New frame, new engine and big updates set for full debut in 2026
Although not revealed in full, Ducati used EICMA to preview the upcoming DesertX V2 that will get its full unveiling in February 2026 and reach dealers towards the middle of next year.
Under bodywork that’s clearly similar in style to the current, Dakar-inspired DesertX, there’s a completely new bike with a different chassis and engine to the current model. At the moment, the DesertX is the last man standing in Ducati’s lineup with the Testastretta engine, a descendant of the original Desmoquattro V-twin, and sharing its combination of double overhead camshafts, driven by belts and giving desmodromic operation to four valves per cylinder. That engine has been superseded in other models including the Monster, Multistrada V2 and Hypermotard by Ducati’s new 890cc ‘V2’ motor, with conventional valve springs and chain-driven camshafts, as well as variable valve timing.
In the DesertX V2, the 890cc engine will be in a 110hp tune, and as on other models with the motor it acts as a structural chassis component, helping reduce weight. With a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel, the DesertX V2 retains some genuine offroad potential.
Will the demise the traditional Desmo V-twin put Ducati buyers off? It’s unlikely: Ducati has already weathered the shift to V4 engines in many of its models – despite the protestations of traditionalists – and few noticed when the Gran Turismo V4 in the Diavel and Multistrada V4 dropped desmodromic valve operation, or when the 890cc V2 superseded the Desmo-valved Testastretta and Superquadro V-twins in other models.
