I didn't particularly want to test the Diavel, because this class of motorcycle does not arouse any interest in me. But I wanted to try the new Testastretta DVT engine in its latest incarnation, but I have not yet been able to take the new Multistrada with this engine for testing. Therefore, I took this opportunity to try the 2021 XDiavel S, fortunately it is available for a test drive. The post contains insults to the feelings of believers, so it is better for particularly sensitive people to refrain from reading it - there may be unpleasant sensations in the relevant places.
Other reviews: TRIUMPH Speed Triple RS 2021 BMW R1250GS 2021 Ducati Monster 1200 2021 BMW S1000XR 2018
Motorcycles like the Diavel are difficult to evaluate objectively, if only simply because it is difficult to come up with any objective criteria for this class. However, I will try to describe my impressions in the usual way, as if I were testing a normal motorcycle.
Appearance and design
Diavel’s appearance is, of course, what you immediately notice, and apparently one of his main characteristics.
Everyone probably knows her, so I won’t describe her appearance, but I’ll just try to convey the impression she makes on me. And this is the impression - the most ridiculous Ducati you can imagine. The designers tried to combine the incompatible, i.e. to make it look like a cruiser at the same time, but at the same time so that it remains a motorcycle, and not a product from the chrome frames of old beds, like a regular cruiser. And not just any motorcycle, but a Ducati motorcycle, modern and technologically advanced. And I must say that they succeeded, this is exactly a cruiser, and exactly a Ducati, and from a kilometer away you can see that it is modern and technologically advanced. Since the usual tools for cruiser designers (chrome, spokes, tubes and balls from the bed, leather pendants with rivets, and inscriptions in ornate font) were apparently taken away from them from the very beginning, they had to act purely geometrically, and here they did their best. In short, it looks as if the Ducati designer was given the task at gunpoint to draw a cruiser, and so he did. As best I could. This design has only the geometry of a cruiser.
Unlike the usual Diavel, which looks like a cheap thing up close, the X reeks of money even up close. It’s probably good to pose for photos next to him. Well done here, the designers got the point.
Structurally, this is a typical Ducati. Tubular subframes of complex design, the engine as part of the power structure, cantilever rear suspension, powerful front shifters, testretta, and everything else, everything is in place. The only design feature that can be noted is the belt; what would a cruiser be without a belt.
The rear wheel of awkward size, more like a ball, immediately catches your eye. Probably for some this is a sign of immeasurable power and toughness, but for me it looks like a clear problem. Let's see how this wheel behaves on the road. The strange saddle, reminiscent of a catapult tray, also raises some concerns.
Convenience and ergonomics
You sit down in a strangely low saddle, and the first thing you want to do is put your feet on the footrests, but that’s not the case.
There are no footrests. Well, that is, they exist, but somewhere far, far ahead. After you manage to find them, it turns out that you have to reach quite a bit for the hefty steering wheel, because it is moved quite far forward. As a result, the legs are extended towards the footpegs, the hands are stretched towards the steering wheel, the posture is very strange, apparently one needs to get used to cruisers. There is no comfort in this position, the feeling of the motorcycle is also completely lost, but probably there is some meaning hidden from me. The word “posing” instantly comes to mind, because it’s just a pose, and nothing more, probably a person in such a pose should look cool, but I felt very stupid. There is not a penny rational in such a landing. The only thing that brightens up this feeling is the rather comfortable saddle; I expected the worst. It’s very uncomfortable to sit on your own, you feel like an idiot, but your butt is soft and pleasant. The handlebars have standard Ducati remotes, which are quite good, and of better quality than on the older Monster. In principle, the same as on the Multistrada, although the Ducatev remote controls have deteriorated a little in the latest generation; before they were more convenient and of better quality. However, there are no serious complaints. Access, of course, without a key.
The steering wheel itself is wide, but without extremism; here the designers showed some restraint. The grips are pleasantly plump.
There is also a display. It is also a victim of geometry, located in a strange place, and has a strange shape. In general, the display is inconvenient and uninformative, but this is a cruiser... Still, it would be impossible to fit anything more useful into this design. However, the cruiser probably doesn’t need a large display.
It is theoretically possible to seat a passenger at the rear; the handle for this passenger extends from the rear of the motorcycle. I don’t envy this passenger, to be honest... it’s probably supposed to be a passenger, and she should hold onto the waist of the person in front with her feet.
No wind protection found.
Engine and gearbox
Actually, it was for the sake of the engine that I got involved in this story, so let’s go see what the latest generation Testastretta DVT is.
Moreover, Ducati retuned the engine quite significantly on the XDiavel, and promised that it would become even better. It starts without a key, and as usual with Ducati, it is somewhat strained. The sound is solid, more bassy than on the Multistrada with the same engine, apparently the work of a strangely shaped muffler.
And yes, the engine is very good. It pulls very confidently, powerfully and smoothly throughout the entire rev range, accompanied by a rather nice sound. The motorcycle follows the throttle, in the most pleasant sense of the word. Ducati really worked hard and practically eliminated the typical shortcomings of their twins, the main one being poor low end. We also worked on the middle. Down below the engine is very similar to the Goose boxer, in the second half it's a real Testastretta and in between everything is very smooth. Excellent V-twin, probably even a little better than the KTM. Finally he was brought to mind. I would really like to see this engine on a real motorcycle, for example on the new Multistrada... but wait, that's exactly where it is.
At the very top, the engine is clearly a little stifled, but for the Diavel this is definitely not a drawback - who will turn it on the Diavel, and why? This is fully compensated by the increase at the bottom, which is clearly more relevant for a cruiser.
The box is great too. There was an incident with it - I was sure that a quickshifter was installed on the motorcycle, and I calmly shifted up and down without a clutch. When I gave the motorcycle back, I complained that the quickshifter didn’t always work well downwards, and was surprised to learn that there was no quickshifter. However, the slipper clutch is configured in such a way that you can even shift down without squeezing, if without fanaticism, of course. The clutch itself works great, it is typical for a Ducati, but the lever travel is slightly lighter than on the Multistrada, which is nice. Roughly similar to the older Monster's clutch.
The transfers are quite short.
Overall the engine is great, but it's clearly from a different bike, the Diavel doesn't need this engine for nothing, and no one will use it even halfway. Why? Yes, simply because engines don’t drive on their own, they need a motorcycle. And here it’s as if he’s not there.
Oh, and yes, the belt. The belt works well and is quite appropriate. I like it.
Pendants
The suspensions are brutally hard.
Normal, fat, dense suspensions, worthy of a good modern road motorcycle or even a street bike, hold the road perfectly, and at the same time are not at all comfortable. All road bumps fly directly into the ass, and given the wild landing, straight into the back. The suspensions themselves pass the speed bump test with equanimity; for them this is not a problem at all. This is a problem for anyone driving this self-propelled misunderstanding. I specially found a fairly flat road at a gas station and drove along it several times, at different speeds. And yes, the fears were completely confirmed - the saddle not only looks like a catapult, it also works the same. :)) Even at a speed of 20 km/h, the butt throws up 10 centimeters, and nothing can be done about it - the ridiculous landing eliminates the possibility of somehow fending off these pranks. Whatever I did, I changed the speed, almost grabbed the saddle with my half-ass, the result was the same - you bounce comically. I can imagine what it will be like for the passenger... it’s still an amazing motorcycle device.
There is nothing more to say about the pendants, because... more on that later.
Brakes
Excellent Brembo brakes, plus the well-known Bosch nine ABS, with all imaginable goodies, even for some reason with IMU.
Not the slightest complaint about the brakes, however, when did Ducati ever have bad brakes? The standard, in short.
Controllability.
But it’s not there, they forgot to put it in.
Not at all. I have never seen a motorcycle that handles so poorly. And the reason is quite clear, it is right under the catapult, this ominous ball is in place of the rear wheel. Oh, it’s not for nothing that he looked so suspicious, oh, it’s not for nothing. Well, and a long wheelbase, of course. Diavel reacts to an attempt to turn the motorcycle in the following way - to begin with, nothing. Well, that is, he leans, he can even lean quite strongly, but the trajectory remains the same, all this pathos continues to calmly flow straight. Then something inside him switches, apparently an arrow, and he turns no less calmly and switches to a different trajectory. This process is extremely reminiscent of a train moving along a switch to another track, and is completely uncontrollable - Diavel himself knows his tracks. The pathetic person who is fussing up there from above is not interesting to him at all. Well, maybe they can play with the catapult.
I spent about 15 minutes weaving in the traffic on the Moscow Ring Road, trying to figure out how this train should be turned. To be honest, I still don’t understand. The same process is repeated all the time, first we switch the arrow, then slowly we crawl onto the neighboring paths. Of course, I expected a trick from this two-wheeled absurdity, but, to be honest, I did not expect this at all. At that moment, Diavel simply left the motorcycle category for me, and I really wanted to get off this train.
The reasons for this fiasco are quite understandable, and they, like all of Diavel’s other problems, lie in the field of geometry. A ball instead of a rear one, a long wheelbase, a blocked front fork, and the geometric arrangement of that unfortunate person who is trying to turn, perched on all this.
Modes
There are some. Some have more dynamics and harshness, others are softer and more vegetable, but overall nothing special. Fundamentally, the character of the motorcycle does not change.
City
Cruiser in the city.
Slow, low, you can’t maneuver, you can’t really see anything, you feel stupid. In short, everything is as it should be, approximately similar to Harleys and other similar equipment. At least the steering wheel isn't too wide. The elasticity of the motor allows you to almost not use the box. But this doesn't make it any better. In short, it’s possible. Slowly making your way through traffic or throwing up in traffic. What, in fact, is what the owners of Diavels, whom I often overtake, do.
You can proudly shoot through the gap. In a straight line. True, for some reason the desire disappears after the fourth time.
Route
On the highway you can, as it is correctly called, cruise.
Well, that is, drive in a straight line on difficult terrain. Unlike most other cruisers, this can be done quite dynamically. However, there is nothing special about the dynamics of this motorcycle; it is not a dragster; the Multistrada with the same engine feels more dynamic. At the same time, there is no particular desire to dynamize Diavel. Holds the road. He finds the rails somewhere on this road, stands on them, and then travels like any other train - straight. But this has already been said earlier.
Turns (if the rails are laid with a bend) go well. Which is not surprising, with such a suspension. The same suspension sends any unevenness on the road straight to your back. It is impossible to go around it; trains should not pay attention to such trifles.
Oddly enough, despite the complete absence of visible wind protection, in fact there is wind protection, approximately the same phenomenon as on the Monster, but even more pronounced. Even at a speed of 180, it’s more or less comfortable, and it doesn’t blow too much. Well done aerodynamicists.
There is no particular comfort with all this, but the butt is soft.
Dalnyaki
Uh, no. Although, it seems that this miracle has a version with panniers, and it sounds like a joke.
Bad roads and soil
Only under substances and one way.
Emotional component
- Oh god, what is this? Does it even move?
- Mom, get me out of here, and anyway, where are the steps?
- Oh, the engine is good!
- Your mother! Turn around, you bastard!
- And what should I do about it now???
- Bored...
- Oh, that's a nice jump. Wouldn't fly away...
- Bored...
- People are watching, it’s a shame.
- Stop the train, I'll get off.
Part two, lyrical, short
Well, what can you say... actually, there are a lot of things that can be said, but it will touch a lot of tender emotional strings and a lot of mucous membranes.
I'll try to summarize very briefly. This is a very good motorcycle piece of guano, assembled from very good components. An excellent example of how a huge pile of beautiful technology and electronics can be completely killed by banal geometry. Moreover, to kill deliberately, diligently, and with great knowledge of the matter. Just to solve one small geometric problem of who will buy it. You get what I mean, don't you?
And he's good for nothing else. I mean exactly like a motorcycle.
PS The opinion may not coincide with the opinion of the editors. :)) PPS Such diavels are not about driving at all, they have completely different values, mostly imaginary and emotional. Therefore, this “review” is, first of all, an attempt to share the emotions that such a technique can evoke. They may be different for you.
Other reviews: TRIUMPH Speed Triple RS 2021 BMW R1250GS 2021 Ducati Monster 1200 2021 BMW S1000XR 2018
REVIEW – DUCATI XDiavel S 2021: beauty and masculinity in Italian style
Shocking and style. The sound of a mighty heart beating in the tight steel chest of the space frame, the predatory look of the headlight, the refined thoughtfulness of every line - all this is DUCATI XDiavel S 2021.
The motorcycle is available in a standard black and gray color scheme and in Iseberg White paint. The combination of classic black and crisp white colors is a synergy of opposing elements, thoughts, unity of style and ergonomics, a mix of cruiser culture and Italian motorcycle manufacturing experience. This is strength and mystery against the backdrop of deliberate brevity. The manufacturer probably gives particular preference to this design of the model, since it does not skimp on thoughtful, enthusiastic epithets when demonstrating the updated “devil” on its official website.
The new version of DUCATI XDiavel S fully reflects craftsmanship, attention to detail and precision assembly.
Exclusive wheels with solid black spokes highlight the anodized aluminum on the 240 mm wide rear wheel.
In one variant, the bike's highly polished fuel tank is black, with a red and matte black stripe down the center. In another, the details have a rich white color. The engine boasts the same rich, “polished” black color, and the drive belt covers stand out due to the textured aluminum treatment.
In the photo: XDiavel S in white version
As standard and in the white version, the motorcycle is equipped with a DRL (daytime running light) system for the headlight. It is distinguished by a characteristic horseshoe-shaped appearance.
The front fork is recognizable thanks to the letters DLC on the fork legs and Brembo M50 monobloc front brake calipers.
The XDiavel S's unique styling is evident in its distinctive mirror layout, frame components and forged, machined footpeg pads, dual-material seat, heavy-duty matte anodized swingarm and Bluetooth connectivity for the infotainment system.
In the photo: the mesmerizing look of a mighty cruiser
Mark of the Beast
5,000, 147, 40. What can these numbers say? And these are the key values in the concept of the XDiavel motorcycle. 5,000 is the number of revolutions per minute at which the engine provides maximum torque, 147 is the number of ergonomic solutions for the motorcyclist, 40 is the degree of angle at maximum tilt of the bike. This is a significant achievement for cruisers!
Motorcycle engine
The heart of the new “devil” is the DUCATI Testastretta DVT 1262 (with a variable timing mechanism), which has an L-Twin layout, 4 valves per cylinder, a double spark ignition system and liquid cooling. The power of the power unit is 156 horsepower with a volume of 1,262 cubic meters. cm and is achieved at 9,500 rpm. The torque of 128.9 Nm can be fully utilized as early as 5,000 rpm. The torque of 126 Nm can be fully utilized as early as 5,000 rpm. Engine power management is provided by a Bosch electronic system through 56mm oval throttle valves.
Pictured: black lacquer of the mighty Testastretta
Exhaust system
The free “breathing” of the motorcycle is implemented in the form of an exhaust tract and muffler made of stainless steel with double oval outlets, a catalyst and two lambda probes.
The bike is equipped with a six-speed gearbox and a slipper hydraulic clutch, providing precise and informative control.
The frame is a tubular steel trellis frame, to which is attached a powerful rear swingarm. The rear suspension is a single shock absorber with pre-adjustable compression and rebound damping and a remote reservoir. At the front, comfortable movement is ensured by an adjustable fork with a 50 mm diameter of stays with DLC processing. Suspension travel of 120 mm at the front and 110 mm at the rear means comfortable movement even on uneven roads.
Powerful and heavy, the motorcycle is easy to accelerate, which means it is equally easy to stop if necessary. ]DUCATI[/anchor] engineers equipped the new model with two semi-floating 320 mm brake discs at the front and a 265 mm disc at the rear. The cornering assistance system (Bosch cornering ABS) is installed as standard.
In the photo: muscular and snow-white - top view
The 3.5-inch TFT color instrument panel display provides all the information the rider needs. It is equipped with warning lights.
The curb weight of the motorcycle is 247 kg, the fuel tank capacity is 18 liters. A fairly comfortable seat height of 75.5 cm and a wheelbase of 1,615 mm make this cruiser comfortable for a motorcyclist of any height. A fork tilt of 30 degrees creates optimal conditions for precise and confident control.
Electronic assistants include riding modes, DUCATI safety package (Bosch cornering ABS + DTC), power control (DPL), cruise control, hands-free calling, LED lighting with DRLs, illuminated switches on the steering wheel, Bluetooth module, infotainment system .
Once again, DUCATI has managed to design a unique motorcycle that meets, perhaps, almost all the needs of riders. The power, elegance, and technical equipment of the created device are certainly impressive and evoke one desire - to own it. And soon you will be able to purchase this muscular handsome man in our online store. Follow the updates on the website.
Ducati Diavel 1260 S
The 2021 Ducati Diavel 1260 S is a completely new motorcycle both in terms of construction and design, and Ducati has made a point of this, explaining to us that this is not just an annual redesign of the 2018 Carbon and Titanium models.
Ducati Diavel 1260 S 2019
For starters, the bike (which, by the way, will hit showrooms in April, at least in the states) has a new stance. Its seat has been updated, and the footrests have been moved back a little. The same thing happened with the fork: its offset angle changed from 28 to 27 degrees.
Ducati says the new Diavel 1260 S weighs 244kg when loaded. The model is available in two configurations: basic and S, featuring improved suspensions and a number of technical additions.
The design and style of the model is densely mixed with the best of three worlds, the Diavel 1260 has a supersport hood, a humpbacked tank, a steering wheel with a headlight and a forward engine from a sports naked, and from a cruiser it takes the frame outline and low seat.
The new Ducati Diavel 1260 (specifically the S version) comes equipped with the best digital options from Ducati. Project manager Eugenio Gherardi took me through the presentation of the motorcycle, and it turned out that it has two ECUs: one controls the engine, and the second, the Ducati Black Box System, processes data from many sensors on the wheels, brake systems, engine, as well as the six-axis inertia measurement systems. The Ducati Diavel 1260 S version includes e-throttle, DQS bi-directional quickshifter, adjustable tilt ABS, and traction and wheelie control.
The motorcycle has a variety of settings that are displayed on the large digital instrument panel and can be changed using the buttons on the left remote control. The preset settings are grouped into three riding modes: Sport, Touring and Urban.
On the engine side, Ducati engineers have achieved “extremely linear thrust development even at low revs, and an explosive, sporty character at high revs.” Thanks to changes to the intake, exhaust and fuel maps, the DVT engine, already familiar from the Diavel Carbon and Titanium, manages to extract 129 Nm of peak thrust at 7500 rpm, Gherardi said.
Finally, Ducati has equipped the Diavel 1260 with a massive 240 rear tire on a 17-inch wheel. Wide tires give the Diavel a distinctive appearance, unlike any modern production motorcycle.
