Thursday, August 29, 2013

Ridden: Ducati Diavel Carbon

A few years ago the boss’s at Ducati said to their engineers design a motorcycle that is completely different and original.  What they came up with was the Diavel, which is available in a variety of forms, namely the carbon, cromo, strada, black diamond, AMG special edition and the dark. All of which are predominantly aesthetic changes based on the same platform.

From an appearance perspective, the Diavel has a unique look. The rear tyre was custom made for the Diavel because it is a 240 section, probably the largest tyre fitted to a factory built machine. The front end is slightly more controversial with a rounded headlight which can look outdated. Perhaps the best view of the Diavel is a side and rear profile. From the side one can see the side mounted radiators, a unique feature.
The beautifully crafted exhausts twirl out of the body and along the side of the machine. The Termignoni aftermarket pipe is a must have as it improves the design and also enhances that lovely L-twin symphony.



The powerplant, as mentioned above is the traditional L-Twin that we find in most Ducati’s.

With 1198.4CC’s to work with the Diavel produces 119Kw and 127.5Nm of torque. The first thing you will notice is how quickly the Diavel moves off the line even at low RPM thanks to that engine configuration.
Power delivery is smooth throughout the RPM range and you find yourself short shifting just to enjoy the low end torque availability.

 The seat height is low and both rider and passenger seats are very comfortable, making the Diavel an excellent touring machine. One of the surprising things about the Diavel is how easy it is to ride and how manoeuvrable the machine is contradictory to its bulky looks. The Marzocchi forks also provide a very comfortable ride and enable the Diavel an exceptional level of stability and grip.



The Diavel also packs a lot of electronic gear which all add to a fantastic riding experience. Included is:
ABS, Hands free ignition, DTC (Ducati traction control), Ride-by-wire (RbW), and selectable riding modes namely: sport, touring and urban, all of which adjust RbW and DTC to enable a completely different feel from the Diavel in each mode.

The Carbon edition manages to shave off approximately 3KG of weight thanks to the abundant use of exquisitely finished carbon fibre, although this model is slightly more expensive than the base price obviously.
 The only problem I have with the Diavel is how to understand its split personality. It’s not a tourer, and it’s not a sportbike, and you couldn’t really call it a combination of the two either because of its cruiser-like looks. 

Perhaps then the Diavel is for those who want something different to ride on the streets that will attract a lot of attention from fellow road users. In essence it is probably the perfect celebrity motorcycle. Unless you’re a hipster and you would prefer something to match your looks.

Pros:
Easy to ride
Comfortable
Unique

Cons:
Price


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