New look and updated tech on the way
Ducati’s Diavel V4 replaced its V-twin predecessor three years ago and now it’s ripe for a midlife redesign – something that’s on the way soon and has now been leaked in the form of official design registrations published in the European Union.
While Ducati added a higher-performance ‘RS’ version of the Diavel V4 to the range for 2026, complete with the Panigale’s Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine instead of the Granturismo V4 version of the standard Diavel and more aggressive styling than the base model, the normal Diavel V4 now looks set to get its own facelift.
The designs show an array of visual tweaks, starting with a new set of wheels using five split spokes. They’re more subtle and sportier-looking than the current rims. Bodywork changes include the same new side air intakes that debuted on the Diavel V4 RS, with the horizontal vane in the intake shifted from above the centreline to below it, and a two-part design that, on the RS, allows their carbon fibre construction to be displayed. On the standard bike the intakes are likely to be plastic instead of carbon, but could still use different colours and finishes to emphasise the two sections.
Also split into two parts are entirely new radiator cowls sitting below those intakes, further hinting that Ducati will be employing different colours or materials to add visual interest to the next-gen bike. On the righthand side, a new plastic cover just behind the radiator cowl hides wiring and plumbing on the engine. That engine is the same, non-Desmo, ‘Granturismo’ V4 used in the current model, not the Desmosedici Stradale of the V4 RS.
The exhaust is new, too. While similar to the current model, with four distinct outlets to emphasise the engine configuration, the tailpipes are more neatly arranged in two pairs, melded slightly together, instead of the individual versions used at the moment.
On top of that, there are indications that the bike is getting updated, semi-active suspension, with the overhead and front ¾ views revealing wiring harnesses plugged into the tops of the forks.
What’s unknown at this stage is whether the bike is simply a revamped Diavel V4 or an additional version, perhaps a Diavel V4 S, to sit between the base bike and the top-spec RS variant. We’re likely to find out soon enough, as the bike could be launched within a matter of weeks.
