New 2026 Ducati DesertX V2 Announced 9 Things To Know

Now I think it's fair to say that Ducati's Desert X is widely regarded as one of the best if not the best adventure bike in the 900 class. So is it possible to make the best even better? Well today they announced a substantial update which has required a pretty thorough redesign and so in this video we'll go through the nine key changes that you need to know about in order to find out. So first up the engine with the Desert X now moving over to their new 890cc V-Twin that they've imaginatively named the V2. This follows on from the Panigale V2, the Streetfighter V2, the Multistrada V2, the Monster V2 and the Hypermotard V2 and so as you can see it needs to be a versatile engine that needs to work in many styles of bike. That I think though makes it perfect for this genre of bike which is also expected to be a versatile do-it-all machine. One of the key changes for this engine is the introduction of variable timing on the intake and that helps to boost low-end usability and mid-range torque. So perfect for riding at lower speeds and also off-road work. Now the peak torque figure of 92Nm might be the same as the Testa Stretta V-Twin that this engine replaces and in fact it's now actually made 500rpm higher in the rev range but Ducati do claim a more sustained torque curve with 70% of that peak figure available as low as 3000rpm. On top of that in my experience of reviewing some of the other V2 powered bikes, well it's a nice free revving engine that's happy to rev out and in this one it So plenty there for the motorway and misbehaving sides of adventure touring. There are though some other advantages to this new engine one of them being the valve system with the Testa Stretta being on their signature desmodromic valves. Perhaps you could argue it wasn't a particularly high revving or highly strung engine and so maybe the desmo valves were a bit unnecessary but this time out the V2 is on regular old spring actuated valves which mean a significant improvement in service intervals. So instead of 30,000km or 18,000 miles for a valve clearance check, well you're now looking at 45,000km or 28,000 miles and in my opinion that's always going to be appreciated on a bike that should be able to do plenty of distance between needing some TLC. The other reason that Ducati decided to replace the Testa Stretta with a ground up new engine is weight with the V2 shaving off 6kg versus that previous V-Twin. Now unfortunately that hasn't directly translated to a huge weight saving on the new Desert X with it coming in just 1kg lighter at 209kg wet without fuel. That means I guess there must have been some gains elsewhere on the bike but to be fair between 220 and 230kg still looks pretty reasonable when you look at the rest of the 900 Adventure class. Instead it seems like Ducati have aimed to make it feel lighter and one way they've done that is with a new polymer fuel tank. The new shape of it they say is intended to keep the fuel health very low and they go on to say that it reduces the bike's overall centre of gravity which helps to enhance the handling and also low speed manoeuvrability. Unfortunately though in the process it has lost a bit of capacity down from 21 litres of the previous gen to 18 litres in this new Desert X V2. So despite the fact that the new engine is ever so slightly more economical on fuel well you should still expect probably about 15% less range. To be fair though if you really do value being able to go long distances between fill ups then there is still the 8 litre auxiliary rear fuel pod which will bump the total up to a pretty healthy 24 litres although of course you'll have to fork out for it and it might limit your luggage options. Anyway changes to the engine almost always mean changes to the chassis with different mounting points for example and so the steel trellis frame of the last generation now makes way for an aluminium monocoque. One welcome improvement is easier access to the air filter, a bit of a gripe on the previous gen from owners with the air box now being integrated actually into that new frame. On top of that they say the trellis subframe has been redesigned as well to offer easier access to the engine for easier maintenance and so it's nice to see a bit of consideration for anyone who likes to service their own bikes but also I guess probably Ducati's dealer mechanics will be happier too. Elsewhere you've still got the off-road ready wheel sizes with the tubeless spoke 21 inch up front and the 18 at the rear and it comes on standard again with Pirelli's Scorpion Rally street tyres although it is homologated for some of the other variants in that particular tyre lineup so you can go either direction in terms of aggressiveness depending on what sort of thing you want to use the bike for. Brakes have also been tweaked with slightly smaller discs up front measuring just 305mm instead of 320mm and Ducati claim that this offers a better level of nuance and modulation along with slightly better lever feels so that'll be greatly appreciated when you're riding in lower grip scenarios such as off-road and it might help you to avoid locking up the front. Then suspension is also improved with a new linkage at the rear shock but also a revised kyb fork which is said to be smoother and also better absorb rough terrain so all things combined it should be a bit of a step up versus the last bike especially when it comes to the off-road side of things. Ergonomically they say should also be improved with that new tank being a little bit slimmer so it allows the rider to move more freely around the bike and the side panels have also been reshaped to allow for some agility as well as getting a textured finish to allow the rider to grip on with the legs. As for the seat height well it has gone up a little bit to 880mm instead of the 875mm of the last gen but to be fair there are quite a few different seat and suspension options to go either up or down and the low seat and low suspension kit combined now comes in at 840mm which is actually 5mm lower than the previous gen. Now this bike was already really well specced in terms of tech and you'd expect nothing less from Ducati but for 2026 there are a couple of tweaks that should make it a little bit nicer to use. One is the 5-inch tft dash which they say is more comprehensive offering three display modes of road, road pro and rally and then interestingly they've flipped it back round to being horizontal with the previous gen having a vertical dash for a bit more of that rally road book look. They say though the horizontal dash leaves more space above it in the cockpit and so that makes it easier to fit your own extra navigation devices and so again nice to see them presumably listening to a bit of customer feedback ahead of you know novelty. Through the dash you've got the six riding modes the cornering abs and tc the wheelie control engine brake control connectivity and all that good stuff but also the quick shifter has now been improved with their latest gen Ducati quick shift 2.0. This version has no external strain gauge which is pretty much the most common implementation across other brands quick shifters and so of particular benefit to this style of bike is that it leaves it less exposed to mud and dirt. Looks wise this new desert x is a gentle evolution let's say of the last one with a lot of the same key design features like the kojiva elephant inspired paint job and also those twin front headlights. The new bodywork though is looking a little more dynamic and a little less blocky and with that super slim tail section i've got to say it makes for a very svelte looking motorcycle. Looks though are you know completely subjective and so do let me know you think of it and whether it's an improvement down in the comments below. As for the price well this was never a bike that was really competing on being the cheapest with the previous gen already coming in more than a ktm 890 or a tiger 900 and for 2026 i believe that's still the case with the rrp being around 15 and a half grand. Unusually though for a Ducati who almost pride themselves on being a premium product well they have got an introductory offer of 14,995 pounds till the end of June. Maybe it's because this one's a little later in the launch cycle with a lot of adventure bikes already announced around EICMA last year but either way it's very good news for anyone who'd already made their mind up on picking one up. So look a good update or not let me know what you think of it down in the comments below and also i'll leave my review of the previous generation on the screen now with which there's still a fair bit of overlap so you can check it out in case you missed it. Do hit subscribe for more of the latest motorcycle news and reviews right here on motobob a massive thanks for watching today and we'll see you next time