READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD

Not one to stand still for a second longer than absolutely necessary, Ducati have upped the adventure bike ante once again with the DesertX Rally, a higher-spec and genuinely race-capable development of the excellent DesertX

- Adam Child 'Chad'

THE RALLY IS TRULY A DESERTX on steroids, a road-legal ready-to-race bike with beefed-up, long-travel KYB suspension and little in terms of componentry and intent to separate it from the machine that won the twin-cylinder class of the recent Iron Road Prologue at the Erzbergrodeo. Its styling cues shift somewhat from desert raider to enduro-note the high-mount front mud-guard-while paintless "mass-colored" plastics and a forged carbon bash-plate signal a tougher and more durable machine expected to take a few hits.

Like the base DesertX, the Rally is powered by the eminently versatile 937-cc Testastretta II L-twin that produces 10 hp at 9,250 rpm and 92 Nm at 6,500 rpm. Ducati's DQS quick-shifter is standard and service intervals are every two years or every 15,000 kilometres, with valve clearance checks at 30,000 km. On the electronics front, there are six riding modes perming from four power modes, three levels of engine braking, eight traction control settings, three levels of cornering ABS, and switchable wheelie control. Thus, plenty to play with.

I had not ridden a DesertX for six months but, on our twoday test in the wilds of Morocco, the new Rally felt instantly familiar, with easy-to-understand switchgear and those myriad modes and rider aids at my fingertips. In the congested streets of Marrakesh, I selected Urban mode, then opted for Sport mode on the asphalt road out of town and, when we hit the dusty trails, Enduro followed by the full power Rally mode as the pace got hotter. All done, thank you very much, in a moment and on the move, eyes still on the view ahead.