It feels like we’ve been talking about the DesertX Rally forever, and honestly, who wouldn’t? The standard DesertX in itself is quite mad, and with all the hardware it gets, the DesertX Rally is rather hardcore. With prices beginning from Rs 23.70 lakh (ex-showroom), the Ducati DesertX Rally commands a premium of Rs 5.37 lakh over the standard DesertX.
While both the standard DesertX and the Rally get their suspension from Kayaba, the latter uses 48 mm compression and rebound adjustable closed-cartridge forks, along with a fully-adjustable monoshock at the rear. This leads to 250 mm and 240 mm of travel at the front and rear respectively, having gone up by 20 mm on either end. It also makes use of Excel Takasago rims and carbon steel spokes, along with billet aluminium hubs. Ducati says this is a lightweight setup, and it also wears Pirelli Scorpion STR tyres as standard. The 937 cc twin-cylinder powertrain, with 110 bhp and 92.38 kgm of torque on offer has not been tinkered with.
In terms of braking hardware, the Ducati DesertX Rally receives radially-mounted four-piston (30 mm) Brembo M50 monobloc callipers, on a twin 320 mm disc setup at the front, along with an axial master cylinder with adjustable levers. Meanwhile, matters at the rear are taken care of by a 265 mm disc with a floating dual-piston calliper, also from Brembo.
But it’s not just about hardware; the Ducati DesertX Rally is also plenty sophisticated, with rider aids such as traction control, wheelie control, engine brake control, cornering ABS, a quickshifter, and cruise control. There are also six riding modes on offer, and everything can be controlled via a 5-inch TFT touch screen unit, equipped with Ducati Multimedia system, bluetooth connectivity, and of course turn-by-turn navigation in case you’re lost on an exploration ride.
Needless to say, with the hefty price tag the Ducati DesertX Rally isn’t going to be for everyone. Even more so if you’re someone who has a fear of heights, since the 910 mm seat height isn’t going to do you any favours.
