Can Ducati’s New Monster V2 Really Deliver Italian Luxury for $14K?

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The three most iconic and consequential machines of all time are the wheel, the printing press, and the Ducati Monster. The first two we’re all familiar with, but for those who don’t know, the Monster is responsible for creating the “naked sportbike” class, and it’s also the machine that saved Ducati from financial ruin back in the early '90s.

As such, it should come as no surprise that Ducati has kept the Monster in its lineup longer than any other model. The Italian brand may be known for building svelte racing machines wrapped in bright red bodywork, but for the last 30+ years, the Monster has quietly kept the lights on, selling over 380,000 units since 1992.

Achieving such iconic status is both a blessing and a curse: On the one hand, you’ve gotta stay true to what made the Monster a success in the first place: Design, simplicity, attitude, and approachability. On the other, if you want to bring new riders into the fold, you’ve gotta get with the times.

Ducati walked this tightrope better than most, or at least that was the case until a radically new Monster hit the scene in 2021. Gone were the trellis frame, the exposed mechanical bits, and the silky smooth lines. In their place was something that still affected the Monster ethos, but with sharp angles and an engine hidden behind acres of plumbing and black plastic.

Some folks said it was too new, too radical, and too far-removed from the Monsters of old. Others were quick to point out that the Monster has always borrowed from the brand’s latest sportbike tech, and that no Ducati sportbike had used a trellis frame since 2011. Regardless of how you felt about the looks, just about everyone agreed on one point: it was the sweetest riding Monster the brand had ever built.

The all-new 2026 Ducati Monster is yet another radical redesign for the Monster family, albeit one that’s been carefully sculpted to breathe old soul into new technology. But is it enough to court a new generation of riders?

What’s New for the 2026 Ducati Monster

If you’re familiar with the previous generation Monster, much of the 2026 model will sound familiar. The “frame” is still gone, replaced with an aluminum monocoque design borrowed from the Panigale sportbike. The engine remains a stressed member, meaning all of the major components (swingarm, shock, subframe) bolt directly to the powerplant.

Of course the major headline here is that Ducati has built the Monster around their all-new V2 engine, the very same motor that’s currently powering both the Panigale V2 and Streetfighter V2 models, albeit one that’s tuned and geared purely for performance and enjoyment on the street.

The benefits of the new V2 are manyfold.

For starters, the new engine weighs a whopping nine pounds less than the outgoing Testastretta, and does away with the belt-driven desmodromic valve train in favor of a traditional valve spring layout. Some will mourn the loss of the last affordable Desmo in the Ducati lineup, but most will be too busy enjoying the wide and ever-present powerband of the V2’s variable intake tech to notice.

For context, the previous 937cc mill made 111 horsepower and 69 lb-ft of torque. The new V2, despite its smaller 890cc capacity, still produces nearly identical numbers with 110.7 horsepower and 67 lb-ft. The variable valve timing also makes a whopping 70% of that torque available as low as 3,000 rpm, and maintains 80% or more all the way up to 10,000 revs.

The V2’s valve-spring layout also carries the benefit of being incredibly low maintenance. Major service intervals (aka valve adjustments) are now only required every 28,000 miles, which improves on even the most cost-effective rivals such as Yamaha’s MT09. Ducati says the Monster only requires oil changes once every two years or 9,000 miles to boot.

A few other odds and ends have changed (new LED lights, the Panigale-style swingarm, redesigned exhaust cans), but the other major update may very well be the most important: Style. Ducati’s design team has returned to the Monster’s roots for inspiration, and as far as I’m concerned, they’ve hit the nail on the head in the design department.

Classic Monster queues abound anywhere you look. The gentle slope of the “bison back” fuel tank has returned in its most attractive form yet, and the once-angular tail section has returned to the smoothly-countoured clam shell silhouette that’s defined the Monster since the very beginning.

The V-Twin engine is also proudly on display once again, floating fully exposed mere inches above the ground and free of any excessive tubing, wiring, or molded plastic covers. Ducati even went so far as to incorporate a tiny section of trellis tubing that peaks out from below the seat in a clear wink to the Monster faithful.

Related: Ducati’s New Panigale V2 S Proves Horsepower Is Overrated

Riding Impressions

The launch of the 2026 Ducati Monster wasn’t your usual test ride. From the time we left at 9 am until the time we returned just after 3 p.m., the weather had two modes: Raining and pouring. That’s a bummer any way you look at it, but it also afforded some rare insights.

For example, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better setting to test a machine with rider aids this advanced. The latest Monster comes with multiple power modes, cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, engine braking control, and wheelie control as standard equipment. All of these have multiple layers of independent adjustability, which marks a shocking level of sophistication for what is essentially an entry-level machine with no plans to hit the racetrack.

Wet pavement is slippery pavement, so I had ample opportunity to test all the above, and I’ll say this: The Monster’s electronics, whether on the brakes or the side of the tire, are as unobtrusive and effective as any flagship superbike I’ve tested. In 99 percent of situations, you wouldn’t even notice the traction control was working if it weren’t for the flashing yellow light at the top of the dash telling you your tires were trying to exit the chat.

The Monster comes from the factory on a set of premium Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires, however, which means unintentional slides of any kind are few and far between. Even in the wet, there was plenty of grip on offer to thoroughly flog the new V2 engine in its sportiest configuration, and it’s there I found the other major highlight of the new Monster.

This new V-Twin is, quite simply, the perfect motor for a thrilling daily rider like the Monster. It’s buttery smooth and uber-predictable down low, which plays nicely around the city, but still packs the fat mid-range torque and top-end rush you’d expect from any modern Ducati twin.

In other words, while the Monster is effectively Ducati’s current “entry level” motorcycle, it’s not the kind of bike anyone will get bored with in a few months or even years. The motor is an absolute gem, infinitely flexible as both a nimble urban commuter and a weekend canyon carver with just a few taps on the left handlebar.

In fact, there’s really nothing about the Monster that feels entry-level or budget-built in any way. Sure, the suspension isn’t adjustable (aside from the rear shock preload), but it’s so well damped from the factory that most riders will find it tough to fault. You can only learn so much pushing a bike around wet corners, but the Monster is quick turning, stable at lean, and eats up small imperfections in the pavement without wobble or complaint.

The same goes for the Monster’s braking setup, which features 4-piston Brembo Monobloc M4s up front, a Brembo 2-piston caliper out back, and even a Brembo radial master cylinder at the bars. It’s not the same Brembo M50 you get on the Streetfighter V2, but the initial bite is immediate and precise, and overall stopping power is roughly on par with a .44 Magnum.

Truth be told, the Monster feels every inch a Ducati, and every inch a proper Monster. The growl from the V-Twin tickles all the right hairs on the back of your neck, the exhaust note is big, booming, and raspy, and every inch of the bike looks and feels luxurious. Stylish LED lighting all around? Check. Sleek and sinewy bodywork? You betcha. Full color TFT dash? C’mon.

Price Check: Value Versus Rivals

After spending a day getting soaking wet on the new Monster, I’ve really only got one complaint worth sharing: Its starting MSRP of $13,995 is tough to swallow. Like all Ducati’s new V2 models, the Monster competes in the absolutely stacked middleweight class, home to fan favorites like the Yamaha MT09 and Triumph Trident 800, which retail for $10,899 and $9,995, respectively.

There are plenty of others worth mentioning, but those two are particularly relevant considering they both make slightly more power, and, in the case of the Yamaha, even come with fully adjustable suspension. The Monster’s $14K pricetag is a big ask for a machine with non-adjustable suspension these days, dialed as it is, but I think there’s still a clear case to be made for the Duc.

For starters, it’s the only bike in the segment that looks, sounds, and feels like an Italian V-twin, a sentiment any current or previous Ducati owner will immediately understand. You can think of the Monster as a “democratized” luxury motorcycle, because that’s certainly what it feels like to ride.

There’s also a serious discussion to be had around the Monster’s weight, which, at 386 pounds (sans fuel), is the lightest of the bunch by around 20 pounds or more. Weight plays a major role when it comes to fun, ease of use, and sharp handling, and the Monster has all three in spades.

At the end of the day, when you buy a machine from a luxury brand, it comes with a luxury tax. That’s the price we pay for curb appeal, status, and the air of exclusivity associated with such things. To some, that appeal belongs on the list of standard features and is worth the spend. Others just want a damn good machine that won’t cost them an arm and a leg to keep running. Luckily for the next generation of Ducati faithful, the latest Monster is both damn good and low-maintenance, which marks a truly new era for one of the most iconic machines ever built. 

Related: This British Startup Finally Figured Out Electric Motorcycles

2026 Ducati Monster V2 Specs

• Engine: Liquid-cooled, 90-degree V-twin, DOHC
• Displacement: 890cc
• Transmission: 6-speed manual
• Horsepower/Torque: 110.7 hp/67 lb-ft
• Weight: 386 pounds (wet, no fuel)
• Fuel Capacity: 3.7 gallons
• Seat Height: 32.1 inches
• Price: From $13,995