Ducati Somehow Made the DesertX V2 More Capable Off-Road For 2027

The standard Ducati DesertX V2 is an incredibly capable machine. But the new 2027 Ducati DesertX Rally goes above and beyond.

Photo by: Ducati

By: Jonathon Klein

Nov 6, at 7:02am ET

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If pressed, I don't think I could tell you one big change I'd make on Ducati's frankly stellar DesertX V2. It was, in all estimations, a perfect machine, one that enamored me to no end during my trek across Iceland with the brand's Expedition Masters program.

It survived sharp volcanic sands, countless glacial river crossings, disgustingly slopy mud pits, ever-shifting sand depths, and most of all, a handful of riders who thought they were hotshit at the start of the event and rapidly got humbled through each successive day.

About the only thing I'd change would be the exhaust, and that was only because we managed to dislodge the silencer one day after a particularly hard landing while jumping it. And I'm not saying I'd change the exhaust to fix anything; it just sounded rowdy as hell, and I really dug its tone.

Yet, Ducati apparently wasn't satisfied with its off-road prowess. The Borgo-Panigale company wanted more. It wanted to build the best DesertX it could. Allow me to introduce the 2027 Ducati DesertX Rally, a motorcycle that could possibly be the best adventure bike ever built.

Gallery: 2027 Ducati DesertX Rally

Source: Ducati

Much of the new DesertX Rally remains the same compared to its standard-in-name-only sibling, as it remains powered by the 890cc V2 twin engine. Power remains at 108 horsepower and 68 pounds-foot of torque, which, after my own experience, is more than enough. You can, however, coax out a few more Italian ponies if you opt for the Termignoni exhaust—which I highly recommend. The frame is the same, the looks are pretty similar, and the 4.76-gallon fuel tank is also the same, as is the optional extra 2-gallon reserve tank.

So where does the DesertX Rally differentiate from its standard sibling? In the hardware that takes this already stupid-capable off-roader to new off-road heights.

First and foremost, this bike gets all-new suspension. According to the brand, the DesertX Rally sees the standard suspension changed to a 48 mm closed-cartridge KYB fork. That change now gives riders offers damn-near 10 inches of travel at the front. But it's more than that, as the fork is adjustable for compression and rebound, and done so through Ducati's quick compression adjustments that "allow its response to be rapidly tailored to different riding conditions" on the fly. Basically, if I had need to soften things up during my hour-long ride through baby-head boulders, I could've just pulled over, spent exactly 20 seconds fiddling with it, and then kept riding.

The forks also get a Kashima DLC coating for smoother operation and ensuring the forks can keep up with any terrain, or weather and dirt, you encounter on your adventures. And an Ohlins adjustable steering damper is standard.

2027 Ducati DesertX Rally

Photo by: Ducati

You get similar adjustments and changes at the rear, too, with a KYB rear monoshock that now features a "Full Floater linkage system" for another near 10 inches of travel, while offering a more "smooth, progressive response." It, too, is also fully adjustable for high and low-speed compression, rebound, and preload. I'd call all of this adjustability

Dial-A-Ride if I were Ducati, but no one has ever mistaken me for a marketer.

The Rally package is rounded out with 21- and 18-inch Takasago Excel wheels, both of which are shod in Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires for reduced weight, increased strength, and because they're tubeless, so you don't have to worry about getting a flat in the middle of nowhere and the tube being the issue—Hi, off-roaders fixing flats in Iceland!

What all these small adjustments amount to, however, is a motorcycle that's likely more capable than just about every single one of its riders, as it's a motorcycle designed to go anywhere, anytime. Moreover, it's not as expensive as you'd think a Ducati of this magnitude would be.

What do you think?

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Comments

MSRP for the 2027 Ducati DesertX Rally is just $19,995. For all the kit you get, all the capability that's in this machine, you'd be hard-pressed to find something as good that's on its way to Dakar for likely double or triple the money. In my opinion, that's a bargain, at least if you enjoy going around the world and never having an issue and being confident enough to climb literal mountains.

Who's got $20k I can borrow?