DUCATI DESERTX RALLY

Riding the most hardcore road-legal legal Adventure motorcycle there is here are motorcycles built to take you places—mile-munching ADVs that can cross continents with ease.

- ABHISHEK PANDEY

And then, there are bikes purpose-built to tackle extreme terrain. But what happens when you merge both worlds? You get the Ducati DesertX Rally. A souped-up, rally-bred version of the already capable DesertX, now with hardware straight out of a rally machine. But does it justify its nearly ₹5 lakh premium over the standard bike? Let's find out.

The DesertX has always been a head-turner. Its retro Dakar-inspired styling, twin-pod LED headlamps and that unmistakable Cagiva Elefant-style front end set it apart. The Rally builds on this with a taller stance, red-black rally seat, high-mounted mudguard, and graphics inspired by Antoine Meo’s Erzbergrodeo DesertX. The plastics are now mass-coloured and paint-less, making them more durable and better suited for hardcore off-road use. It honestly looks ready for the Dakar right out of the showroom.