Taking it to the X-treme
Ducati DesertX Rally aims to take adventure to the next level
With a glorious engine, capable chassis and an effective array of electronics, the standard DesertX performs at such a high level that it won MCN’s sub-litre adventure test just last year.
Even so, Ducati wanted to create something even more capable, even more hardcore, and even more luxurious, which would not only take its capabilities off-road to the next level, but also allow them to market the standard model to a more road-biased audience. The result? The DesertX Rally: Ducati’s ultimate adventure machine complete with MX-inspired long-travel suspension and more durability, with a price tag that is as lofty as its presence.
Same story, almost
The DesertX Rally is largely familiar, not straying too far from the standard model. The same steel trellis frame houses the very same 937cc Testastretta motor, producing identical power and torque figures of 110bhp and 68lb.ft, while gaining just a couple of kg from the standard DesertX. The 21-litre fuel tank is also exactly the same, while the dash, switchgears and interface (which are both easy to use and informative) are the same too, although Ducati have tweaked the algorithms behind the rider aids.
But there are some big changes, too – and it’s impossible to talk about the DesertX Rally without mentioning its sheer stature. Sure, the riding position is incredibly spacious and feels almost identical to the standard DesertX, but with an additional 30mm of travel compared to the standard model (now 250mm and 240mm), the resulting seat height is 910mm as standard. To put that into perspective, it’s one of the tallest production machines sold in the last 15 years and even with the skinny chassis and seat design, getting on, off and stopping on uneven surfaces is a tall order. With my 28in legs the sidestand is nearly impossible to use without physically getting off. If height or confidence is an issue, then the Rally is not for you.
Impressive on the road
Although the DesertX Rally is built with a hankering for the dirty stuff, it’s still a credible performer on tarmac. In Touring Mode and Urban Mode with a softer application of power, the 937cc motor is as happy to bimble along at single digits in traffic as it is roaring to the red line.
It is light on its feet too, with a level of agility that is reminiscent of a supermoto, aided by a lighter set of wheels and reduced unsprung weight for easy direction changes. Yet, thanks to the tech and development that has gone into crafting the new suspension, it doesn’t feel like a ‘Rally’ machine when pushing on; where some bikes crash through the initial part of the stroke under heavy braking the Rally is well-supported, even under a big yank of those mighty Brembos.
The addition of an Öhlins steering
‘A level of agility that is reminiscent of a supermoto’
damper keeps things far more stable than such a tall machine has the right to be at higher speeds, which means that even with off-roadbiased rubber, it is still happy to sit at 70mph without any worries. Bear in mind, though, that if you are going to munch up big road mileage, the seat isn’t comfortable for a long ride and although there’s little buffeting, the screen is pretty small.
Where it belongs
It’s off-road where the Rally comes into its own, performing to a level that is frankly other-worldly for a machine that weighs 224kg, before it’s been loaded with fuel. As with the standard DesertX, the motor lends itself to dishing the dirt, delivering usable amounts of torque from the very bottom of the range, with the ability to be both docile in softer rider modes or brutal when unchained in its full power guise.
Yet, even at its fiercest, the Rally is kept in check by an electronics package that is seriously refined. The TC settings have been tweaked in order to cope better with off-road-biased rubber – such as the Scorpion Rally tyres that were fitted for our test ride. The result is a system that can not only be trusted off-road to assist up steep hills and soft terrain, but also allows a huge amount of slip on the rear… in a good way, only engaging as the slide gets close to full lock. Thanks to the IMU, traction control and wheelie control settings can be changed independently, meaning that the front wheel can lift over bumps and jumps without electronic intervention, while the ABS is barely noticeable, unless there is a silly amount of pull on the lever.
But the real magic comes in the form of that devastatingly impressive fork and shock set-up. Unlike on so many heavier off-road machines, there is no impression of the weight at speed; the KYB forks and shock work in perfect unison to deliver so much support, yet somehow they’re also very progressive through the stroke. It works like an absolute dream, as even when landing big bumps and jumps the suspension never crashes through to the stops, soaking up landings with the prowess and essence of a motocross bike, while the new seat and reworked pegs and levers make standing a natural and comfortable affair.
It’s consistent too, as even after 100 miles of almost continued abuse in the Moroccan heat, there was absolutely no fade from the componentry, thanks to the reliability that closed cartridge system offers. It’s the same set-up that Anthoine Meo claimed an Erzberg Rodeo Prologue win with, yet even at an average to slow pace, the DesertX Rally wasn’t an intimidating animal, but a confidence-inspiring weapon that allows the envelope to be pushed, whether that’s crossing in and out of ruts or motoring through thick sand in fourth and fifth gear. In the UK, where much of the green lanes are slower and more technical, it would probably be worth knocking some preload and compression off at both ends, in order to utilise the full range of the suspension.
But other than that, the new Rally is simply outstanding.
It comes at a price
But this incredible level of performance does come at a price, and a serious one at that. At first glance, the £18,995 DesertX Rally seems like an obscene amount of cash, especially when you consider that it incorporates much of the base as the standard DesertX (£14,995). Yet if you are a serious off-roader and wanted to purchase similar high-grade suspension componentry, stick on some lighter, stronger wheels and tweak a few other bits like the seat, pegs, and sump guard, then it would actually cost a fair amount more.
For the road riders among us, think about the standard DesertX as a road-biased model, while the Rally is a full-fat off-road weapon, built for the small, yet mighty number of hardcore enthusiasts. In that case, it makes perfect sense, both in terms of its positioning and value, especially when you consider that its closest rival, KTM’s 890 Adventure Rally, which has seen similar upgrades, is £20,899.