Ducati Diavel Better. Better. Best.

It used to have imperfections but not anymore.
This is very nearly the most perfect motorcycle of all time.
Very, very nearly.


This version is the new model of the Diavel. It costs £16,995 (£3000 more than the identically engined non-Carbon version).
It makes 160bhp at 9250rpmand kicks out 96.2lb-ft of torque at 8000 rpm from the 1198cc,liquid-cooled V-twin motor.

Massive tyre.
It’s a massive tyre.THat tyre is MASSIVE. Up to fourth. Give it a handful. Can see for miiiillleeeeess.
THe bike tracks like it’s bolted to the road but is shaking and vibe-ing every nowand then, just to let me knowit’s alive. So alive, at these sort of speeds. Very, very much alive.
Up to fifth. More power. Wind it on and hoooooooollllld it open. Boy, we are really shifting.
Snick sixth. Nowthe excellent aerodynamics are starting to lag behind. the upright riding position (ish) which hasn’t needed much adjustment so far is being left behind,too. Time to tuck in. Not a full-on superbike, silly-head-down-arse-up tuck in, but a proper lean forward and elbows down. It’s a bit old-school like that. Slamthe knees into the frame and tuck in, adopt the position and kiss everything behind, alongside and in the near future goodbye as it all becomes a glorious blur that starts passing by fast and – Just. Gets. Faster.

Warp. Factor. Nine, Mr Sulu.Engine. Engine. Listen to the howl,feel the surge. Bars start flapping easily in the hand. that rear tyre,that massive rear tyre, is biting hard.the speed has bent time, this is like riding through the end of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey only this modern Ducati version blows Kubrik’s celluloid masterpiece into the weeds.The power feels epic. yhe bike doesn’t accelerate underneath you this thing spins the world under the back tyre while you stay still. this is immense motorcycling on a grand scale.

Screwyou Jeremy Clarkson. THIS is freaking acceleration. Take every little poxy million pound car you’ve ever had a fat man crisis in and shove them so far up your schoolyard rhetoric that they’ll never come out. What you say about cars being better than bikes has always been off the mark. Every ride on the Diavel just underlines how completely, arse-kickingly defunct the four wheel option, even at the mega-money end of the scale is. Just because your heart’s beating it doesn’t mean you’re alive... but every second with this bike brings existence clattering into HDspiked with lemon juice. this is gutteral. Abarely refined animal.

And you’re perched on the back of this thing without seatbelts or airbags, flicking its nose over and over as it growls at you.this is the newDucati Diavel. And it is very nearly the most perfect motorcycle ever built.

Brash statement yep, and at virtually £17,000 you can’t go bandying things like that about without being sure of what you’re saying. But you know what? I am. this is that good.

three years ago this was a controversial motorcycle in pretty much the same way that the original M900 Monster polarised the motorbike world when it was first shown to the world in 1992. And like that naked originator, the Diavel set about changing what we would come to expect frombikes that look like this.

This is the follow-up model to that original Diavel. And right fromthe first couple of miles under the wheels it’s easy to understand that this is all about refinement and purpose. It’s still Ivan Drago, the giant boxer from Rocky 4, but this is Ivan Drago with the balletic grace and skills of high-diver TomDaly.

Full-on fun, lowspeed ability and long-distance riding have always been a strong part of the Ducati experience on this bike, but for the newmodel, Ducati has focused the revamp mostly on the agility and mega-miles areas.

The results are still exquisitely fun to ride though.The engine is where the biggest changes are made. the newbike still uses the 1198cc, dohc eight-valve,liquid-cooled V-twin, but the new Diavel nowgets Ducati’s Testastretta 11º DS engine. the DS on the motor stands for the firm’s Dual Spark-plugs-per-cylinder layout, as used by the
Multistrada and Monster 1200.

In terms of outright power, the bike is the same as the previous model at 160bhp at 9250rpmbut it gets a bit more torque over the old model (96.2lb-FT which is really felt at the lower end of the rev range). And as a result of the across-company policy for extending service levels you’ll now have to have your Diavel undergo a major service every 18,000 miles.

There’s unlikely to be many bikes that bother that sort of mileage more than twice... in all honesty...And that will be something of a shame because this bike is stunning.
Okay, the extra three grand to go from the ‘basic’ Diavel to this Carbon version with carbon bodywork, forged Marchesini wheels and a red or white frame might seema bit OTT to some (the rest of the bike stays the same) but if you want this look then you pays the price. the same performance can be had for a lot less without the carbon cash-tag. the Carbon looks very pretty though…I’ve lived with previous Diavels for a long period of time and the only real niggles were howthe bike was less than refined at town speeds. this has all gone now, the bike is as happy and well-behaved at two miles an hour filtering to a mid-town crossroads as it is at 152mph on a test track. It’s genuinely hard to get across how incredible this bike feels to ride at any and all speeds and there’s such a presence to the Ducati too. the hands-free ignition is cool with a capital C and feet-up, full-lock U-turns are easier on this bike than any Adventure motorcycle you can name (no, really!).

There’s eight-level traction control on the bike (which you can tweak further to suit your needs) but you never feel the bike being interrupted or held back by the electronic brain.

The join between full-on power and backside-saving intervention is seamless.
No matter howyou look at this bike it always comes back to the ride. that addictive ride that eggs you on for just another 10 minutes, 30 minutes, hour,one more day... hit the throttle hard as you fly out of a corner at 6000rpm and wind it on (5%more torque at 6000rpmon this model) and the bike belches forward, forcing you to the back of the high-tailed seat.

At 5ft 8in I’mnot the tallest rider in the world, but for me the new handlebar riser and head light surround kept virtually all the wind off me there’s certainly a lot less helmet buffering going on than on the big Adventure bikes right now. I’ve heard taller riders complain of a lack of wind protection but for me, the Diavel is brilliant at saving me froma wind bashing except at the fullest of full-on, top speeds.

The bike handles with the grace and poise of a really well set-up Super Naked, which given howkicked-out the massive wheelbase is, might sound unlikely, but it’s true.

It also has exquisite manners on the brakes, you can feel the ABS kicking in when pushing the 234kg hard but nothing, NOTHINGabout this bike is difficult or worrysome to deal with.

You can ride it as hard or as gentle as you like and the Diavel will always give you a brilliant experience.

the Strada touring model is no longer part of the range, but you can get the screen and panniers for this year’s Diavel as aftermarket options.

Don’t laugh or scoff, get this bike carrying your kit for a holiday and it’s such a more sensible option than a GS or similar if only because after the holiday you take the luggage off and still have a Diavel which is more sportsbike than you can imagine, given what I’ve just written.

And it’ll do the miles easily. I racked up a thousand miles on this bike in three days. No numb bum, no cramp and no bad back. Perfect performer.

This is a motorcycle that can do everything you want and subvert every single thing you think it’s going to falter at, too. If you’ve not ridden a Diavel then make it your number one priority this summer. I absolutely promise it will change the way you viewwhat a motorcycle can deliver.

FRONT FORKS
The front forks are WSB-esque 50mm upside-down Marzocchis with DLC low-friction coating. It’s worth noting that you can adjust them via the plastic knobs (which makes life so easy).120mm of travel.

NEWRISER AND
HEADLAMP SURROUND If you’re under six foot tall then this is nearly as good at deflecting wind buffeting as a full cockpit fairing. Taller riders still get a bit of a blast at higher speeds, though.

DASH
The new Diavel still gets the split-level instrument dash and now adds in a sidestand warning light and a fuel gauge in thetank-top display.

FUEL TANK
17 litres isn’t a lot and to be fair,you can easily drop the Diavel into the mid-20s mpg if you’re aggressive with the right hand.

CHASSIS
A traditional Ducati tubular steel frame and aluminiumsingle-sided swingarm. The forks are kicked-out to a long 28in and when you combine that with a massive 1590mmwheelbase it’s incredible that this bike handles as brilliantly as it does.

BRAKES AND WHEELS
Brembo’s four-piston radial Monobloc calipers are mated to 320mmdiscs with Bosch ABS. Tyres are Pirelli’s Diablo Rosso II, on 17in rims (which are forged Marchesinis on the Carbon Diavel and tip the scales at 2.5kg less than the standard cast wheels).

GEARBOX
Slick enough for fun without the clutch on the way up, satisfying to use. When the bike’s cold it can be a niggle to find neutral though. Worth noting.

REAR SUSPENSION
The rear shock is a well-damped Sachs single unit with a remote preload adjuster. 120mm of travel.

REAR WHEEL AND TYRE
The elephant in the roomdoesn’t need to be avoided.The 240-section Pirelli Diablo Rosso II rear tyre on an eight-inch wheel rimlooks the part and doesn’t slow down the handling. There’s loads of grip when the bike is leant over, too. One of the biggest surprises about this bike for newbies to the Diavel is the way the back end matches the front’s excellent performance.

Specification

Price: £16,995 (£13,995 for non-carbon version)
Engine:1198cc, liquid-cooled, dohc eight-valve 90º desmo V-twin
Power: 160bhp @9250rpm
Torque:96.2lb-ft @8000rpm
Kerb weight: 234kg (239kg for non-carbon version with cast wheels)
Seat height:770mm
Tank size: 17 litres