Ducati Monster and DesertX To Get V-2

Both will ditch the 937cc desmo for Ducati’s new 890cc engine.

Ducati’s latest “V2” engine that now powers the Multistrada V2, Panigale V2, and Streetfighter V2, will find its way into the DesertX and Monster ranges for 2026.Ducati

When Ducati launched its new generation of V-twin engine last year—initially for the Multistrada V2, Panigale V2, and Streetfighter V2—it broke with decades of tradition in multiple ways. Not only was the desmodromic valve train that’s been a cornerstone of Ducati twins since the 1970s consigned to the trash, but the new engine lacked an evocative name. Instead of Superquadro, Testastretta, or Desmoquattro we simply got “V2,” which is a clear indication that this will be Ducati’s only V-twin engine at some point in the foreseeable future.

The V-2 already powers the 2025 Multistrada V2.Ducati

For the moment, there are still others. The desmo-valved twin lives on as the liquid-cooled 937cc Testastretta 11° in the Monster range, the Hypermotard 950, and the DesertX, as well as the air-cooled two-valve 803cc and 1079cc motors in the Scrambler range. But the latest emissions rules and the economies of scale to be found from building just one engine means those older motors are living on borrowed time, with the Testastretta 11° first in the firing line.

The current Monster range still uses the old 937cc desmo engine.Ducati

Confirmation that the new 890cc V-2 engine will appear in the 2026 Monster, Monster+, and DesertX has emerged in a new filing from Ducati lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Manufacturers are required to provide documents to the NHTSA that show how to decode the VINs used on their bikes, explaining what each part of the 17-character alphanumeric code means, and the latest Ducati VIN decoder reveals the plans for the 890cc V-2 DesertX and Monster models.

The new V-2 engine does away with the desmodromic valvetrain in favor of spring-controlled valves.Ducati

The existence of the 890cc 2026 DesertX is clearly revealed in a new entry in the “Engine Type” section of the VIN, which is the seventh character. Ducati has already run through all the letters of the alphabet and the numbers 1 to 9 for its past and existing engines, so the 2026 DesertX’s motor reuses the letter “A” that was previously reserved for the old 399cc V-twin of the long-discontinued Monster 400. In the new VIN document, it’s revealed that in 2026, bikes with an “A” in the seventh spot will have an 890cc twin like the Panigale V2, Streetfighter V2, and Multistrada V2. The document says it “differs from 8 [the digit used for the Panigale V2 and Streetfighter V2’s engine] for gearbox dedicated for DesertX”—leaving no doubt at all as to the bike it’s going to appear in.

The Panigale V2 got the new engine for 2025.Ducati

A different section of the 2026 Ducati VIN decoder reveals the plan to use the 890cc V-2 in the next-generation Monster and Monster+. In this case it’s the sixth character that counts. That’s the character that reveals the model line of each bike, and starting in 2025 Ducati added the letter “U” for the Panigale V2, Multistrada V2, and Streetfighter V2, which are considered part of the same lineup thanks to their large number of shared components. For 2026, the VIN decoder document shows that the same letter U in the sixth position will be used on the Monster and Monster+ as well.

Like the Monster range the DesertX range will also get the latest V-2 engine.Ducati

That indicates that the next-generation Monster, as well as using the 120-hp 890cc “V2” V-twin with conventional spring valves rather than Desmo, variable intake valve timing, and an all-in weight that’s around 13 pounds lighter than the old Testastretta 11°, will share the same modular chassis design that debuted on the Multistrada V2, Streetfighter V2, and Panigale V2. Despite their very different styles, all those bikes use a similar semi-monocoque front chassis, with the engine as a fully structural rear section and a bolt-on steering head assembly to allow different geometries to be easily adopted. The next-gen DesertX, despite getting the same 890 V-2 engine, looks set to have a dedicated chassis of its own, reflecting that bike’s more serious approach to off-road use.

This one has springs!Ducati

The spread of the 890cc V-2 to the Monster and DesertX leaves just one model line in Ducati’s range without that engine: the Hypermotard 950. Ducati doesn’t have the luxury of simply continuing to make that bike unchanged for much longer, though, because its old 937cc Testastretta 11° engine isn’t certified to meet the latest Euro5+ emissions rules that came into force throughout Europe at the start of 2025. Under so-called “derogation” rules, manufacturers are allowed to sell end-of-life bikes that don’t meet the latest standards, but only for a limited time. With no appearance of a new 890cc version of the Hypermotard in the 2026 VIN decoder, it’s possible that Ducati is considering shrinking that model range, leaving the single-cylinder Hypermotard 698 Mono to hold the fort, at least until a new V-2-engined version can be developed.

Proof the DesertX will get the new engine.Ducati
Proof the Monster will get the new engine.Ducati

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