Not all of us like cruisers. Okay, some of us despise cruisers and all they represent and stand for. But after years of speculation and months of teaser spy photos, Ducati’s first cruiser in a generation was officially announced today, and it may send the most hardened anti-cruiser hecklers into the nearest lifestyle leather facility to get some chaps and conchoes.
We’ve been speculating about the exact contents of this aggressively styled package, but here, at last, are the hard facts. It uses a full-honk 162 horsepower, 94 lb.-ft. of torque version of the wonderful 1198cc Testastetta motor called the “11º,” referring to a new 11-degree valve overlap angle (in contrast to the 41-degree overlap—the time where both intake and exhaust valves are open—angle on the 1198 superbikes). That’s good for street riders—although it’s down 8 hp and 3 ft.-lbs. of torque from the 1198, Ducati claims it increases bottom-end power delivery and widens the powerband. Interestingly, the EFI is built by Mitsubishi and Mikuni rather than Marelli or Bosch.
Aside from tons of power and original styling, the Diavel is slathered with the latest in moto-tronics and other conveniences. A ride-by-wire system is there to allow precise throttle response, with three different power modes selectable by the rider. “Sport” delivers the full 162-hp Monty, “Touring” sends full power to the wheels with moderated throttle response, and “Urban” limits power to 100 hp. Ducati Traction Control (DTC) is also rider-adjustable, allowing well-heeled cruiser-ists to rear-wheel steer their beast around the nearest dirt track. And ABS, the other side of the DTC coin, is standard as well. That user-friendliness is enhanced by a wet clutch (sacrilege, yes, but also cooler-running, quieter and smoother) that has both slipper-clutch functions at high RPM and a servo mechanism claimed to lighten clutch-pull effort.
It may look like style over substance, but this is a Ducati, so special attention was placed on having a sweet-handling chassis. Most importantly, weight has been kept to a minimum. At just 463 pounds of claimed dry weight (456 for the “Carbon” version), the Diavel is lighter than some newbie-friendly -priced 600cc cruisers I could name. The frame is a chrome-moly trellis bolted to cast-aluminum side plates, much like the current Monster models. The front suspension uses a fully adjustable 50mm inverted Marzocchi fork, and the rear gets held up with a linkage-equipped Sach monoshock. Brakes? None other than what look like the race-ready four-pot Brembo monoblock calipers found on the superbikes. The only things lacking may be cornering clearance—Ducati made the seat as low as possible (30.3 inches), which means lower footpegs. (Ducati videos show the rider coming close to dragging his toes on a spirited street ride) and quick steering, due to a 62.6-inch wheelbase and M-roadster-sized 240-section rear tire (which Ducati claims was specially made for the Diavel to offer phat looks and optimal handling, but sheesh, that’s wide).
But this is a cruiser (isn’t it?), so how it looks is as important as how it goes. This is, of course, subjective, but I think Ducati’s designers have fulfilled whatever brief they started with. The bike looks low, menacing and muscular, and the “Carbon” version, with special lightweight Marchesini wheels, carbon-fiber side panels and headlamp cowling, works even better. The use of plastic is minimized, and interesting details abound, like the billet-look mirror/turn signals, hideaway passenger footpeg/bracket units (a T-shaped grab handle also deploys for passenger comfort), wheel-hub-mounted license-plate bracket and burly handlebar clamp. Not cool enough? How about a TFT color display under the idiot lights? Or forged aluminum wheels? Icing on the cake is 15,000 mile major-service intervals.
Update: We just learned U.S. MSRP for the Diavel will be $16,995 for the standard model, and $19,995 for the Carbon.
This may require some extended testing. We’ll take ours in Carbon; send the fringed chaps and half-helmet to the MD offices.
I owned a 2003 V-Max and absolutely loved it. The new V-max appeals to me but the range is way too short. The longer I look at the Diavel the more it grows on me. I’m gonna wait and sit on it and see how it goes, keeping an open mind.
Saw it at the San Mateo CA bike show. It actually looks much nicer in person and when I sat on it, I quite liked the seating position. I would take just about any other Ducati over it, but I didn’t hate it.
Its not about speed!! yea , right . I own a ducati s4 antiquated engineering , I mean the bike is a 2001 , still there isn’t much that can touch it !! Can’t wait to own a diavel ! my attraction to it ? I am 5’2″ To me ducati’s are exotic! everyone owns a yamaha or harley
Everone can disagree all day long and it changes nothing. This bike looks killer and will out perform and outhandle anything in the so called cruiser class. A big plus it’s not a huge overweight pig like the V-max or the weird butt ugly B-king. The Ducati will rule these pigs with ease and all others will be humbled. Look at the power to weight ratios and it’s not even close!!!!
I’m from Italy, I had a Yamaha R1, Aprilia RSV1000, etc. I mean I’m used to drive fast motorbikes and the first time I saw the Diavel on pictures I was a little disappointed. Then last week I went at the eicma fair and I saw it from real. I felt in love with it and even more when I jumped on it to test the confort: it’s made for me (i’m not tall), driving position is perfect, never had the same feelings with other bikes.
There’s no test of performances but I guess they will be very close to the multistrada: 250km/h, 0-100km/h in 2,5 seconds (in the official ducati’s site it’s written: “2,5 seconds to remain without breath”).
Many people there said it was ugly and I really don’t care if it is to consider a custom, muscle or cruise bike, it’s a ducati and that’s it 🙂 The chassis is one one the best in the world for stiffness and torque and 160 horses it’s not bad at all.
I’m ready to order the diavel but have to wait january 🙁
To all of you, who compare this Ducati to Japanese mass produced motorcycles: give your heads a shake! You wouldn’t compare a Nissan to a Maserati, or a Lexus to a Ferrari or Lamborghini, no matter how close their specs might be – that would be sacrilege. So, why would you compare a Ducati to Hokawayamazuki models? Ducatis, like Ferraris, make life worth living, if for no other reason than to KNOW they exist. The Japanese build within the statistical mean, thus they succeed, obviously – no miracle there. Ducati, Moto Guzzi and Benelli build outside of it, thus LIVE the spirit of freedom and individualism that once defined the sport of motorcycling. They are Champagne in a Table Wine world …
This bike is not original in any way other than the fact that it’s out of character for Ducati. The front end is pure Suzuki MT-109, the right side/exhaust area is new V-Max, and the gas tank/air scoops are B-King! This was design-on-a-dime! Is H-D considering buying Ducati?
It makes me think of the Porsche Cayenne or even the Panamera. Some say that the Cayenne saved Porsche. If the Diavel keeps Ducati going strong so they can invest more in their core market, so be it.
It seems everyone has forgotten the original king of the power sport cruisers , the Star Warrior! No it didn’t have a motor derived from a sport bike such as this Duck or the V-Rod – “or to put it right, not a “Porsche”engine but the H.D.-VR Race bike engine tamed down for the street by Porsche . The V-Max old or new is in a class all it’s own “American Hot Rod cruiser” The Duck is aimed strait at the V-rod. The Warrior still King of the push Rod class and it ain’t a Harley!
Are you kidding me? A Warrior the king of power sport cruisers? Ever hear of a Honda V65 Magna? 1983 technology would destroy a RS Warrior. Trust me, Ive owned both. Anyway I personally love the new Diavel. Kudos to Ducati for trying something new when most companies are satisfied with revamping the same old stuff.
Uhh, looks like the product of an unholy union between a VRod and Speed Triple.
Very disappointing and ugly.
I think they misspelled DRIVEL!
I like this bike but I wouldn’t call it a cruiser, or even a power cruiser. I ride a Suzuki m109r (which is faster than a VMAX by the way), 200 miles at a time no problem. My knees would hurt on the Ducati. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t consider the Duc as a second bike for riding around town, crusing the mountains locally, or short rides to Starbucks.Now, if i could just get it past the wife…..
M109R faster than a VMax? Did you race a 25 year-old first generation Vmax to come to this conclusion? The M109R is heavier by about 80 lbs than the new VMax, which is close to 200 hp (roughly 75 more than the M109R). Sure, the M109R is powerful for a cruiser but it certainly isn’t quicker/faster than the VMax. Even the first generation VMax had more power than the M109 after a a few years of improvement. To cap it off… The Diavel has a better power-to-weight ratio than the new VMax.
Someone mentioned the muscle car formula and that is exactlly what Ducati have done A big engine in a small “car”. Looks pretty mean, though carbon fiber just doesn’t look as good as paint to me so I don’t get it. Cruiser riders won’t buy it but people who know what real cool is will. Makes you wonder why bikes have to weigh so much these days, especially cruisers.
WHY did they slather this…. thing…. with all the techno goodies like traction control and ride by wire? This is lost on cruiser folks, most of whom never touch their front brakes, lest they go “flying over the handlebars.” What a waste! Ducati could sell a million of these if they stripped out all the tech, used throttle cables, some single-piston brakes from China, took away about 50 horsepower, added in more torque (and chrome) and dropped the price accordingly.
If they think 1198 buyers are going to flock to this barge, I think they are mistaken. A total miscall on the target market. DUMB.
You think this was intended to attract 1198 customers? That’s a total miscall and not the target market. Dumb. Plus, your description of how they should build it is lame, and “nonsensical”.
zuki’s right. the intended target market for the diavel is not the cruiser market. it’s essentially a new genre of bike since nothing else can compare with it. lightweight, quick, stylish, and good handling. let’s hope this bike starts a whole new trend in the industry that has been complacent far too long.
That is definitely a muscle-bike in the vein of the V-MAX, for sure…I really like the attitude. Looking forward to a personal evaluation.
However, it will NOT be recognized as a cruiser in the same way that VMAX is not. In North America, “cruiser” means “Stuff that bikers or Sturgis-attendees think is cool.” They would turn their nose up at this the same way they did at Harley’s own V-ROD.
Glad to see that Ducatig was smart enough to not really care about the N.A. “cruiser” demographic.
I haven’t come to terms calling both the Diavel and VMAX Cruisers…i think it won’t happen, not enough nonsense useless B.S build into each. STILL Too functional and Techy on my book.
I am not one of the rejectors of this bike and I really like it. I’ve checked out Ducati’s website and the more I look at the Diavel, and the more I know about it, the more I like it. This is coming from a strict sportbike rider that absolutely detests cruisers unless they’re the real deal… something like a vintage Indian, or the like. This bike is much more appealing than any other bike that could possibly be compared to it, such as the V-Max, simply because it has such clean, uncluttered styling. It’s almost in its own class entirely! The V-Rod simply does not begin to compare to this in my opinion.
To me, the Diavel is like a modern expression of a classic theme or appeal used in the automotive world throughout the 1960s and into the ’70s… a “personal GT” or “personal luxury” car with a lot of power, luxury and design elements. Cars such as the ’66-’70 Oldsmobile Toronado, ’67-’70 Cadillac Eldorado, ’63-’73 Buick Riviera, and ’62-’72 Pontiac Grand Prix. Interesting to me too is that the taillights remind me of the Cadillac Eldorado’s vertical lights. Ducati’s other models such as the Monster and the 1198 are more in line with the Camaro/Firebird theme, and the Corvette.
The website shows interesting options such as a touring windscreen, and a GPS navigation unit. It’s a high-performance personal muscle/luxury bike with styling that reflects its role. Definitely not a “cruiser” that most people associate with that name.
I could ride this bike everyday, and do some sport-touring on it too and have a really good time. I’m sure that Ventura will have a kit soon to mount their soft luggage. They make kits for almost any bike it seems.
Make no mistake, this bike is not a cruiser.
The ergonomics are all wrong. The seat is still five to six inches too high and the pegs are way too far back. (This coming from a former owner of two Ducatis and a couple of different cruisers as well.) The driver’s legs look like they will cramp up in less than 45 minutes in that position. Also, there is only very minimal passenger accomodations. And where do you mount the saddlebags? How about a windshield?
Overall this bike is simply not made for “cruising”. What is it then? It’s a sportbike for old fat guys. (Like me.) Can’t quite bend into the “crotch rocket crouch” anymore and need to get a little closer to the ground to keep that old, weak body with poor balance from dropping the bike at a stop.
It’s a muscle bike, maybe. But not a cruiser.
I find this bike strangely appealing…
Me too.
The more I see it, the more I think about it, the more I read about it, the more I like it too. I’ve never come this close to truly liking a stylized bike.
I would be afraid to ride it.I might catch a glipse of my reflection in a store-front window and turn to stone.
It looks good in the pictures. The real test is what it will look like in the flesh. I have been thinking of getting a Griso but this looks just as mean if not meaner. Plus it is a lot more powerful. Weel done Ducati!
I like it, but wouldn’t yet choose it over a V-MAX, overweight and all.
Hope it makes the other OEMs take notice and keep refreshing and improving their offerings with out cutting it’s Testis. Lighter VMAX with power modes switch, a 6th gear and 100lbs less? LOL, day dreaming is so sweet.
Yamaha states V-Max wet weight is 685 lbs, Ducati says this is 464 lbs dry (estimate 500 wet). By any metric this Diavel is far closer to 200 lbs (vs. 100) lighter than the Yamaha pig.
2 words: rearsets & clip-ons.
Oh, BTW, the Diavel is guaranteed to provide the shortest breaking distance among production motorcycles…the result of its combination of race spec components and far-longer wheelbase than any race-replica (the longer the wheelbase the less rear wheel lift, the less rear wheel lift the more rear brake effect).
Way outclasses every other cruiser by any metric: exclusivity, looks, performance (150 lbs lighter than the next heavier, way more power/torque…) Great to see the Italian Ducati release the new benchmark for the category and out-class every other country/every other maker including the USA. Good on Ducati! Shame, shame, shame on H-D for offering only also-ran in a category they invented.
For me personally, even when I’ve lusted for the occasional cruiser based on its looks, every time I sit on one, push its insane, useless, 700+ lb mass back and forth between my legs (I’m 6-3 and leg pressed over 1k lbs), any desire instantly flies out the window.
No such problem with this sub-500 lb baby!
I’m a sport bike guy and getting older has become an issue with riding position, but that’s a nice looking cruiser and still looks very Ducati. Now if it would only come with shaft drive. I think I could find a spot in my garage for one.
Crap, screw the Honda adventure bike, think I’ve found a Duc I can live with instead…and I ride “cruisers” (if that is what you consider an E-Glide Sport and Road King, ride Beemers too for that matter), don’t wear chaps, have no conchos, do have a modular helmet and like my armored riding suit…just call me an anomaly…
I own a V-Rod & am very interested in a checking out this bike. I think it looks great! The power & technology in this bike look to be class leading. Can it lean & as far and handle like a true sport bike no, but that’s not the rider Ducati’s trying to attract with this bike. When I want to on rails I ride my MV Brutale, not the V-Rod anyway. Looking forward to a demo ride!
V-Max + Buell thing
This bike isnt for everyone but by the looks of it the technology and quality is impressive..Looks are a matter of opinion and it looks lighter than a V-Max and more power than a Griso so lets see first before we judge this bike..The V-rod is slow so it doesnt count..
Kind of cool—needs a stroker for about 1350cc and more bottom end
Very nice .
I do not care what anyone thinks.
Holy moley! Do no care what anyone thinks? Is that your final answer?
🙂
Looks pretty bad-ass to me. I thinks it is a smart move. Remember folks, Ducati already makes some fairly competent sport bikes…so why would they produce just another variation of what they already make available?
This model is meant to expand Ducati into a segment in which they do not yet participate, not canibalize from their own brand.
WOW! I once got attacked by something that looked like that in a nightmare I had after bad pizza. Its the same thing as the the Japanese attempting to give their bikes personality – like trying to build a Japanese Ferrari.
Nonsensical
Compared to any Buell (whose elimination from the face of earth was one of the few positive results of the financial crisis), a masterpiece.
Whatever. Buells are/were awesome. Just the dealer support sucked. However, if Erik can get back on his feet and not be subject to the limitations H-D put on the brand… I’m riding a Buell again someday.
Buells (at least the XB’s) were far better than many (who never owned one) thought. I owned 18 bikes since 1973 and the XB9 and XB12 I owned were among the very best bikes ever.
Agreed. I owned a 2003 XB9S and 2006 XB12Ss
I can’t believe how hard you guys are on this bike. While I’ve never been a cruiser kinda’ guy, I have to bow to the numbers. I’ve been a motorcycle salesman for years and know that this type of bike sells (or used to sell) 2 – 1 over supersports… a stat I have trouble swallowing BUT, this bike will go head to head with the V-Rod… it’s main target as far as I can tell. If you have ever been to club level drag races, you’ll know that V-Rods are very popular. Ducati now has a platform from which to launch a serious drag racing effort. Don’t for a second think that Ducati hasn’t been drooling over that lucrative ‘American-only’ style market with envy. I know that our own (very sought after) Ducati mechanic will be chomping at the bit to drag-race one of these against the Harley hordes and will no doubt stuff it to them once his wrenches have had some funtime on the bike. As for the styling, I actually think it’s spot on… different enough not to be blamed for looking like something else while still bristling with the stuff that perf-cruise guys want.
Italian Street Rod. If you’re into that kind of thing.
THEY SHOULD HAVE CALLED IT A D-ROD HEHEHE.
It’s not a cruiser until it has forward controls or highway pegs, low power, high weight, weak breaks, scrapes in the corners, and has obnoxious loud pipes, twice it’s value in aftermarket chrome, etc. This is a sportbike for short people. And, it’s beautiful. But it is NOT made to carry a passenger. Get your girl friend her own bike.
nope….
Has MD lost its freakin’ mind?
What’s going on with all this recategorization?
This is a muscle bike, a sports torque bike, ala the VMAX and B KING.
Look at the geometry–triangular–more like an ADV bike than a cruiser.
Eds, send me your prescription and I’ll mail you a years supply of new contact lenses.
From some angles and color combos, it looks great. From others, it looks utterly hideous.
Kinda cool. But it’s certainly not a cruiser.
Yuck! The Guzzi Griso is much cooler.
This thing makes perfect sense to it’s intended market…sophisticated DTC/ABS,outragous looks and enough handling to just keep you alive,much more power than should be recognized as responsible;At least one has the ability to select the proper “mode”. It even seems BMW inspired those front turn signals…(check out the K1600’s)It’s going to drive the V-Max,V-Rod guys out of their chairs…….mein Gott,it offends completely!
Oh dear. That headlight ‘surround’ looks like it came from an aftermarket parts catalogue. I’d rather have a V-Max. Or just about anything else.
I thought when they came out with the original Multistrada that they could not possibly come out with anything stranger looking. I see I have underestimated them.
Is it a “cheap Confederate”?
Comparing this to the VMAX is apropos; both are ugly, awkward looking and for people who just want to boast about the hp the powerplant produces. I’m not really a Harley fan, but comparing it to a V-Rod is an insult to the V-Rod. Ducati produces some of the most beautiful bikes on the planet. Not so this time.
Comparing this to a v-rod is an insult to Ducati. How much more superior could this bike be over that heavy and slow slab of metal. HD couldn’t even get Porsche to build a good motor for them.
The more I look at it and the more I read the specs, the more I see how it might compete with Harley’s V-Rod…along with all the other muscle cruisers out there.
BMW did a better job years ago:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BMW_R_1200_C_custom.jpg
Hideous.
That BMW was so “last week”. Looks like a “beach cruiser” bicycle with a motor.
Haha! How does that pile of Sauerkraut even start to compare?
Useless.
Anymore useless than a super-sport/race replica for street use?
@Zuyi: Sportbike = superlative dynamic behavior. Superior acceleration, braking, handling. I find this very useful on the street.
@doug: you’ll probably find as many women who like this bike as don’t. so, that’s one use for it…
Superior acceleration on the street? I said super-sport, not sportbike. Do you race on the street? Street-legal, consumer super-sports are designed for amateur racing and their peak power is not legally accessible and/or the meat of their power is not instantly available on the average street. I have never liked riding a GSXR1000 on the street which is why I ride my SV1000S on the street, and it IS indeed quicker, being in its element. The power is much more usable on a bike designed for the street and not the track. Super-sports also have ridiculous riding positions that are useless on the street, and painful. Besides all this, this beast is putting out tremendous power and is relatively light. As far as handling, how do you know how this handles? It certainly won’t win any races on a racetrack, but on the street it should provide steady, smooth and predictable handling, and the handlebar should provide good leverage for quick maneuvering.
For the street, this machine is very useful.
Braking should be excellent too, considering the long wheelbase.
As an owner of the original Multistrada I still have to say:
WTF???
I like it. Funny because, I hate cruisers. What’s more funny, this is the only Ducati that I actually like!
I don’t think it’s really a cruiser btw. It’s more musclebike with clean styling, and muscle to match, which is why I like it.
Ducati, what were you thinking? Looks like someone had a little to much vino one night.
Well, I had hoped it would look simular to the prototype at motocreations.com, but with a longer seat, so a passenger could get comfortable. Also, I do not see any foot forward pegs either, or a place to mount them. As for the exhaust, and any noise, well, it could be a sweet sounding machine id someone has the time and money to create a real pair of pipes. Sorry, not quite there yet.
Not really a cruiser. Certainly a cruiser compared to the rest that Ducati offers but take a look at the riding position (especially the woman on the back) and it tells you it’s nothing like a cruiser at all. Not sure what it is. Some areas of the bike it looks sweet, others it’s lame. I agree the cruiser crowd is mostly lame ass, weekend leather warriors that wouldn’t know a wrist pin from a vest pin. I own a V-Twin supposed cruiser (Yamaha Road Star) but I chopped it. Nope she doesn’t handle like a sportbike but it has mountains of torque and pretty much zero maintenance which is a part of the appeal. Plus my hard ass riding days are gone by so 160hp would not be a good thing. It would have more talent than the rider. My guess is Ducati will sell more of these than you think though the price point is pretty stiff for a cruiser if you look at the market.
My god that is without doubt the ugliest Ducati yet.The original Monster was supposed to be Ducati’s cruiser and it was a huge success, why mess with success? The main thing a cruiser is supposed to do is look good, and that’s all it really has to do, which is why Harleys still sell.
Mitsubishi/Siemens is a disaster! I know, I have the Multistrada 1200 with the same motor. They need to stay with Magnetti Marelli. Terrible to pay this much for poor fueling.
Let’s take a powerful, light, excellent handing bike and turn it into a powerful, heavy, ill-handling bike that looks like a castrated rhino. Yapshore.
Next?
I have never understood the appeal of this type of bike, and never will. They handle poorly. It is a basic fact of the excessive rake. Ideally, the optimal amount of trail in the front, I.e., the distance from where the steering spindle line hits the ground to the center of the contact patch, would be achieved purely through the offset of the wheel axle/spindle, with vertical steering spindle. A modest amount of rake is a practical compromise for accommodating the wheel itself and keeping the steering head from being located way out in front of the rest the bike. But from the standpoint of handling alone, no amount of rake is desirable. Exaggerated rake is done only for styling, and the price paid is decidedly inferior handling. The wheelbase also grows, which exacerbates the handling issue.
28 degrees of rake is excessive?
Thinking about this and trackdays? Nonsensical.
PS: even with the return of OCC to television (and that ill-conceived association), this may have unfortunately arrived like 3-5 years late to market. reference, honda fury.
As someone else said, from the gas cap back it’s stunning. But I guess when you design a bike to appeal to people who like hogs then it’s gonna look like a pig…
okay, since i thought it was strictly a mono-posto (ala desmosedici), i wasn’t too thrilled at first. 🙁 but now that i see the 2-up pillion shot ducati has vindicated themselves. even when a bike CLEARLY lacks all practical value, yet retains the one redeeming quality of the ability to pick up chicks (ala chick magnet) and transport them back to your place for the evening…? well hell, i have to consider that as “mission accomplished”…!LOL now from the gas cap back it works, but all the “cab-forward” plastics may be a bit much. might look better just to strip all that flotsam and jetsam off there. not really sold on the exhaust routing either. definitely don’t care for it’s use on the M11EV. bologna appears to be hedging their bets with further visual tie-in to something established and accepted (ie. the monter). if nothing, this bike has marketing value in that it gets us all spun up and chattering about the brand (again, mission accomplished). no such thing as bad publicity.
what’s up quent.
VRod, the Griso, VMax, and this bike are all very similar to me…..I think of them as “performance cruisers”. Not so much from their actual output, but rather the image they seem to project to me. And in that role, they give up a lot of versatility IMO. But, to each his own. I personally couldn’t be less motivated by this type of motorcycle….but strangely, I’m glad it’s out there with the Mad Max and the others just in case I suddenly get the urge. Oh BTW, the Griso, is my favorite of the bunch and a bike I WOULD BUY if I a new bike was in the works right now (the 8 valve motored model is my fav).
As a a long time Ducati admirer and owner, would lump the Diavel’s styling into the same category as the 999 and the original Multistrada….that category is labeled “Interesting”. I really look forward to seeing Aprilia’s new Tuono later this month.
The center of focus for a cruiser is its engine. You can hardly see the engine on this thing. If Ducati is going after the V-Max crowd, that’s one thing. But if they’re going for the true cruiser types, this bike will fail. It’s confused looking, and overly busy. Slapping on a fat rear tire, and a bunch of plastic, and calling it a “cruiser,” doesn’t necessarily make it one. If a manufacturer doesn’t like cruiser types, fine. But if they want to sell them something, offering a bike that only the sport-focused motorcycling press will like won’t do it.
Looking at it I don’t see “cruiser”. I see a naked which will largely go indistinguishable by the non-motorcycling public. Some of at least faint interest might have a look but the term “Cruiser” seems a stretch. Now if it only had highway pegs!
I love it! Something different than the cookie cutter sportbikes and cruisers currently on the market. Now if only I had the $$$.
A 240 width rear tire? That’ll help handling…NOT! Styling maybe a little too ‘out there’. I’ll take a Griso, thank you.(I wish!)
I expect it to sell exactly as well as Ducati’s last kick at the cruiser cat, the mid-80’s Indiana (Diana? Gabe a little more research before publishing dude … The Diana was an early 60’s 250 single). That said, buy one, because in 20 years the 4 that they sell before pulling the plug on this abomination will become much sought after collectors items. While it’s pretty obvious that I think this bike isn’t worth my time or money, I do admire Ducati for at least attempting to expand into a non-traditional market for them, unlike another major manufacturer that starts with Harley and ends with Davidson.
Oops! I forgot to correct that after I edited. Very hard to edit your own work.
I am new to the world of motorcycling and I am impressed by the multiplicity of high quality offerings, both from the engineering standpoint and in the diversity of emotional appeal. Motorcycle manufactureres are relentlessly foraging for the next big idea. For the customers, this creates an exciting environment of possible choices. With this Diavel, Ducati is attempting to capture the leather-lifestyle crowd with an advanced-engineering machine. I applaud the effort. Let’s wait an see if it meets its commercial goal!
I have to ask…if you’re new to the world of motorcycling, how would you know any of this? This sounds like sales and marketing.
That’s right
I tell you, it is different and i would like to ride it. oh and I would think chicks would dig it too.
Did they sweep up in Terblanche’s corner and throw all the castoff ideas on to this hideous creation?
BRAVO! Pierre has been resurrected! Hangman!
Not crazy about the latest “add more plastic wedges craze” and not too sure about this bike either. One thing for sure, that butt-ugly poorly placed license plate holder has to go!
Agree…looks like a Honda designer and a Ducati designer collided.
well….. ye…. maybe? I guess I could bolt on some saddlebags, tourpack, batwing fairing & some floorboards & then I’d be good to go!
So far… after all the hype about the V-MAX & similar (V-Rd Muscle)…etc… type bikes, I never see them on the road. Saw a Kenny Dreer 880 Norton prototype, but no Max. With the Ninja Concours & the new 6 cylinder BMW Tourer out there in multiple versions, this Duc is going to have competition.
I like the premise, but it’s just not my kind of bike…
I am in the miniority who actually like it, I guess. Except for the license plate mount. That’s got to go.
I had the same reaction. I like it except for the license plate position. The styling is aggressive and appealing to me, but I know the price will be out of my wallet’s range.
Are the B-King and V-Max sales that strong that Ducati thought there would be a big market for this?
Uhhh, no thanks.
Looks like somebody at Ducati lost a bet. “OK, if I win, you have to design a CRUISER.” Some ideas should remain just that. I predict limited appeal, limited sales, and a no-betting policy at Ducati.
Nicely written.