Ducati motorcycles have always had an athletic feel on the road, and the new Diavel Carbon is no exception. But if the traditional Ducati sport bike is a lithe Olympic middle-distance runner, the $20,000 Diavel is an NFL running back — fast, heavily muscled and ready to break tackles.
And while most Ducatis are elegant, seemingly effortless expressions of form following function, the Diavel is clearly trying hard to look good. For the most part the effort is worthwhile, especially for people who ride motorcycles in large part to attract attention.
The Diavel is Ducati’s first venture into what many people call the power cruiser or musclebike segment of the motorcycle market. It targets rivals like the Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle, Yamaha VMax, and other high-powered bikes that are fast but set up more for drag racing or noisily, stylishly cruising from one cafe to the next.
My test bike was the upgraded Carbon version, which costs $19,995, or $3,000 more than the standard Diavel, and its dramatic design turned heads wherever I rode it. It’s a fine boost for one’s image, and insures that arriving on this bike almost always feels good.
Getting there, however, may not be the most comfortable experience, especially for taller riders. At six feet and one inch tall I felt oversize on the Diavel, always wishing I could slide my rear end an inch or two back in the saddle. But the bike’s seat has a scooped-out shape that precludes such movement.
On the road there were times when I was happy to have a seat that held me in place, because the Diavel can be a wild ride –pleasingly so. Its testastretta, or “narrow head” twin-cylinder engine is electronically adjustable for three riding modes: urban, touring and sport. In the urban mode horsepower is limited to 100, the throttle response is softened and traction control is especially active. In touring you get the the engine’s full 162 horses but the response is still soft, as if the steeds are sleepy.
For a serious motorcycle enthusiast life begins with the sport mode, in which the horses are high-strung and possibly under the influence of a cattle prod. The most fun thing to do on the Diavel is to switch from urban to sport mode on the fly. You have to push a menu button to select the new mode, then you have to close the throttle briefly to confirm the change. When you open the throttle again it feels like someone switched bikes on you. And while the Diavel may have seemed fast enough with 100 horsepower, switching to 162 will convince you it was way too slow before.
The Diavel handles well and is reasonably comfortable on the highway for a bike that offers the rider minimal wind protection. On twisty back roads you mayu get tired of giving the extra effort required to make the bike turn. I attribute this reluctance to change direction to its extremely wide rear tire. Whatever the road, you’ll be ready for a rest after an hour or so in the saddle . So find a restaurant with outdoor seating and enjoy watching other people gawk at your bike.
Its low-slung shape is striking and gives it the look of a predatory animal. But unlike a feline hunter, there is nothing stealthy about the Diavel. It announces its presence with an exhaust note that seems almost too loud.
Most Ducatis, have two-cylinder ”L-twin” engines that have a pleasing, distinct boom-boom-boom rhythm. A well-tuned ear can identify it easily without looking. But the Diavel’s L-twin sounds like it is doing a Harley-Davidson impression — or worse, an impression of a Japanese cruiser that is trying to sound like a Harley.
That lack of a strong identity sums up the Diavel. While it is a neat, fun-to-ride bike, it is also a bit too aggressive in its attempts to make an impression. So instead of exuding confidence it appears somewhat insecure, like the loudest guest at the party.
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