Ducati Monster (2026) - Technical Review

It’s hard to overstate the impact of Ducati’s Monster. Not only did it save the Ducati brand and set its course for the coming decades when the original was launched in 1992 but it’s inspired a whole genre of stripped-back roadsters that mimic its hunched dimension and sporty handling.

While the name has appeared on dozens of different machines since then, from 400s to 1200s, air-cooled and water-cooled, with steel trellis and aluminium monocoque frames, two things have been consistent: they’ve all been V-twins, and they’ve all had Ducati’s signature desmodromic valve actuation. For 2026 we can cut that down to one thing as while the new Monster is still a V-twin its Desmo valvetrain is a thing of the past as the completely redesigned 2026 model has ditched the old 937cc Testastretta Evoluzione engine in favour of Ducati’s new 890cc ‘V2’ motor.

Pros & Cons

2026 Ducati Monster - Price & PCP Deals

The 2026 Monster’s pricing – at £11,995 for the base version and £12,295 for the Monster+ - isn’t a significant departure from the previous model, which started at £11,595 for the base version and £11,895 for the Monster+. The two model options are as before, with the Monster+ differing from the base bike only via the addition of a tiny nose cowl above the headlight and a removable cover over the pillion seat.

But the purchase price is far from the only expense in motorcycle ownership, and the new V2-powered Monster promises to be cheaper to run than the previous model thanks to longer service intervals that mean there’s no valve clearance check until 28,000 miles, and the new motor uses timing chains rather than the previous belts, which needed to be regularly replaced.

Two colours are on offer – the traditional red or a white version with red wheels – and as well as the choice of Monster or Monster+ specs, which can both also be ordered in A2-licence compliant 47hp forms.

2026 Ducati Monster - Engine & Performance

The Monster’s switch from the Testatretta Evoluzione V-twin to the new ‘V2’ V-twin is the biggest change of all for 2026 – but it doesn’t translate to any substantial difference in performance.

Instead it’s part of a range-wide revolution. Ducati’s decision to simply call the new 890cc engine ‘V2’ instead of something emotive like ‘Testastretta’, ‘Desmodue’, ‘Desmoquattro’ or ‘Superquadro’ like its predecessors (or even ‘Desmotre’, if anyone remembers the short-lived, six-valve V-twin used in the oft-forgotten ST3) reflects the intention that it will be the sole V-twin engine in the range, with models like the Multistrada, Panigale and Streetfighter offering ‘V4’ or ‘V2’ variants rather than being defined by their capacities. The fact that Ducati hasn’t opted to call the new Monster ‘Monster V2’ hints that, despite some rumours, a V4-powered Monster isn’t likely in the immediate future.

Why take this route? It’s down to economies of scale. If all Ducati’s V-twins can use derivatives of the same engine it makes the costs of production, parts supplies, and even associated costs like training for technicians lower than if there are multiple motors. With strict emissions rules making it increasingly expensive to introduce and certify new engines, using the same design across lots of bikes is simply logical.

That’s not to say there are no differences, though. In the new Monster, the V2 puts out 111hp – exactly matching the old 937cc Testatretta – and 67.2 lb-ft of torque, a fraction down on the 69 lb-ft of its predecessor. That’s not because the engine can’t make more - the 115hp Multistrada V2 and the 120hp Panigale and Streetfighter V2 all use the same motor with higher peak performance figures – but because it’s what Ducati reckons to be the right level for the Monster.

With at least 80% of its peak torque available from 4,000rpm to 10,000rpm, the V2 promises ease of use and flexibility to make the Monster an unintimidating riding prospect, but still offering plenty of performance.

Like the rest of the ‘V2’-powered machines, the Monster gets variable intake valve timing to help create that broad performance spread, as well as chain rather than belt-driven camshafts, eliminating another of the drawbacks of some of its desmodromic predecessors when it comes to servicing costs. The valvetrain uses conventional valve springs instead of the desmodromic system, which relies on additional cam lobes operating extra rockers that pull the valves closed. While the Desmo system has some advantages – it’s still used in all Ducati’s highest-performance V4 models using the Desmosedici engine because it eliminates valve float, reduces valvetrain friction and allows higher revs than conventional, sprung valves – it’s costly to make and adds expenses on the servicing side.

The V2 is also lighter than the old Testastretta by 5.9kg, contributing to making the 2026 Monster the lightest four-valve-per-cylinder Monster yet at 175kg without fuel, down from 179kg for the old version.

2026 Ducati Monster - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

As well as being lighter, the V2 engine is structurally strong, allowing the new bike to feature an even skimpier monocoque frame than the old model. Like the Panigale, Streetfighter and Multistrada V2 models, the main chassis is a monocoque box that connects the cylinder heads to the steering tube, while the seat is supported on a trellis that also extends from the rear cylinder head. The swingarm is clamped between small aluminium castings that bolt to the bottom of the engine and also carry the rider and passenger footpegs, so the engine itself is responsible for the majority of the chassis structure.

The new bike’s swingarm is also cast alloy, with a design similar to the latest Panigale V4’s, and is supported on a Showa monoshock.

Showa also supplies the 43mm, upside-down forks, but there’s little in the way of adjustability, with only the rear preload able to be tweaked to suit personal preferences.

The brakes are, as usual, from Brembo, with M4.32 radial four-pot calipers at the front fitted with Monster-specific pads designs for a less aggressive initial response. They clamp 320mm discs, and like other Ducatis the Monster’s extensive suite of rider aids means there’s cornering ABS, as well as engine brake control, to help keep it stable.

2026 Ducati Monster - Comfort & Economy

The Monster might have retained recognisable links to its 1992 forebear through many generations and iterations but it’s become a vastly more comfortable and usable proposition over the years, chipping away at the compromises to make each model more accommodating than the last. All indications are that the 2026 bike continues that trajectory, with the V2 engine expected to make it the easiest Monster yet to live with on a day-to-day basis.

We’ve already covered those long service intervals and the way the engine is designed to keep the cost of ownership down, an element of ‘economy’ that’s likely to have a bigger positive impact on your bank balance than any marginal improvement in MPG. And comfort is also addressed on the new bike, with a seat that’s lower than its predecessor at 815mm (down from 820mm). It’s actually the same height as the 1992 original, and also harks back to that original bike with a one-piece seat instead of the stepped, two-section design of the 937cc Monster it replaces. That has a knock-on effect in the styling, which now adopts cues from the original Monster where the tank and front mudguard were the only coloured parts, leaving the seat completely black (unless the pillion cowl was in place).

A low seat option can reduce the height to a mere 775mm, and both seats are narrower than their predecessor to make it easier to reach the ground. Meanwhile, the bars are higher and further forward to make it a roomier machine, and Ducati claims the mesh-style pattern moulded into the black plastic side covers is intended to give more grip for the rider’s knees to help stop them from sliding forward under braking.

We’re still waiting on official fuel consumption figures, but looking at the other V2-powered bikes, the Monster should easily exceed 50mpg.

2026 Ducati Monster - Equipment

When the original Monster was launched in 1992 Italian electronics were simultaneously the subject of jokes and feared by owners, with a reputation for unreliability that wasn’t entirely unearned. How things have changed. Today, and for many years now, Ducati’s bikes have pushed boundaries for complex, high-end electronic tech and the Monster continues that trend.

On board you’re faced with a 5-inch colour TFT dash, a portal through which to access the Monster’s four riding modes – Sport, Road, Urban and Wet – as well as all the rider-assist tech that’s offered by the combination of ride-by-wire and a six-axis inertial measurement unit. That tech includes the cornering ABS and traction control, wheelie control, engine brake control and a standard-fit quickshifter. Navigation through the menus comes via a new bar-mounted joystick design, while the modes can be switched at the touch of a single button.

There are conveniences, too, in the form of the optional Ducati Multimedia System and turn-by-turn navigation.

Other options include an array of cosmetic carbon and billet alloy parts, an Alcantara sports seat, and Termignoni titanium and carbon silencers.

2026 Ducati Monster - Rivals

When the original Monster was launched nearly 35 years ago it was unlike anything else on the market – combining a stubby naked look with sporty handling and low weight – but today virtually every manufacturer has a Monster-rival in its range, making for a vast array of options across a spectrum of prices, performance levels and engine layouts. You might consider these:

Street Triple 765 RS | Price: £12,295

Read more

Power/Torque

128.2bhp / 59lb-ft

Weight

188kg

Yamaha MT-09| Price: £10,110

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Power/Torque

117.3bhp / 68.5lb-ft

Weight

193kg

KTM 990 Duke | Price: £10,999

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Power/Torque

121.3bhp / 76lb-ft

Weight

179kg (without fuel)

2026 Ducati Monster - Verdict

With the 2026 Monster, Ducati has firmly reestablished the bike’s credentials as a serious contender in the class that its forebears essentially created. With reduced running costs and less weight than before, combined with a cutting edge electronics package and the cachet of a brand that’s undoubtably a notch above most in the eyes of onlookers, it’s got to have earned a place on the shortlist for anyone who’s considering a new naked roadster in 2026.

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2026 Ducati Monster - Technical Specification

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