Ducati DesertX Rally Deliveries Commence in India, First Unit Delivered in Delhi

Ducati India has begun deliveries of the DesertX Rally on our shores. The first unit went to a buyer in Delhi, with other regions to follow. Priced at Rs 23.71 lakh (ex-showroom) in India, the Ducati DesertX Rally is an off-road-focused premium middleweight adventure tourer, and is offered in a single variant. 

Compared to the standard DesertX, the DesertX Rally gets a new Iron Giant livery to stand itself apart. It also sports a taller front mudguard and new graphics. However, the main change for the Rally over its standard counterpart is its dedicated off-road suspension setup as found on motocross and enduro bikes. The suspension setup consists of a 48mm front fork (with 250mm wheel travel) and a rear monoshock (with 240mm wheel travel), both with full adjustability and sourced from KYB. Thanks to 20mm more travel at both ends, the DesertX Rally offers increased ground clearance, which stands at 280mm. 

Also Read: Ducati DesertX Rally Launched in India at Rs 23.71 Lakh, Deliveries to Begin Next Month

Ducati DesertX Rally: Brakes, Tyres

Coming to the braking hardware, the front section features twin 320mm discs with Brembo M50 monobloc radial callipers, while the rear end packs a single 265mm rotor with a Brembo double-piston floating calliper. The discs come mounted on lighter (yet stronger) Takasago Excel wire-spoked wheels, measuring 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear.

The wheels are wrapped in 90-section front and 150-section rear Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres. They are tube-type tyres against the tubeless ones on the standard Ducati DesertX. Other bits include machined front fork clamps and gear pedals, as well as an Ohlins steering damper. 

Ducati DesertX Rally: Weight, Seat Height

Despite the upgrades and weight savings, the Rally variant weighs 1 kilogram more than the standard DesertX. The Rally tips the scales at 211 kilograms without fuel. With fuel, this number increases by around 4 kilograms. The Rally's seat height is 910mm, up from 875mm on the standard model. 

Ducati DesertX Rally: Engine, Output

However, both the DesertX and the DesertX Rally remain mechanically related. They draw power from a 937cc Ducati Testastretta L-Twin liquid-cooled engine tuned to produce 108bhp at 9,250rpm and 92Nm of peak torque at 6,500rpm. Transmission duties are taken care of by a 6-speed gearbox.

Ducati DesertX Rally: Features, Rider Aids

Like the standard DesertX, the new Rally variant features full-LED lighting and a five-inch TFT display with Bluetooth, among other things. The electronic aids include four power settings (Full, High, Medium, and Low), six riding modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet, Rally, and Enduro), Bosch IMU, engine brake control, traction control, wheelie control, bidirectional quickshifter, and cornering ABS (anti-lock braking system). 

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At its price, the new Rally variant is about Rs 5.40 lakh more expensive than the DesertX. In terms of market competition, the bike rivals the BMW R 1250 GS Pro and others.