I call her Phantom (Ducati Diavel 1260s)

The all new Ducati Diavel doesn’t need any introduction. I am not going to deep dive into specs of the Diavel and am just going to leave this out here for those interested – https://www.ducati.com/us/en/bikes/diavel/diavel-1260. I am going to talk about what it is though. I have heard people trying to put this bike in a lot of categories like power cruiser, not a sport bike, not a cruiser. Everyone tries to tell you what a Diavel is not but no one tells you what it is. I will try to to tell you what it can do from my experience, before telling you what category it falls in.

After my Zx10R was stolen, I didn’t get a bike for a couple of years and was constantly on the look out. One of the biggest complaints I had with the super sport was that I could not go more than 100 miles in a day because of the riding position. With a passenger it feels extremely painful after 50 miles on windy roads and less painful if it is a straight stretch of road. It is more uncomfortable for the passenger aka my wife as she is taller than an average woman. So, picking a motorcycle with a lot of power that is usable through out the rev range, has a comfortable riding position, incredible exhaust note and looks like a piece of art is a challenging task.

Everyone tries to tell you what a Diavel is not but no one tells you what it is.

Ducati took the successful Testastretta DVT 1262 engine from the Multistrada and tuned it to give a more sporty delivery for the Diavel. The S version has a Öhlins suspension which make a difference especially in high speed or tight turns and during braking. It also has a Brembo monoblock 4-piston M4.32 callipers in the front and 2-piston Brembo piston calliper in the back, which translates to more stopping power and yes, you can tell the difference if you ride like I do. So, as you can see Ducati started with a successful mix and redesigned the older Diavel to bring it all together.  It also comes with a ton of electronics to aid the rider. The first couple of times when I sensed the intervention, it felt like I broke the bike. It takes getting used to but it will save your ass. I am also eagerly waiting to try the Ducati Power Launch as it is only unlocked after the first service. Just to show you how quick and agile it feels, the weight-power ratio of Lamborhini Huracán is 5.13 pounds/hp and Diavel has 3.02 pounds/hp. To put that into perspective the worlds faster production car Bugatti Chiron has 2.93 pounds/hp. If you think it is not fair to compare this to hyper cars, a ~$2M MotoGP bike has 1.5 pounds/hp. That should answer the folks who say Diavel is heavy and doesn’t have enough power.

The red trellis frame, Öhlins suspension, big front monolblock and the DRL make the Diavel standout in the crowd. Of course, there is no need to talk about how the single sided swing arm which makes the bike look clean.  If you buy this beast, get ready to talk to people when you stop for a gas or a coffee break because it commands attention.

Now circling back to what it can do and what it is:

• Can easily do 200+ mile rides in a day with a passenger. Some say those are rookie numbers and I need to pump those numbers, which I plan to do after the first service 😉
• Be crazy quick on curvy, sweeping mountain roads. Pirelli made Diablo Rosso III‘s specifically for new Diavel. The rounder profile of the tires make it feel very agile it turns. In short a bike this long and heavy should not be able to turn the way it does. Öhlins is also a contributing factor in this aspect. It clearly shows the amount engineering Ducati has put into it.
• One could easily argue that you could get a tourer to do everything I just said but you cannot do it in style and you definitely won’t have the power Diavel has. Also, there are many people just like me who are just not ready to bite that bullet yet.
• It is a piece of art and a peacherino.

Having said that I will just say that Diavel needs it own category. It is one bike to rule them all. It is a mega monster.