There was a time when adventure bikes were basically tall touring rigs with beaks. Then riders started actually taking them off-road. The segment exploded, and suddenly everyone wanted a middleweight that could cross a continent and still survive a rocky trail without crying for mercy.
Bikes like the Yamaha Tenere 700 and KTM 790 Adventure R reset expectations. They proved you didn’t need 150 horsepower and a cruise ship’s worth of bodywork to have fun in the dirt. Then Ducati stepped in with the DesertX and said, fine, we’ll do it our way.
The original DesertX was a big moment. It was Ducati admitting that the adventure crowd wanted something rawer than a Multistrada. And that’s important, because the Ducati Multistrada was Ducati’s best-selling motorcycle series in 2025. That platform is the brand’s money maker. It’s polished, fast, tech-loaded, and insanely capable on road. The DesertX took that DNA and dragged it into the dirt.
Now there’s the 2026 DesertX V2, and it feels like Ducati has doubled down on the idea. If the first one was Ducati testing the waters, this one is Ducati saying it knows exactly who this bike is for.
Let’s start with the engine, because that’s where the biggest shift happens. The old 937cc Testastretta is gone. In its place is Ducati’s new 890cc V2. It makes 110 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and 68 pound-feet of torque at 7,000 rpm. 70% of that torque shows up as low as 3,000 rpm, which is exactly where you want it when you’re picking your way through rocks or climbing something steep and sketchy.
On paper, it’s slightly smaller in displacement. In practice, it’s smarter. Intake Variable Timing helps spread the power across the rev range so it doesn’t feel peaky. First through fourth gears are shorter for technical riding. Sixth is longer for highway slogs at 75 miles per hour without buzzing your hands numb. Valve checks are set at 28,000 miles, which is refreshingly reasonable for a bike wearing a Ducati badge.
This is where the “off-roady Multistrada” comparison starts to make sense. The Multistrada is all about balance. Road speed, electronics, comfort, and just enough off-pavement ability to not embarrass you. The DesertX V2 flips that equation. It starts with off-road performance and layers the road manners on top.
The chassis is built around a monocoque aluminum frame that uses the engine as a stressed member and doubles as the airbox. That keeps things compact and stiff. The aluminum swingarm is specific to this bike and built for abuse. Suspension is fully adjustable KYB with 230 mm of travel up front and 220 mm at the rear. That’s serious movement, not just for Instagram.
Brakes are Brembo with twin 305 mm discs up front. The bike rolls on a 21- inch front and 18-inch rear wheel combo, the gold standard for proper adventure bikes. Tires are Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR, which tells you Ducati expects owners to actually get dirty.
Ergonomics have been tweaked, too. The pegs are slightly rearward, the bars and seat move forward, and the rider triangle was designed to be more neutral. The tank is also slimmer, with its weight positioned lower to reduce that top-heavy feel. Ducati claims a weight of 461 pounds without fuel. While that's by no means lightweight territory, for a fully equipped adventure bike with this level of hardware, that’s competitive.
Electronics are what you’d expect from a modern Ducati. A six-axis IMU manages cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control, and engine brake control. There are six ride modes, including dedicated Enduro and Rally settings. ABS can be tuned for dirt use and fully disabled in off-road modes. The 5-inch TFT is clear and configurable, and there’s even a Rally display that turns it into a proper navigation-focused layout.
So what makes this better than the old DesertX?
It’s more focused. The engine is more adaptable. The chassis is tighter and more purpose-built. The ergonomics are cleaner. The details, like the higher front fender and improved airflow management, show Ducati listened to riders who actually take these things into harsh environments.
Pricing in the US starts at $16,995. Meanwhile, over in Europe and the UK, the DesertX V2 comes in at around £14,995. There's even an A2-friendly version limited to around 47 horsepower, so younger riders with some extra dough can rock this totally badass off-road-focused ADV machine.
All this points to an adventure segment that isn’t slowing down. If anything, it’s getting sharper. Bikes like the Tenere 700 made it accessible several years ago. Then machines like 790 Adventure R (now the 890 Adventure R) made it aggressive. This time, the new DesertX V2 makes it unmistakably Ducati, just with more dirt under its fingernails.
Source: Ducati
