2024 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
Desert Racer With Street Papers
The DesertX Rally is the DesertX in its most hardcore, competition-inspired form, and every part of it points away from the pavement. The 937 cc Testastretta 11° L-twin makes 110 hp and 68 lb-ft. The real story sits underneath: a closed-cartridge 48 mm (1.9 in) KYB fork and a fully adjustable shock, with 9.8 in (250 mm) of travel up front and 9.4 in (240 mm) at the rear. Add a 21-inch front wheel, 11.0 in (279 mm) of ground clearance and a steel trellis frame, and you get a big-twin adventure bike that carries itself more like a motocross machine than a road-biased tourer. Few bikes in the class look the part this convincingly.
On the road it stays agile and composed. The electronics are complete: cornering ABS, traction and wheelie control, ride modes, cruise control and a two-way quickshifter. A steering damper is also standard. That combination makes it more than a desert toy. It is for experienced riders who want serious terrain on the menu without dreading the interstate miles to get there. The honest caveat is physical. A 35.8 in (910 mm) seat and 496 lb (225 kg) wet mean you need long legs, real off-road skill, or ideally both. There is no center stand either, so looking after the chain on the road takes more effort.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 110 hp (81 kW) @ 9,250 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 68 lb-ft (92 Nm) @ 6,500 rpm |
| Displacement | 937 cc |
| Engine | L-twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 90/90-21 |
| Rear tire | 150/70-18 |
| Ground clearance | 11.0 in (279 mm) |
| Front travel | 9.8 in (250 mm) |
| Rear travel | 9.4 in (240 mm) |
| Seat height | 35.8 in (910 mm) |
| Wet weight | 496 lb (225 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.5 gal (21 L) |
| Fuel economy | 42 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
This picture comes from years of listening to DesertX Rally owners: conversations in the paddock, chats at club nights and trailheads, and the messages riders send me directly. The pattern is clear. Owners talk about it as a serious dirt machine first, and the complaints come in ones rather than as a chorus.
Riders consistently describe off-road ability at competition level. Deep sand, rocky ground and jumps keep coming up, and owners say the bike stays poised through all of it. The suspension gets the same praise for control and plushness in the dirt, and riders say it keeps working without fading when they ride it hard. The Testastretta twin earns real affection for its smooth, torque-rich character, on pavement and off. Owners also point to the carbon skid plate, the Öhlins damper and the machined footpegs as evidence of genuine fit and finish.
Each of the complaints comes from only a few riders. The stock screen is said to send turbulent air at highway speed, which wears on long days. The jump from second to third can feel too tall off-road, which means extra clutch work. Some owners also feel the price sits well above rival adventure bikes without giving them more practicality in return.
Where this Ducati DesertX Rally pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the DesertX Rally is actually built for.
This is the one to take to Moab. The long-travel KYB suspension and 11.0 in of clearance thrive on technical ground, but at 496 lb you need the skills to match.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
It handles scenic back roads well and holds a steady highway pace on cruise control. If you never leave the pavement, though, the tall, dirt-first setup is more bike than you need.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
Riding solo, it will cover big park-to-park days on a 5.5 gal tank. Two-up with full luggage isn't what it's built for. The tall seat and dirt focus suit a lone rider.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Ducati DesertX Rally. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2023
The Expedition-Ready Mile Eater
Roughly $3,400 cheaper used than this bike at 2 yr
Competitor · 2021–2024
Top-Shelf Tech, Proven Dirt Bite
Roughly $6,600 cheaper used than this bike at 2 yr
Same Platform · 2022–2025
Ducati Soul, Real Dirt
Roughly $3,300 cheaper used than this bike at 1 yr