A 5,000-mile adventure on the DesertX

Steve Staines, Events Co-ordinator at the Ducati Owners Club GB recently took part in another two wheeled adventure, one that was originally planned three years ago. Riding with four friends from the DOC they planned an epic 5,000-mile adventure riding from Spain to explore Morocco, with four of the group riding a DesertX each, and the fifth friend taking his Multistrada 1260.

Leaving the UK at the end of March, the group took the overnight ferry from Plymouth to Santander. That took them to Spain and where they headed straight into the Picos de Europa mountain range and some amazing switchback roads as they set off for their first stop of their adventure.

“The DesertX is a great bike, with plenty of performance, and it handled everything ever so well. It’s just a brilliant bike that I loaded up with soft luggage for this epic adventure. And it just did everything I asked of it really, really well.”

A second night was spent in Zafra, also known as Little Seville, before the group rode down to a spectacular Ronda, where they prepared to cross continents into Africa. 

Steve Staines, Ducati Owners Club GB Events Co-ordinator

“Ronda was spectacular, especially the gorge which puts Cheddar’s to shame. That riding really got us excited for Morocco, where our adventure was to start properly.

We spent 15 days riding and one of the biggest days I still can’t quite get my head around. In the morning we were in the Sahara Desert, where it must have been at least 35 degrees Celsius. But by the afternoon, and just half a day’s ride on the brilliant DesertX, we were at the top of the Atlas Mountains where the temperature had dropped to under 10 degrees, with remnants of snow everywhere!

The Atlas Mountains were definitely one of the highlights of the trip, lovely tarmac with long sweeping bends. But when we got to the top there was no road, just a 1,000-metre drop of switchbacks but no real road, just the side of a mountain. And as you’re going down this, there are people walking up!

We also went to what is known as the ‘Blue Town’, a city by the name of Chefchaouen in northwest Morocco. We spent a couple of nights there, it’s such a beautiful place to walk around and explore. From there we rode to Fez, where we stayed in a typical riad which looked like nothing from the outside but once inside opened up into tall ceilings right up to the sky. The whole trip was amazing, and you see and experience so much more when you travel by motorcycle.

The DesertX was such a great bike for the adventure. I’ve already covered 10,000 miles on mine since September. I’ve got more trips planned for the bike, and I can’t wait to ride to World Ducati Week again next year.

But the next event I’m looking forward to is the ABR Festival where the DOC plan to celebrate 20 years of the Multistrada (Stand U14). We aim to have every generation on Multistrada on display.”

Dream Wilder with the DesertX https://www.ducati.com/gb/en/bikes/desertx/desertx-937 

Find out more about the Ducati Owners Club GB https://www.docgb.org