First Look: 2024 Ducati DesertX Rally

Ducati fitted the DesertX Rally with serious off-road equipment.

Ducati’s DesertX marked the return to the no-holds-barred kingdom of hard off-road riding, from the almost forgotten days of the 450 R/T that was urgently developed to equip the Italian team to the 1971 ISDT at the Isle of Man. The DesertX proved to be developed down to every detail, very capable, and with strong potential thanks to the gloriously versatile 937 11° desmo Testastretta V-twin. Now Ducati has branched out to give life to an even more specialized version, the DesertX Rally.

To test its ultimate potential against the toughest off-road riding conditions, the DesertX Rally debuted in a prototype form at the Iron Road Prolog of the Erzbergrodeo 2023 in the hands of multiple Enduro World and European supercross champion Antoine Méo who took it to the win in the twin-cylinder class.

Reserve the 2024 Ducati DesertX Rally now!

Development of the DesertX Rally was totally devoted to the adoption and optimization of racing-derived technical components in order to fully extract the potential of an already rather strong combination of a very capable chassis and potent 937cc eight-valve desmo 90-degree V-twin.

The steel-tube trellis frame has been retained in its original form, both structural and geometrical, with the steering rake set at 27.6 degrees to generate 4.8 inches of trail in combination with the 21-inch front wheel. The only differences are consequent to the Rally’s adoption of long-travel race-derived suspension.

Long-travel suspension ups the DesertX Rally’s off-road game.

Billet aluminum triple clamps carry a 48mm Kayaba cartridge fork featuring special treatment of the inside of the stanchions (Kashima coating) and at the sliders (DLC treatment) to grant maximum smoothness under the toughest riding conditions. The new fork is 30mm longer and ensures a front wheel travel of 9.8 inches, 0.8 inch more than the standard unit. That longer fork also causes the wheelbase to stretch from 63 to 64 inches. Kayaba also supplies the new rear monoshock unit. In addition providing a rear wheel travel of 9.4 inches, the new unit features a larger 46mm piston for a more efficient damping control needed for severe off-road duty. The new rear shock is also fully adjustable in compression and rebound with a remote preload adjustment. An adjustable Öhlins steering damper is standard equipment as well.

Behind that Öhlins adjustable steering damper are billet triple clamps holding 48mm KYB fork legs.

The seat height has gone up from 34.4 to 35.8 inches, but a lower seat (34.8 inches) is available as an accessory. A meaningful modification of the chassis setting comes in the wheel department with a traditional carbon steel spoke arrangement on Takasago Excel rims and billet hubs—consequently demanding that the tires be fitted with tubes. DesertX Rally is available with a selection of three tires; Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR is the base tire, but for extreme off-road performance the alternative is the Scorpion Rally. Those who want to spend more time on macadam than on dirt have the Pirelli Scorpion Trail II as the optimal choice. They all come in 90/90-21 and 150/70-18 sizing, front and rear respectively.

Special graphics on solid-color plastics are meant to take a beating better than painted surfaces.

The braking department looks adequate for a sportbike, with the front disc brake consisting of two 320mm rotors and radial mount, four-piston Brembo Monoblock calipers. At the rear, a 265mm rotor is teamed to a two-piston caliper. The whole system is managed by Bosch cornering ABS.

As mentioned above, the engine remains the highly capable 937cc 11° Testastretta eight-valve desmo 90-degree V-twin. This unit is one of the more flexible, smooth, and responsive in its class. In addition, the 937cc version of the Testastretta was the first to switch from a hybrid crank assembly layout (with con-rods turning on plain bearings and the crankshaft turning on old and faithful aero angular contact ball bearings) to a full plain bearings design that offers quiet operation and superior rigidity. The powerplant produces a standard 110 hp at 9,250 rpm, same as the base-model DesertX, and delivers 68 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 6,500 rpm. That’s an outstanding interval of almost 3,000 rpm separating peak torque from peak power—a condition that grants excellent engine response over a very wide rev range.

Ducati claims 110 hp from the DesertX Rally’s 937cc 11° Testastretta V-twin.

To assist the rider negotiating the hardest terrain, the DesertX Rally features a very comprehensive electronics suite. The ECU offers six riding modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet, Enduro, and Rally) in addition to cornering ABS and traction control. An electronically controlled Ducati Quick Shift (up and down) and wheelie control are also standard equipment. A 5-inch TFT instrumentation display acts as the control center of the electronics suite. It is designed for integration with Ducati Media System so that the rider can connect their smartphone to access more information and Ducati’s turn-by-turn navigation system.

Special-edition graphics on solid-colored plastic bodywork—painted parts show scratches too easily—along with a single-piece rally seat and carbon fiber skid plate are the finishing touches on the DesertX Rally.

Price in the US will start at an MSRP of $22,995. Better RESERVE YOUR RIDE quick!