2026 Ducati Monster V2 Review: No Desmo, New Engine, Same Attitude?

• New V2 engine replaces Ducati’s traditional desmo system, delivering 111bhp with improved flexibility and longer service intervals.
• Lighter chassis and accessible ergonomics make the Monster easier to ride than ever, appealing to a broader range of riders.
• Extensive electronics package includes riding modes, cornering ABS, traction control and a quickshifter as standard.

The Ducati Monster enters a new era for 2026, ditching desmodromic valves for the brand’s latest V2 engine. We head to Spain to see how the fifth-generation Monster stacks up in the real world.

By: Adam Child ‘Chad’ Photography: Alex Photo

If you were to sit down with a few mates and attempt to list the most important street-legal motorcycles of the last thirty years, where would you start? Yamaha R1? Honda Fireblade, maybe? Or perhaps, here, with the Ducati Monster.

This is, after all, the motorcycle that dragged Ducati back from the abyss back in 1992. Without it, you could argue, there would have been no 916, no Panigales, Multistradas, Hypermotards… It is also the machine that pretty much reinvented and reinvigorated the no-nonsense, no-fairing street bike. The original air-cooled desmo V-twin was as straightforward as it was boisterously good fun.   

A New Chapter for the Monster

And here we are in 2026 with the latest, fifth-generation Monster. There have been so many of the things in the intervening years – some entry-level, others track animals, most somewhere in between – but the focus once again is clearly on the street. On delivering a spirited and uncomplicated ride on the roads we ride every day.

Admittedly, that original formula of rugged air-cooled simplicity and trellis frame (taken from the 900SS, as memory serves) has long disappeared from the mix. And for the first time in the Monster’s 30-year history, its valves are spring-operated, not desmodromic, as Ducati’s all-purpose V2 replaces the long-running Testastretta V-twin.

The V2 now features in various tunes in the Multistrada V2, Panigale V2, Streetfighter V2 and upcoming Hypermotard. Its conventional valve train may offend the desmo faithful, but it’s still a 90-degree V-twin and, at just 120 lbs, incredibly light as well as compact.  

“For the first time in the Monster’s 30-year history, there are no desmodromic valves.”

Engine + Platform: No Desmo, New V2

Ducati has allotted the Monster the less sporty version, which churns out a claimed 111 hp at 9000 rpm and 67 ft-lb at 7250 rpm, leaving it fractionally down on top-end performance compared to its sportier Streetfighter sibling. Ducati’s variable valve timing system, Intake Variable Timing (IVT), brings flexibility right across the rev range, while the highly refined DQS 2.0 up-and-down quick-shifter is a standard fitment. Service intervals, meanwhile, go out to 27,000 miles for a valve clearance check, while an oil change is scheduled every two years/9000 miles.

With the V2 comes Ducati’s ubiquitous and minimalist aluminium monocoque chassis along with a without-fuel weight of just 175kg, some 4kg lighter than the outgoing Testastretta-powered bike.

The new Monster is as naked as the day it was born, too. Its big single headlight may be LED but remains true to its origins, while designer Galluzi’s distinctively muscular tank of old lives on in a more modern form (albeit with a modest 14 litre capacity). As you approach it, the bike looks light on its wheels. Up for a good time too. Just as a Monster should.    

Unfortunately, our test in southern Spain was hit by torrential rain that flooded roads and threatened to shut everything down. So fun riding was in short supply. But we still managed to venture out to at least get a flavour of the 2026 Monster.

On The Road: Easy, Agile and Surprisingly Refined

Priced at just under $22,463 + ORC and landing in NZ in Q2 of 2026, the new Monster carries a premium price tag for the class. And it’s a packed class, with outstanding performers like Yamaha’s MT-09 and Triumph’s new Trident 800. This is despite the Showa suspension being non-adjustable except for spring preload on the rear, and the brakes running lower-spec M4.32 calipers than the sharper M50 items found on the Streetfighter V2. 

On board, you’re greeted by a new 5.5-inch colour dash and the same neat and navigable switchgear shared with Ducati’s other V2s. Traditional one-piece bars shape you into a relaxed and neutral stance.  There are now four power modes and four riding modes to choose from: Sport, Road, Urban and Wet, with the latter two limiting peak power to 95hp.

These are easy to change on the move via a momentarily closed throttle, and each can be customised to suit your riding preferences. You could, for example, have the full stable of 111 horses in Wet mode rather than the prescribed 95, or remove the traction control and wheelie control in Sport mode. The extensive raft of rider aids features cornering ABS, Ducati Traction Control, Ducati Wheelie Control, Engine Brake Control and that Ducati quick-shifter, which can be deactivated.  All your settings remain saved, which is a welcome bonus.  

In a bid to appeal to both experienced riders as well as newer and shorter folk, Ducati has made the Monster as easy to ride as possible. At just 175kg it feels especially light at a standstill, while there’s plenty of steering lock for intricate manoeuvres. Seat height is at 815mm, which is 5mm lower than the previous Monster. According to Ducati, the inner leg curve has been reduced by 18mm, while the official accessories catalogue even offers a 20mm lower seat and a suspension lowering kit that removes another 20mm, giving a theoretical seat height of just 775mm. I’m 5ft 7in and could easily get both feet firmly planted on the road both sides on the standard seat.

The first section of our test ride was on the busy and slippery streets of Malaga. Monsters are as popular in town and as in the country for good reason, and the new bike excels in the cutthroat chaos of rush hour traffic.  It’s keen, clean and so easy going you understand why Ducati feels there’s no need for an entry-level Monster these days. In Urban mode the fuelling is all but perfect, and a far cry from the low rpm lumpiness of the original desmo. In fact, some 70% of the V2’s torque is available at 3000rpm, and 80% between 4000rpm and 10,000rpm, thanks in part to Intake Variable Timing (IVT), and pick-up from a closed throttle is instant without being overly sharp, while drive is as linear as it is lively.

Electronics: Tech That Actually Works

As we headed out of the city and into the sierras, the rain came down and we rode into cloud. Not ideal. Suddenly, the absence of a fairing didn’t seem quite so optimal. I opted for Road mode, but as we hit the first flooded road, I dialled in Wet mode. One of the beauties of the new Monster is that you can easily change and experiment with the modes on the move, so you react and tailor the set-up to the road ahead rather than leaving things as they are and just pressing on.  

Both Urban and Wet have similar power curves and are restricted to a 95bhp peak, but in Wet mode the rider aids are at the maximum level of intervention, whereas in Urban they are reduced a fraction. With maximum electronic back up I decided to push on, and the Monster gave great feedback on treacherous asphalt. The all-round Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres also deserve praise for working well in both the wet and dry, and for warming up quickly.

Chassis + Ride Feel: Plush, Predictable and Confidence Inspiring

The Monster’s base set up is plush and forgiving – certainly not as racy as some previous models. The bike steers very naturally – you’re never forcing or fighting things – and when we encountered a road punctuated by countless switchbacks, the Monster slowed, turned and drove out again with light-footed efficiency and zero drama. When the traction control was activated, the intervention was smooth and the re-introduction equally sophisticated – noticeably more refined than that of most middleweight nakeds. In the wet I prefer lots of engine braking, giving the front brakes less to do, and the opposite in the dry, so having the ability to change this characteristic is another plus point.

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Brakes + Suspension: Good — But Not Quite Top Shelf

As noted, the 2026 Monster gets Brembo calipers up front with lower-spec M4.32 calipers than the M50s found on its naked sibling Streetfighter V2. (Discs are 320mm in diameter up front while a single 245mm disc with 2-piston caliper looks after the rear wheel, and cornering ABS is standard.) The set up works well, but it will be interesting to see how both the stoppers and Showa suspension, which has limited suspension adjustment at the rear and none at the front, perform when the pace hots up. In the rain, when precision and feel were the main priorities, both were excellent.  

Verdict: Still a Monster — Just a Different One

Overall, the new Monster is as distinctively stylish, desirable and easy to ride as it has ever been. Smaller and less experienced riders will relish its blend of a low seat, a smooth engine (especially in Urban and Wet modes) and easy agility. Its slightly less powerful version of the new V2 powerplant may not punch out big numbers but it is precise, responsive and smooth right across the rev range. There’s traction everywhere and superb electronic riders working in the background. Open the throttle with meaning and the Monster accelerates with crisp and linear urgency. It is quick when it wants to be.

Obviously, our verdict is limited. How the Monster will handle in the hills on bright sunny day in summer remains for now an unknown. But we can say that, despite the limitations placed on this test by the weather, the Monster managed to be fun. And that’s a serious compliment, particularly as the bike gives virtually no protection from the elements.

Ducati Monster V2 Specifications

International Tester

Adam Child

Adam Child is an award-winning international freelance motorcycle journalist. Starting life at Fast Bikes Magazine before moving to Motorcycle News, 'Chad' made the move to freelance and has never looked back. With invites to virtually all the new model launches around the globe, Adam is one of the hardest working and most respected motorcycle testers in the industry. And he's also bloody quick, with lots of racing on his CV including the Isle of Man TT and national championships in the UK.