Ducati turns its slick retro-raid rally tool a little bit hardcore
It’s one of Ducati’s most interesting models – which looks as sharp as it rides. And now Ducati’s acclaimed DesertX middleweight adventure bike has been given a dirt-focused chassis upgrade, to produce the DesertX Rally.
The big changes are to the suspension: the new bike features a trick new Kayaba competition setup, with a 48mm closed-cartridge pressurised front fork, and a rear monoshock with a 46mm piston. Both are fully adjustable, with the fork featuring both Kashima coating and DLC layers on the sliders, to reduce stiction. Travel is a mighty 250mm front and 240mm rear, 20mm more than stock, which gives 280mm ground clearance, up 30mm. Ducati’s also fitted a new Öhlins steering damper behind the top yoke.
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Away from the springy parts, there are new billet yokes, and reinforced offroad rims from Takasago Excel, which are much tougher than before, fitted with a choice of Pirelli rubber: Scorpion Rally STR as original equipment, with the option of more off-road Scorpion Rallys or Scorpion Trail II if you prefer to ride the bike on asphalt. Finally, there are new stronger adjustable brake and gear pedals, and a new high-level front mudguard more suited to the dirt.
The engine is the same excellent 937cc 110bhp Testastretta V-twin as seen across Ducati’s upper-middleweight range, with the same electronics package, but with revised calibrations to suit the more off-road focus.
The new DesertX Rally costs from £18,995, and is available on the Ducati website now: www.ducati.com
Main standard equipment
- Testastretta 11° 937 cc engine with 110 hp at 9,250 rpm and 92 Nm at 6,500 rpm
- Tubular steel trellis frame with cast aluminium double-sided swingarm
- Tank capacity 21 litres
- High front mudguard with split brake line *
- Spoked rims with billet hubs 21” x 2.15” and 18” x 4”, carbon steel spokes and high-strength Takasago Excel rims with inner tube *
- Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres in sizes 90/90-21 at the front and 150/70 R18 at the rear (alternatively: Pirelli Scorpion Rally, Pirelli Scorpion Trail II)
- KYB Ø 48 mm closed cartridge fork, 250 mm travel, adjustable compression and rebound, Kashima Coating treatments on the fork tubes and DLC on the sliders *
- Fork clamps machined from solid *
- KYB shock absorber with 46 mm piston, 240 mm travel, adjustable in compression at high and low speeds, in rebound and preload *
- Ground clearance of 280 mm *
- Adjustable Öhlins steering damper fixed to the handlebar *
- 6 customizable Riding Modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet, Enduro, Rally)
- 4 Power Modes on 3 power levels
- ABS Cornering Bosch adjustable on 3 levels
- Ducati Traction Control adjustable on 8 levels
- Ducati Wheelie Control
- Engine Brake Control
- Ducati Cruise Control
- 5″ colour TFT instrumentation with Ducati Link App support and turn-by-turn navigation
- Utility Bar
- Ducati Brake Light
- Ducati Quick Shift Up & Down (DQS)
- Full LED lighting system
- Dedicated Iron Giant livery *
- Adjustable brake and gear pedals machined from solid *
*Equipment and features exclusive to DesertX Rally
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