It was a great Saturday as we unloaded and assembled two freshly arrived Fantic Rally 450 bikes, shipped straight from Italy. After completing the minor assembly and unlocking race mode during the pre-delivery inspection, we were eager to get them out on our short-course rally track.
Although these weren’t the Factory Edition models, they looked and felt ready to perform. We took them for a test ride with a group of experienced riders — including friends, semi-pro racers, and veterans of the rally scene.
Initial impressions were very positive. The suspension felt well-balanced and responsive. The overall dynamics were surprisingly close to an enduro-style bike, giving riders the confidence to push through turns and tackle obstacles comfortably.
We logged top speed of 163 km on gravel with full tank weight of 30L, and even without a steering damper, the bike stayed impressively stable during top-speed test runs. Fuel consumption was reasonable, and interestingly, the Rally 450 felt more powerful than the standard XEF 450 Enduro, despite the extra weight.
The 5-speed gearbox impressed us — each gear delivered strong torque across the rev range, and the high-end performance was addictive. You could clearly hear from the engine note when you were near the limit, but it still had more to give when you pushed further.
We’re excited to see how these bikes perform in next year’s national rally competitions. We also hope to launch Rally 450-based moto tours in the near future.
Big thanks to Fantic for developing such a capable and well-priced rally machine.
— Fantic Mongolia