own a KTM 890 ADV R, 2500km on the clock and have already washed filters with a pre-filter three times. I can not imagine how to maintain DX after every heavy dusty ride. Will be the first in the line to buy DX if theywill fix this.
Well, I will never again complain about having to change the air filter on my GSA. What a poor design for an adventure bike.
How long does it take to do it on the GS?
@@merloti Mine is liquid cooled. It takes about 15 min. without stressing. The old oil/air cooled ones were even quicker.
You have to just remove the tank after emptying, you remove almost everything that you don’t need 😊
I saw it on the other video. I was following the instructions from the service manual. I will try without removing the panels next time.
@@merloti Im gone link your name in a video, check it out may gone help
What a pain in the rear!! And to think this needs to be done at every oil change?? All for a bike that cost 18k in the US and that just bare bones with no crash bars or luggage.. Ducati really messed this one up!! Every Ducati dealer in my area have all least 2 in stock and have had them for over 6 moths
I was hesitated to buy this magnificent Desert x. But it's ridiculous as everything's done to bring your motorcycle for anything to Ducati...
This not a cleaning video - this is a disassembly video. I just pop the seat on my Tuareg and take out the filter... :P
What a pain
You may not have noticed, but when you sprayed that dune out of the filter, you also sprayed camel seeds everywhere.
Do you have a plan to handle 100 six-inch-high camels in your shop?
So, you think the air filter is an easy roadside clean or replace?
As easy as, let's say, DESMOS?
And, dude, at least be running a VAC instead of blowing that fine silt all over the shop and bikes.
Get a wide VAC head, and only flush where the head is.
Hahaha, what is a camel seed?
I don't think air filter access is a road side job. Or at least, I wouldn't do it.
I saw a video of this dude that did a 15K km ride in Australia (worse kind of dust, from what I learned), and his unifilter did an awesome job the entire trip. He didn't need to clean or replace the filter during the trip.
Ducati te la vende como una moto de aventura, pero no imagino a alguien cambiando el filtro en ruta, siendo tan difícil el proceso 😅😅🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ tbn la venden como un moto de súper aventura pero tiene tantos componentes tan expuestos, y se ve vulnerable 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️😅😅🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️ hay muchas cosas q replantear en esta moto porque tiene madera.. pero los de Ducati parece que nunca estuvieron en una verdadera aventura fuer del asfalto….😅😅
Has nobody here owned an Africa Twin? It's a good 90%+ as difficult as this, but like anything else, when you learn to do it, it's not bad. The fact that you did the ride you did sucking dust from a number of competitors and only had that much particulate tells me I'll be OK. I can probably get a season between changes riding the mountains near where i live. I wish it was easier for sure, but its not a deal breaker for me.
Exactly my point. If you don't ride A LOT in the desert, inside dust clouds, you will probably be ok to follow Ducati's regular scheduled maintenance.
Same not a deal breaker, 30 mins is not bad
Is this a joke by Ducati? WTF
Good for a laugh when you need a 41 minute video to clean the air filter
Took me less than 20 minutes the second time I had to clean it and was not concerned about producing a video
Good initiative Padu but you took 4 times more than standard procedure THAT TAKES LESS THAN 20 MIN. YOU ARE REMOVING A LOT O PARTS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARY.
Yes, I'm aware. That was the first time I did it.
40 minutes pour accéder au filtre à air . Autant pour le remontage.ça explique en partie le coût des révisions. Ducati a pourtant bien du le constater
lors de la conception de ce modèle....
It’s the deal breaker for me!
Ducati, this realy shows your lack of understanding for the rides in this sector.
We do oil, air an other bits our selves an don’t get u to do it in the middle of the desert an it doesn’t cost us a second mortgage.
I’m goin for a T7w raid!
Ducati..... wtf?
I would NEVER purchase this bike for this design blunder alone. In two years the market will be flooded with used Desert X bikes with filthy air filters that "don't run right". Nice bike otherwise.
Air filter cleaning/replacement is a scheduled maintenance item, so as long as you don't do hard core dust riding, you will be fine with the scheduled dealer inspection intervals.
I was all for buying a Desert X until I discovered how difficult they made it to access the ail filter. Unacceptable for a bike that is designed to travel dusty roads
that is a ridiculous amount of work on a basic routine maintenance job. It is worse than having to lift the engine on some Ford cars just change the full set of spark plugs. At least it was 60K km before you had to do that. For a "off road" oriented bike, you would think you would want to change or clean air filter after every 20hr of off road riding.
It really depends. I went on a 1000 miles trip to Baja where 50% was off-road. The air filter was sparky clean after that trip. It got really dirty on a 400 miles desert race 100% in sand and really dusty roads, with lots of bikes in front of me.
I was interested in this bike...
before I saw this video :/
My advice is ride it. Way worth while the 1 hour maintenance once in a while.
That is absolutely ridiculous amount of work to access filter...I'll stay with my Norden 901
How long does it take to replace the filter on the N901?
I do want to love this bike, but man, this is really poorly thought out. Absolutely bonkers. This should be something easily done in the field - made near impossible by Ducati.
One reason not to buy a desert x if you want to do serious offroad 😂😂😂
I guess that makes me a joker offroader then :)
this is why it costs $1000 for small maintenance and $2000 for desmo on ducatis lol
It's not cheap for sure
Total dry hump…. Ducati should be ashamed of themselves for making such a vital service item so difficult to access. I’m so happy I bought my 2022 KTM 890 ADV-R…