Heard a wild bike sound? Sounded like a beast? And you saw a dark black bike? Ohh!! Yes you just saw the DUCATI DIAVEL DARK in the town. She is mean, fast, sounds heaven and unique. To get the attention of the general public on the ‘culturally-rich’ and affluent streets of class A/A+ city you have to be something special. In a place where the culture, heritage gets first look, you might think INR 20+ lakh motorcycle wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow. But in a state with the highest concentration of supercars in the country, the 2015 Ducati Diavel stole the show.
Ducati’s most popular model in India is the Diavel, out of all the bikes booked in the past few days of Ducati’s official re-entry into India, the Diavel accounts for 70% of the sales. The arrival of the 2015 model represents the next evolution of the Diavel. Oh, and in case you don’t know, this bad boy is littered with all sorts of new features and components. It’s hard to name another bike that has been talked about more in the past four years than the Diavel.
This Devil comes with a warm blooded, 1198.4cc, four-stroke, L-twin Ducati Testastretta heart. It’s a four-valve per cylinder, Power-plant based on the 1198, major revision being reduction of valve overlap from 41 to 11 degrees. You get 162bhp at 9500rpm. A pair of radiators keeps the Diavel engine cool. The Diavel comes with a six-speed gearbox, shifting in one-down, five-up pattern.
The Diavel’s heart is the Testastretta 11° Dual Spark (DS) engine. Ducati’s Testastretta 11° DS harnesses the immense power of a Superbike engine and makes it more linear and usable. A perfect base for the Diavel: full of character, and producing 162hp for scorching acceleration, along with smooth and controllable delivery for cruising the boulevard at any speed.
The Diavel engine makes 162 horsepower for breath taking performance, but at the same time is able to be tame and docile when requested. Its enormous power reserves are perfectly regulated by the full Ride-by-Wire system, to ensure that they are always at the rider’s disposal. The redesigned, more comfortable seat offers more room and has a low height of 770 mm, for maximum riding pleasure and accessibility to a wide range of riders.
The Diavel’s ignition is actuated by an electronic key in the rider’s pocket, which communicates with the motorcycle when within a distance of approximately 2 metres (6.5ft) and automatically enables the bike’s systems. Get ready to ride in seconds, without even taking your gloves off. It uses 50 mm Marzocchi front forks with fork legs finished in low-friction diamond-like carbon (DLC). Fully adjustable for spring pre-load, compression, and rebound damping, these forks guarantee the rider a sure-footed yet agile front end for incredible handling.
The Diavel front brakes use Brembo’s powerful Monobloc callipers, which deliver outstanding performance actuated by radial alloy master cylinders with unique and sporty reservoirs. The Diavel also features Bosch’s 9MP ABS system as standard.
Performance on demand
The Diavel incorporates the innovative Ducati Riding Mode technology. Three modes – Sport, Touring, and Urban – are selectable even while riding and instantly change the character of the Diavel with different combinations of Power Mode and Traction Control settings. Fully customizable, these Riding Modes tailor the Diavel’s performance to the rider’s demand.
Design and power, through and through.
Massive 58mm (2.28in) diameter exhaust headers lead the 2-1-2 system through power-enhancing equal length pipes that enable the Diavel’s efficient power delivery.
Unique design. Bold form.
The leading edge of technology and creativity. At the forefront of innovation, the Diavel uses full LED technology for bright, efficient, and stylish lighting. In the rear, the Diavel trademark of two vertical LED strips follow the precise line of the under-seat paneling, keeping the lines of the bike sleek and minimal by serving as both the brake lamps and directional indicators.
She lightning quick Diavel feels anything, but the heavy, power cruiser it looks. No, the latest Ducati doesn’t handle like a nimble sports-bike, but it can still give many an able motorcycle a run for its money.
The Ducati Diavel blends ease of riding (suits short riders alike), performance, dynamics, technology and design in one well crafted package. At its current price, it makes for a splendid alternative to other cruisers (and some superbikes) in the market.
Redefining power cruisers and raising the bar, the Diavel offers soul in a motorcycle that proves European bike manufacturers are finally making bikes to match, if not better their Japanese rivals.
Article by Rakshit Shastry (Bengaluru)
