It makes perfect sense, really, Italy’s premier V-twin manufacturer will be producing a bike which is aimed squarely at the cruiser market – the largest category in the US and gaining in Europe. Ducati revealed to their dealers that the bike in spy-shots from all over the Internet and beyond, the Diavel, will indeed be for sale at your local Ducati Authorized Dealer. There was enough speculation to fill countless articles in the moto-press and with good reason - it will sell quite well if it is priced right. Our first up close look will be at EICMA this November in Milan.
It definitely has a fat arse for a Ducati – a 240mm tire will be shoe-horned onto the single-sided swingarm rear end. It will
come equipped with the 11° Testastretta 1200cc V-twin engine from the excessively successful Multistrada 1200 which is said to produce 140hp in this configuration – no torque figures yet given. But, at only 440 pounds, it will be sure to beat out any and all of its competitors in the horsepower-to-weight ratio. That huge rear tire is nicely rounded, so it should not adversely affect handling. The frame will be the new Ducati hybrid steel-trellis/cast-aluminum combo and the suspension will be top-shelf. It will no doubt handle very well as long as you set it up properly. That will be much easier with the sure-to-be-standard electronic aids which are currently available on the Multi line; that means EFI, ABS, traction control, electronic suspension adjustment, multiple power modes and fly-by-wire throttle. There are also likely to be other features directed at the Diavel’s market segment such as GPS and advanced fuel monitoring.
Aside from the photos, this is about the limit of knowledge on this new category-buster from Ducati. As we get closer to the EICMA show this November in Milan, more details are sure to leak out. Pay attention, and make sure you keep your eyes open…The Ducati Diavel will unquestionably set a new standard which others will need to follow. I only hope the finished machine looks a little better than it does in the grainy snapshots we have seen so far…
NOTE: This is another in a line of new Ducati motorcycle designs which the factory promised the public a few years back. We expect an even more exotic sportbike chassis – with the 848 and 1198 series as beneficiaries - for the 2012 model year.
