Which suits you
- Choose the 890 Adventure R if low-speed control and picking it up after a drop matter most: it is 8kg lighter wet.
- Both take a 90/90-21 front tyre, so the same front tyre options fit either bike.
- The 890 Adventure R goes further on a tank, roughly 260 miles against 230, which helps on lanes where fuel stops are far apart.
- The 890 Adventure R costs £1,696 less new.
Holloway ratings side by side
Ducati DesertX KTM 890 Adventure R
Green lane
Technical off-road
Beginner friendly
Road
DesertX vs 890 Adventure R specs
| Ducati DesertX | KTM 890 Adventure R | |
|---|---|---|
| Green lane score | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Price | £14,995 | £13,299 |
| Wet weight | 223kg | 215kg |
| Seat height | 875mm | 880mm |
| Ground clearance | 250mm | 263mm |
| Suspension travel (f/r) | 230mm / 220mm | 240mm / 240mm |
| Wheels (f/r) | 21" / 18" | 21" / 18" |
| Tyre sizes (f/r) | 90/90-21 / 150/70-18 | 90/90-21 / 150/70-18 |
| Engine | 937cc | 889cc |
| Power | 110hp | 105hp |
| Fuel tank | 21L | 20L |
| Real-world range | ~230 mi | ~260 mi |
| Licence | A | A |
A tick marks the better figure for green laning. Manufacturer figures; weights are wet unless marked as estimates.
Where they sit against every other bike
Wet weight against ground clearance across the whole Bike Finder. Light and tall, top left, is where the easiest green lane bikes sit.
Our take on each
Ducati DesertX: Genuine Dakar looks backed by real off-road hardware, composed on gravel and rock, but heavy for technical single-track and pricier to maintain.
KTM 890 Adventure R: A genuinely capable, low-centred off-road middleweight built for pace, though the firm seat and locked-behind-a-paywall extras are common owner gripes.
Remember: rider ability, tyres and the weather on the day move the real answer more than the bike does. Check each lane's own difficulty and legal status before you ride.
Find where to ride either one
Plan a day of legal green lanes across England and Wales on Holloway's map, with each lane's difficulty and status.
Open the map