Race-ready suspension and chassis upgrades for Ducati’s neat adventure machine, the 2024 Ducati DesertX Rally.
We really liked the Ducati DesertX when we rode it last year. The combination of the slick 937cc Testastretta 11° engine with its torquey 110bhp output, and a capable, easy to ride chassis was a great foundation. The fact it looks so good, with premium parts and finish, rounded off the experience, and counted a little bit against the fairly steep purchase price.
Fast forward a couple of years from the original DesertX launch, and Ducati’s released this upgraded Rally version, with even more dirt capability. That’s mostly focused on the chassis, where a high-performance running gear package adds even more potential to the basic bike.
The headline changes are to the suspension: a new Kayaba front and rear setup, with 48mm USD forks and rear monoshock with 46mm piston. The KYB forks are a closed-cartridge design with a pressurised damping circuit, and full adjustability, as well as DLC and Kashima Coating treatment to reduce stiction and improve performance.
The rear shock also adds separate high and low-speed compression damping adjustment, and is matched to a new swingarm design with different linkage attachment. Finally, the Rally DesertX also gets a plush new Öhlins steering damper mounted behind the bars, and a new set of machined billet yokes/triple tree. The new chassis gear gives a mighty 280mm of ground clearance, with 250mm of fork travel and 240mm rear suspension travel, 20mm more than the standard DesertX.
Away from the suspension, there are some new dirt wheels from Takasago Excel, which have machined solid billet hubs and reinforced rims, carbon steel spokes and tube-type construction. The engine and electronics package remains the same as on the standard bike, but the settings on the traction and wheelie control, rider power modes and ABS have been tweaked to suit the new chassis setup and more extreme dirt usage. There’s a new high-level front mudguard better suited to offroad use, and a sweet new ‘Iron Giant’ paint scheme, a choice of three levels of approved Pirelli Scorpion dirt tyres, and new machined adjustable gear and brake pedals.
The new Ducati DesertX Rally will be available in February 2024, priced from £18,995. More info: www.ducati.com
DesertX Rally Tech Highlights
- 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 *
*Exclusive to DesertX Rally
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