Ducati is a smart company. First, they got test pilot/tame racer Antoine Meo to flog a nearly-stock DesertX at the Erzbergrodeo this year, with only basic mods. Now, Ducati is offering the new DesertX Rally to its customers—basically that same bike, but with some key performance upgrades.
Note that the engine is unchanged. Ducati powers the DesertX Rally with the same 937cc Testastretta V-twin; it makes a claimed 110 hp and 68 lb-ft of torque. A modern electronics package is standard, including Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet, Enduro and Rally riding modes. These riding modes govern power output and also the management of electronic safety systems such as leaning ABS or TC.
The frame is also the same for the DesertX Rally; the tank capacity and most other features are the same—you get wheelie control, cruise control, a quickshifter, etc.
What’s new?
So what is new then? Most importantly, you’re getting a new set of forks and a shock, both from Kayaba.
The fork is adjustable for compression and reload, and adds 20 mm of travel for 250 mm total travel. The shock adds 20 mm of travel, too, for 240 mm total. The shock is fully adjustable, and to make the geometry work, Ducati changed the mounting point on the bike’s swingarm.
Ducati also added a new steering stabilizer from Ohlins, mounting it directly to the handlebar.
Along with the new chassis parts, Ducati also added a new set of wheels, with aluminum hubs, steel spokes and Takasago Excel rims. For better off-road control, Ducati spec’d Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires. There’s also a new higher-mounted front fender.
To celebrate Antoine Meo’s hoonery at the Erzbergrodeo, Ducati gave the machine a red/white/grey paint job as well.
In Canada, the DesertX Rally will have a $26,295 MSRP for 2024. For more details, check out Ducati’s website. There are some still numbers missing (we don’t know the weight, for instance), but we expect to have more info soon.
