DOSSIER

DUCATI

Ducati DesertX Rally. Test, price and technical sheet

In 2019, Ducati showed its first design of the DesertX trail bike at the EICMA show in Milan, then created on the basis of the Scrambler 1100. In 2022, this trail model went on sale, already with its own scheme and with the Testatretta 11º engine, designed with a spirit of special emphasis on its performance qualities in the field, but without losing sight of the Ducati sports “cuore” of good trail on the road.

In these two years in Borgo Panigale they have put their "light" into showing that the The 5-time World Champion has competed in events such as the Bassella Race and also in others such as the hard enduro prologue of the Erzberg Race.

Ducati has also seen that many DesertX owners have prepared them and even transformed them to make them more rugged. Thus the question arose: why not offer that “enduring” motorcycle that they want as standard? To give an affirmative response to this market demand, the Rally version project was born.

A variant that maintains the same skeleton of the DesertX, but “camperized” especially in its new Kayaba suspensions, using components mounted on dirt and enduro bikes, and that for the first time are installed on a trail.

TOP DAMPING...A closed cartridge KYB fork has been installed in the front axle, which has the oil inside the cartridges pressurized to avoid cavitations. The 48 mm bars have a DLC surface coating and the bottles have “Kashima Coating” treatment. The travel has increased by 20 mm to 250 mm and is adjustable in two ways. A fork that is anchored to machined aluminum seat posts - cast in standard.

And a high “enduro” fender is attached to it to avoid accumulating mud like on the bottom of the standard one. In the rear, the aluminum swingarm has an anchorage on the chassis located in a different place than the standard DesertX and a KYB shock absorber adjustable in three ways and preload, with a larger 46 mm piston. Rear wheel travel increases by 20 mm, up to 240 mm.

The ground clearance rises to 280 mm, 30 mm more than in the X, with the underbody covered by a carbon fiber skid plate. Therefore, it raises the seat height to 910 mm (+35 mm), a one-piece saddle instead of the two-piece one on the “base” X - it was offered as an extra on the standard one.

In the cockpit we find that another steering damper is now mounted, in this case an adjustable Öhlins. Another novelty is that we have a bar/support to place a mobile device or GPS, located above the instrumentation, which is still the 5” TFT screen shaped like a mobile phone, positioned vertically.

The body reveals a new decoration with stickers, not painted. And the pedals are made of aluminum, lighter and more robust to shocks than the steel ones of the X.

The rims are now Takasago Excel, DID on the standard, for use with a tube - tubeless on the X -, more robust and lighter (500 grams less) thanks to new machined hubs and centered carbon steel spokes. The tires are fitted as standard with the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR, although the Scorpion Trail II and Scorpion Rally are also approved.

The DesertX Rally weighs just one kilo more than the standard model, according to the brand.

110 HP ENGINE...The Rally engine is the same as the standard version, with a maximum power of 110 HP at 9,250 rpm, and a maximum torque of 92 Nm at 6,500 rpm, to which is added a 35 HP version. KW for A2 permit holders.

It has been adapted to off-road use with other gear ratios and the retouching of the Rally management map and the recalibration of the traction control in this way.

It has six driving modes: four road modes, Sport, Touring, Urban, and Wet, plus two "off road", Enduro, Rally, each offering a different ABS setting, with corner assistance, by the way, cruise control. traction, and antiwheelie.

The "most powerful" maps are Sport and Rally, in which 110 HP and electronic aids are available with the least intervention. In Rally mode, which is the one that can be used the most with this bike, the power delivery is in immediate mode, the anti-wheelie is not active, the traction control and the ABS have off settings, and both can even be disconnected. The option Enduro limits the power to 75 HP, with a quick response to the gas, and the traction control is quite active, with the ABS operating in off-road mode, with less intervention, and can be disconnected.

In the Touring we have 95 HP, with smooth power delivery and maximum intervention in the traction control and anti-wheelie. Urban mode is like Touring but the power is limited to 75, just like Rain mode, which has a "Low" reaction to the gas, with all the electronics working at full capacity.

In addition, we can regulate the power in four power modes: Full, High, Medium and Low. The Full offers 110 HP and the High delivers 95 HP with a smoother response. The “Medium” Mode closes the power to 75 HP with a direct response to the gas unlike the “Low” Mode which also offers 75 HP but with a softer acceleration response.

A gibberish typical of these modern trails that, at first, impose, but as soon as you use the motorcycle, you choose what you want, you have many motorcycles in one and you enjoy the options it has. All managed through the TFT screen.

Of course, it is not entirely comfortable to use the menu and submenu for each function, nor is the selection button completely effective, especially if we want to see/change something while in progress.

MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS...To Morocco, in the surroundings of Marrakech, we have come to have the first contact with this "Ducatona" Rally.

A motorcycle with an impressive aesthetic, although I still don't like the rear. But she has a charm and, like a good Italian, she tricks you. By the way, the test units fitted extras such as the side fenders, the radiator protective grille, and the more tready Pirelli Scorpion Rally rubber. Regarding the decoration with adhesives, the brand says that it has chosen this to facilitate those who want to decorate their motorcycle with their own design and, in case of a fall, it is easier to repair since there is no need to paint.

I like the control position, although it is undeniable, it is high in the seat and therefore uncomfortable for those under 1.70 m, the low seat of the standard XC can be mounted. Above all, if we use the motorcycle daily in the city, with many stops, things become complicated. But you already know: if we want terrain, we need to raise the motorcycle so that it rubs less easily with the ground/obstacles.

Sitting on the Rally, the seat has good comfort, both in terms of padding and shape, and we find a narrow handlebar, with high tips, on which, by the way, there is little room to put a cell phone clamp/holder or similar. On the other hand, the Rally does have the support that was demanded in the standard X, above the instrumentation, to place, for example, a GPS.

Since we are talking about the instrumentation, it is "cool" and modern, although small and not entirely easy to see, both due to its vertical arrangement of the graphics and the size of what is seen. And standing up, the screen is somewhat vertical and it is difficult to see it. The ignition key is not keyless - fewer possible problems if it fails in "lost destinations" - and starting up is comfortable. Not so much, as I mentioned, choosing functions, engine configuration options... The processes to do it have to be internalized and learned, but once done, everything is fine.

The first part of the route we rode on the road, until we reached the slopes. The Rally, even though it is taller than the "normal" X, has very consistent dynamics. Both for the engine, with a brutal sound and very sporty thrust, and for the work of the change with an exquisite gearing - it is no longer difficult to find the neutral point, as if it happened in the X. A mechanism that retains a lot and, therefore, allows you not to have to overuse the brakes in daily use.

In curved areas it appears very stable and agile, sporty, although it is clear that when braking, with a higher fork height, it sinks further from the front, but without transmitting any sensation of flailing/lack of poise. Everything flows naturally and asks to give it a try because the bike responds sensationally. I think the steering and geometry of the chassis are correct, combining comfort with rigidity in good relational proportions.

For traveling kilometers the Let it be noted that the visibility of this dome is very good. And you can also miss the heated grips/seat that other rivals do have. What it does have is cruise control that works supremely.

OFF ROAD...The work achieved in the off-road dynamics of the motorcycle is highly applauded. How well it is going in the field! thanks, especially to the suspension it has.

The assembly of the Kayaba “off” suspension works miracles as they have achieved a superb setting to ride forcefully with a motorcycle that in running order exceeds 220 kilos. Supreme front feel, with praiseworthy absorption capacity and good compression feel, without excess rebound.

With the quality of also having a good fork on the road that does not camber excessively during braking and does not extend abruptly during acceleration.

It allows you to go fast, feeling the front wheel a lot in the field, also confident in the rigidity provided by the 48 mm bars, to which is added the great work of the Öhlins shock absorber. With other trails I end up with my shoulders and arms somewhat loaded, especially from skidding the bike and counter-steering.

With this you finish the route like a “pichi” and more rested than with other trails, even going at a fast pace. With the steering very well established, to be very safe. Added to this is the work of the shock absorber that provides solid and comfortable absorption, reporting a lot of traction.

The reality is that the fork, with its 48 mm bars, is capable of handling the field as well as the road and in both scenarios the response is "sensational." Nothing to object or rather little, such as the fact that to adjust it you have to do it with the screwdriver, and depending on where the day is placed under the handlebars, it costs more or less.

At the rear, it is appreciated to have a Kayaba shock absorber that reacts so solid and settled, with as much regulation as possible, including the preload, although some perhaps wanted it, for the price of the bike, with some possible electronic regulation.

Brutal! With a powerful, forceful engine that sounds with a murmur that captivates. In Rally mode, at full power with 110 HP, disconnecting the ABS traction control, which allows it, we rode on the tracks of Morocco, dusty and in stony areas, with spectacular clarity of ideas.

Of course, the engine leaves vibrations felt, somewhat tiring. Third, fourth... it endures everything without complaining, it runs its own way, traction is very good and, thanks to the suspension, it has good power transmission to the ground. Helped by some Pirelli Rally tires that I like and that have given me confidence on the dry and rocky Moroccan tracks.

The braking is also brutal, on both axles, by touch and bite, enjoying the Rally mode with the disconnection of the ABS and, having also removed, the traction control.

And I insist on highlighting the operation of the gearbox and quickshifter, fast, precise and always valid, even at low revs. I'm not much of a quickshifter with field boots because, sometimes, you shift accidentally, especially with my size 46 boot. But it doesn't happen on the DesertX Rally that the gear comes in how and when I want, low or high engine revs.

The ability they have had to make a very off-road package with the Rally deserves applause for Ducati. Another thing is to assess whether the more than 22,000 euros are worth the outlay to get us into trouble.

THE LEAST FAVORABLE... They have corrected in this Rally many of the things that the customer complained about in the DesertX, such as having support for GPS, high fenders for off-road use and not breaking the bottom with mud, a more lustrous aesthetic. ..

There are other things that have not amended it. For example, the kickstand - uncomfortable to put on and leaves the bike uncomfortable - can still be improved, and this is different from the one on the . The aforementioned seat height can be a handicap for many, although it has a solution, with the seat low - although this solution requires spending - but the motorcycle is high, very high. Which is good, for example, in dunes, and other places that height, but...

Access to the air filter that still requires removing the tank; It is noticeable that the design has been done by a field department, although it is true that the pandemic, and delays in material production deliveries, took away the assembly of the plastic tank, as initially planned, leaving the metal one like the one chosen for the series.

A tank whose shape does not allow a tank bag to be placed properly, not even with those supports that are fixed to the tank cap, since it is displaced to the right side of the tank.

In any case, it is a captivating trail, among the best to use in the field, in trail mode, or trail/enduro with the logic of a motorcycle of this volume. Seeing Meo carry it is one thing and it's another thing for the "mundanes" to carry it.

DATA SHEET:

Price: €22,595;

ENGINE--Type: 4T, 2 cyl. , liquid refrigeration; Bore x stroke: 94 x 67.5mm; Displacement: 937 cc; Compression: 13.3:1; Max power dec.: 81 kW (110 HP) at 9,250 rpm; Max torque dec.: 92 Nm at 6,500 rpm; Sec. transmission: Chain; Gear: 6 ratios;

CYCLE PART--Chassis: Tubular trellis in steel; Geometry: 27.6º / 122 mm; Front/rear suspension: Kayaba/Showa inverted fork; Kayaba monoshock; Front/rear brake: Double 320 disc/265 mm disc; Wheels: 90/90-21”/ 150/70-18”; Tank capacity: 21 liters; Wheelbase: 1,625 mm; Seat height: 910 mm; Ground clearance: 280 mm; Weight: 211 kg.

Reporter: Santi Ayala