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Ducati DesertX vs KTM 1290 Super Adventure S

Prices, specs and on-road cost, side by side. Updated 7 Oct 2026.

Ducati DesertX
KTM 1290 Super Adventure S

Ducati

DesertX

From ₹19.59 Lakh

Full DesertX page Change

KTM

1290 Super Adventure S

From ₹22.74 Lakh

Full 1290 Super Adventure S page Change
Ducati DesertXDesertX Standard · ₹19.59 Lakh
KTM 1290 Super Adventure S1290 Super Adventure S · ₹22.74 Lakh

What's different

On the versions picked above

Price DesertX: ₹19.59 Lakh (ahead) 1290 Super Adventure S: ₹22.74 Lakh DesertX ₹3.15 lakh cheaper
Braking DesertX: Cornering ABS 1290 Super Adventure S: Cornering ABS
Mileage DesertX: 17.8 kmpl (ahead) 1290 Super Adventure S: 17.54 kmpl Claimed
Power DesertX: 111.52 PS 1290 Super Adventure S: 160 PS (ahead) Torque 92 vs 140 Nm
Weight DesertX: 223 kg 1290 Super Adventure S: 240 kg Seat height 875 vs 849 mm
Versions DesertX: 3 (ahead) 1290 Super Adventure S: 1

Pick the DesertX for the lower price, better claimed mileage and more versions.

Pick the 1290 Super Adventure S for more power.

Spec by spec

Price

Ex-showroom
₹19.59 Lakh
₹22.74 Lakh
On-road in
₹21.64 Lakh
₹25.1 Lakh
EMI, 5 years, 20% down
₹36,364 a month
₹42,165 a month

Headline figures

Powertrain
Petrol, manual
Petrol, manual
Power
111.52 PS
160 PS
Torque
92 Nm
140 Nm
Gearbox
Manual
Manual
Mileage
17.8 kmpl
17.54 kmpl

Engine & Transmission

Displacement
937 cc Testastretta 11-Degree / 890 cc, 2026 Generation. Sources list the existing 937cc 108.6-110 bhp engine alongside the 2026 890cc 110 bhp monocoque iteration
1,301 cc
Engine Type
2-Cylinder, Liquid-Cooled, 4 Valves per Cylinder, Desmodromic / Variable Valve Timing
75° V-Twin (LC8), 4-Stroke, 8-Valve, DOHC, Liquid-Cooled, FI
Bore x Stroke
94 mm x 67.5 mm (937cc) / 96 mm x 61.5 mm (890cc)
108.0 mm x 71.0 mm
Compression Ratio
13.3:1
13.1:1
Cooling
Liquid Cooled
Liquid Cooled (Twin Radiators)
Gearbox
6-Speed Manual with dedicated off-road gear ratios, short 1st and 2nd gears
6 Speed Manual (PANKL transmission)
Clutch
Slipper and self-servo wet multiplate clutch with hydraulic control
PASC slipper clutch, hydraulically operated
Drive Type
Chain Drive
Chain Drive (525 X-Ring)

Brakes & Wheels

Front Brake Type & Diameter
Dual Disc, 320 mm semi-floating discs, Brembo M50 monobloc 4-piston radial calipers
Dual Floating Disc, 320 mm, Brembo 4-piston radial-mount calipers
Rear Brake Type & Diameter
Single Disc, 265 mm, Brembo 2-piston floating caliper
Single Disc, 267 mm, Brembo 2-piston fixed caliper
ABS/CBS Type
Bosch Cornering ABS, 3 levels with dedicated off-road ABS-off mode
Bosch 10.3 ME Combined ABS (with Cornering ABS & Off-Road ABS)
Wheel Type
Cross-spoke tubeless wheels
Cast Aluminium Alloy Wheels (19-inch Front / 17-inch Rear)
Front Tyre Size
90/90-21 (Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR)
120/70-ZR19 Tubeless (Mitas Terra Force-R)
Rear Tyre Size
150/70 R18 (Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR)
170/60-ZR17 Tubeless (Mitas Terra Force-R)

Suspension & Chassis

Front Suspension
Fully adjustable 46 mm KYB USD fork, 230mm wheel travel
48 mm WP SAT (Semi-Active Technology) USD Fork (200 mm travel)
Rear Suspension
Fully adjustable KYB monoshock with remote preload adjuster, aluminium double-sided swingarm, 220mm wheel travel
WP SAT (Semi-Active Technology) Monoshock with progressive damping (200 mm travel)
Frame Type
Tubular Steel Trellis Frame / Aluminum Monocoque Frame
Chromium-Molybdenum steel trellis frame, powder coated with aluminium subframe
Wheelbase
1,608 mm
1557 mm
Ground Clearance
250 mm
223 mm

Dimensions

Seat Height
875 mm, low seat option 865 mm, low suspension kit 845 mm
849 mm (Adjustable 849 mm / 869 mm)
Kerb Weight
223 kg (202 kg dry weight)
240 kg (Dry: 220 kg)
Fuel Tank Capacity
21 litres, optional 8-litre rear auxiliary fuel tank available
23.0 L (3-part horseshoe fuel tank, Reserve: 4.0 L)
Length
Not listed
2255 mm
Width
Not listed
928 mm
Height
Not listed
1497 mm

Instrument Cluster

Display Type
5-inch vertical Full-TFT Color Display with Rally and Standard display modes
7.0-inch Full-Colour Scratch-Resistant TFT Display with Bluetooth Connectivity
Bluetooth Connectivity
Bluetooth / Ducati Multimedia System (DMS)
Yes (KTMconnect with turn-by-turn navigation and smartphone pairing)
Navigation
Turn-by-turn GPS Navigation
Yes (Turn-by-Turn+ navigation via KTMconnect)
USB Charging
Not listed
Yes (Illuminated smartphone compartment with USB socket)

Safety & Convenience

Riding Modes
Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet, Enduro, Rally
4 Modes Standard (Rain, Street, Sport, Offroad) + Optional Rally Mode
Traction Control
Ducati Traction Control (DTC), 8 levels
Yes (Motorcycle Traction Control MTC with 6-axis IMU & lean angle sensitivity)
Quickshifter
Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up/Down
Optional (Quickshifter+ bi-directional)
Cruise Control
Yes, electronic cruise control
Yes (Bosch Radar-based Adaptive Cruise Control ACC standard)
Additional Electronic Aids
Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC), Engine Brake Control (EBC), heated grips ready, crash protection bars
Not listed

Lights

Headlight
Twin round Full-LED headlamps with dual DRL rings
Full LED with integrated cornering lights and signature LED DRL
Taillight
Full LED
Full LED
Turn Indicators
LED
Full LED (Auto-cancelling)

Seat & Storage

Seat Type
Two-piece off-road saddle, rally single-piece seat available
Two-piece stepped ergonomic comfort touring seat (Height adjustable)
Under-Seat Storage
Easy-access tool compartment and air filter intake
Minimal tool kit only

Choice

Versions
3 versions
1 version
Price range
₹19.59 Lakh – ₹25.34 Lakh
₹22.74 Lakh
Colours
1 colour
1 colour

Features are what each maker lists for its top versions. "Not listed" means the maker's sheet does not mention it, not that the vehicle lacks it.

Same engine and gearbox, closest price

Pick a pair to compare those two versions

Petrol, manual

DesertX Standard₹19.59 Lakh 1290 Super Adventure S₹22.74 Lakh 1290 Super Adventure S ₹3.15 lakh more

On-road price by city

DesertX DesertX Standard against 1290 Super Adventure S 1290 Super Adventure S

CityDesertX1290 Super Adventure SGap
Mumbai₹22.43 Lakh₹26.01 LakhDesertX ₹3.58 lakh less
Pune₹22.43 Lakh₹26.01 LakhDesertX ₹3.58 lakh less
New Delhi₹21.64 Lakh₹25.1 LakhDesertX ₹3.45 lakh less
Bengaluru₹23.6 Lakh₹27.37 LakhDesertX ₹3.77 lakh less
Chennai₹22.43 Lakh₹26.01 LakhDesertX ₹3.58 lakh less
Hyderabad₹23.6 Lakh₹27.37 LakhDesertX ₹3.77 lakh less
Ahmedabad₹21.25 Lakh₹24.64 LakhDesertX ₹3.39 lakh less
Kolkata₹22.04 Lakh₹25.55 LakhDesertX ₹3.52 lakh less

Ex-showroom price plus road tax, registration and insurance, by each state's rules. Dealers may add handling charges and accessories.

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the DesertX or the 1290 Super Adventure S?

The DesertX, by ₹3.15 lakh on the versions compared here: DesertX DesertX Standard at ₹19.59 Lakh against 1290 Super Adventure S 1290 Super Adventure S at ₹22.74 Lakh, ex-showroom. On the road in Delhi that becomes ₹21.64 Lakh against ₹25.1 Lakh.

Which gives better mileage?

The DesertX claims 17.8 kmpl against 17.54 kmpl on the versions compared here. These are official test figures, not road measurements.

Which is more powerful?

The DesertX DesertX Standard makes 111.52 PS and 92 Nm and the 1290 Super Adventure S 1290 Super Adventure S makes 160 PS and 140 Nm.

What is the EMI on each?

About ₹36,364 a month for the DesertX and ₹42,165 for the 1290 Super Adventure S, on the road in Delhi with 20% down over five years at 9.5%.

Compare the rivals

DesertX vs Tiger 1200 From ₹19.59 Lakh and ₹19.39 Lakh DesertX vs Tuareg 660 From ₹19.59 Lakh and ₹20.15 Lakh DesertX vs R 1300 GS From ₹19.59 Lakh and ₹24 Lakh 1290 Super Adventure S vs Tiger 1200 From ₹22.74 Lakh and ₹19.39 Lakh 1290 Super Adventure S vs Tuareg 660 From ₹22.74 Lakh and ₹20.15 Lakh 1290 Super Adventure S vs R 1300 GS From ₹22.74 Lakh and ₹24 Lakh
Ducati DesertX: every version, spec and on-road price KTM 1290 Super Adventure S: every version, spec and on-road price