Why I Sold My Ducati DesertX Rally – An Honest Long-Term Review

 

It might come as a surprise — even to myself — but I decided to sell my Ducati DesertX Rally.

This short write-up serves as a long-term review explaining why I sold the bike and what ultimately contributed to that decision.

Why I Bought the DesertX Rally

Let’s start at the beginning.

The DesertX Rally was marketed as a true rally-inspired adventure bike, featuring:

• High-end closed-cartridge suspension

• 240 mm of suspension travel

• Heavier-duty wheels

• A premium electronics package

From the outset, I knew the Ducati would be expensive — the price is undeniably high. That said, the fit and finish are excellent, and the electronics package is among the best in the adventure bike segment.

After a (too short) test ride, I decided to buy it. The bike felt noticeably lighter than my previous KTM 1290, and the engine immediately impressed me. The L-twin produces around 110 horsepower and is genuinely fun and engaging to ride.

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Real-World Use: Alps & TET Routes

Fast forward to the summer of 2024. I took the DesertX Rally to the Alps, riding primarily TET routes. Like most of my trips, I travel with camping gear — so luggage capacity and off-road stability matter a lot.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to properly test my luggage setup beforehand. The Alps trip was a last-minute decision.

On the road, the bike handled luggage without any issues. Off-road, however, things changed significantly.

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Suspension Issues Off-Road

The biggest problem was the rear suspension.

On uneven terrain, the rear shock would bounce excessively and run deep into its stroke. Despite adjusting preload and compression, I couldn’t prevent it from bottoming out when riding off-road with luggage.

This had a knock-on effect:

• The soft rear made the front feel light

• Front-end feedback on dirt was poor

• Confidence suffered, especially at speed

For a bike at this price point — and one marketed as having top-tier suspension — I found it unacceptable to still need a suspension reconfiguration.

As a result, I rode the bike far less than I should have. It spent months sitting in the garage.

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The Breaking Point

In 2025, I entered an amateur rally in Belgium.

During the event, I bent the front rim.

That was the proverbial last drop. I’ve ridden and abused many adventure bikes — far more aggressively — and never bent a rim before. Experiencing this on a Rally-spec bike was deeply disappointing.

At that point, I decided to sell the DesertX Rally. I simply didn’t want to invest more money into it.

Don’t get me wrong: it’s one of the prettiest and most capable bikes I’ve ever owned — but it requires deep pockets.

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Ownership Reality: Who Is This Bike For?

This bike makes sense if:

• You don’t plan on wrenching yourself

• You rely on the dealer network

• You want premium electronics and finish

If you’re a hands-on rider — a bit of a grease monkey like me — it’s less ideal.

Off-road riding inevitably involves maintenance and repairs. Not being able to work on the bike yourself without risking warranty issues simply didn’t work for me.

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Pros & Cons Summary

❌ Cons

• Suspension too soft for real off-road use (despite marketing claims)

• High price point makes you think twice about riding it hard

• Fragile rims

• Limited ability to wrench without warranty concerns

• Expensive Desmodromic valve maintenance

✅ Pros

• Excellent electronics

• Fantastic engine

• Good weight balance and stability

• Stunning looks

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Final Thoughts

The Ducati DesertX Rally is an impressive machine, but for my riding style and expectations, it didn’t fully deliver where it mattered most. I don’t regret owning it — but I also don’t regret selling it.

Sometimes, the idea of a bike and the reality of ownership simply don’t align.

Range Rover P38 EAS FAS Kit – Manual Air Suspension Backup Explained

Some time ago, I purchased a so-called FAS kit from a Spanish company.

This system allows you to continue using the Electronic Air Suspension (EAS) even in the event of a failure of certain EAS components, including:

• The compressor

• Height sensors

• Valve block

• EAS ECU

• Timer relay

The main goal of the kit is to allow manual control of the air suspension by supplying air directly to the individual air springs or the air tank using an external compressor.

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How the FAS Kit Works

The kit consists of five Schrader valves, which means the system can even be operated using a simple hand pump or foot pump if needed. This makes it an extremely practical solution when travelling off-grid or in remote locations.

In my case, the air suspension has been fully rebuilt and is currently working perfectly. However, when venturing further away from civilization, this setup provides an extra safety net — a way to keep moving even if the factory EAS electronics decide to call it a day.

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Limitations

Of course, if an air spring itself ruptures, the trip is over regardless. That’s the one failure scenario this system cannot mitigate.

That said, since my suspension airbags are new, I don’t expect any issues anytime soon.

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Final Thoughts

For anyone running a Range Rover P38 with EAS and planning remote travel, a FAS kit is a smart addition. It doesn’t replace proper maintenance, but it does provide peace of mind — and sometimes, that’s exactly what keeps an adventure going.

Installing a Larger Volume Intercooler on the Range Rover P38 (BMW M51)

It took a while, but I finally got around to installing a larger volume intercooler on the Range Rover P38.

I ordered the unit as a Britpart replacement, although it appears the actual manufacturer is Serck Motorsport.

When the intercooler arrived, the weather was poor and I was short on time — which, in hindsight, wasn’t ideal. As expected, the installation turned out to be anything but straightforward, especially when done in a hurry.

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Preparation and Removal

For easier access, I decided to drain the cooling system, which is highly recommended for this job. While doing so, I also removed the right-hand radiator support bracket that bolts to the chassis. This creates much-needed space to manoeuvre the intercooler into position.

Because this upgraded intercooler is thicker and shaped differently compared to the OEM unit, the original mounting points cannot be reused. On top of that, the fit is extremely tight.

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Intercooler and Oil Cooler Installation

Once the intercooler was positioned, I reinstalled the radiator. Due to the increased thickness of the intercooler, the engine oil cooler now has to be mounted above the intercooler instead of below it.

With everything loosely in place, I marked the mounting points and drilled new holes in the side support pillars to secure both the intercooler and the oil cooler. To improve clearance, I added a 3 mm thick washer behind the intercooler.

The vertical position of the intercooler is largely dictated by the oil cooler, as it sits just below the top of the radiator. Positioned this way, the intercooler hoses line up properly with both the turbo outlet and the intake piping. One important thing to watch out for is clearance on the left-hand side near the washer bottle filler neck.

For now, I used self-tapping screws to secure everything. I may replace these with proper bolts and nuts at a later stage.

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Results and Driving Impressions

So, does it make a difference?

First of all, I discovered that the old intercooler was leaking, which meant I was losing boost pressure. That alone justified the upgrade.

I haven’t driven the car extensively yet, as the transfer case still needs attention. However, even from limited driving, the engine feels stronger at lower RPM, and throttle response seems improved.

I also noticed that the engine is running cooler. That said, I did clean the radiator while the coolant was drained, so that likely contributed as well.

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Final Thoughts

Overall, I’m very happy with the result. Once the drivetrain issues are sorted, I may experiment with a slight increase in boost pressure to extract a bit more power — nothing extreme.

But first things first:
the transfer case, ball joints, and panhard rod bushes 😏😐😂
That’s a job for another time.

Choosing the Right Tyres for a Range Rover P38: Why I Went with 265/70 R16

For quite some time, I’ve been looking for tyres that offer better off-road performance for the Range Rover P38, without committing to a full mud-terrain setup.

In my use case, mud-terrain tyres would only see limited off-road mileage. That makes them noisy, heavy and unnecessary for everyday driving. Instead, I was looking for a tyre that sits between an all-terrain and a mud-terrain: aggressive enough off-road, yet still civilised and predictable on the road.

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Initial Tyre Options Considered

My first shortlist included several well-known and proven options:

• Falken Wildpeak AT3

• Toyo Open Country AT3

• Kumho Road Venture MT51

On paper, all of these tyres are solid choices for mixed on- and off-road use. The real limitation, however, turned out to be availability and correct sizing. Either the tyres were not available at all, or not offered in the specific size I was targeting for the P38.

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Why 265/70 R16 Makes Sense on a P38

The target tyre size for this setup was 265/70 R16.

This size offers an excellent balance for a largely standard Range Rover P38:

• Increased ground clearance compared to the factory size

• No need for body trimming or suspension modifications

• Works well with the original drivetrain and gearing

• Maintains good road manners and reliability

In practical terms, moving from the original ~29-inch tyre to a ~31-inch tyre noticeably improves off-road capability without introducing the downsides that come with oversized tyres.

If you want to verify how different tyre sizes translate to real-world diameter, clearance and speedometer deviation, you can use my P38 Tyre Size Calculator here:

👉 P38 Range Rover Tire size calculator page

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Final Choice: Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx

After searching for quite a while, I eventually found a tyre that ticked all the boxes:

Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx – 265/70 R16 121/118Q, 10PR, M+S, POR

This tyre sits firmly in the aggressive all-terrain category and is clearly aimed at heavier vehicles like the P38. Key characteristics include:

• Strong and predictable off-road traction

• Reinforced carcass and sidewalls

• Excellent durability for mixed on- and off-road use

While it’s technically still an all-terrain tyre, it’s very much on the tougher end of the spectrum — which is exactly what I was looking for on a heavy 4x4 like the Range Rover P38.

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Fitment and Expected Results

The tyres will be mounted on the original 16-inch alloy wheels, which will first be painted black to complete the overall look.

This setup should provide:

• A clear improvement in off-road capability

• No negative impact on drivability or comfort

• A clean, factory-plus appearance

Overall, it’s a well-balanced upgrade that suits how the P38 is actually used, rather than chasing tyre sizes or specifications for the sake of it.

Ducati Desert X Rally new decals

 I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Kind of a pain in the b*t to apply but it's good enough for me.

Range Rover P38 Transfer Case Failure – Diagnosis and Replacement Plan

After only 1,000 km, the transfer case on the Range Rover P38 started making a significant amount of noise.

Initially, I suspected an engine-related issue, as the noise appeared to come from the front of the vehicle. After further investigation, however, it became clear that the transfer case (TC) was the real culprit.

Before reaching that conclusion, I even considered the gearbox as a possible cause. To rule that out, I replaced the gearbox oil and filter twice — without any improvement.

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Confirming the Transfer Case Failure

The real confirmation came when I drained the oil from the transfer case.

The condition of the oil immediately raised red flags:

• The oil looked heavily contaminated

• Metal particles were present

• The small internal mesh filter was completely clogged

At that point, it was obvious that the transfer case was the source of the problem.

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Finding a Replacement Transfer Case

Fortunately, I managed to find a second-hand transfer case. That did require a four-hour drive to pick it up and bring it home — but sometimes that’s the price you pay for the right part.

Of course, there was still some doubt in the back of my mind:
What if I install this unit and it turns out to be just as bad?

To avoid that risk, I sent the replacement transfer case to a specialist company capable of inspecting its internal condition.

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Good News at Last

Yesterday, I received the verdict — and it couldn’t have been better.

The transfer case was described as “brand new on the inside”, showing no signs of wear and requiring no rebuild or additional work.

That was a huge relief.

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What’s Next

With a confirmed good replacement unit ready to go, the next step is straightforward:

• Remove the old, failed transfer case

• Install the replacement unit

• Finally get the P38 back on the road

After a string of setbacks, it’s great to have something go smoothly for once.

More updates soon 👊

P38 Borg Wagner
transfer case

Rear bumper and spare wheel carrier

Finally finished the installation of the rear bumper and carrier. 💪