Ducati Diavel 1260 S in the driving report: Power bike goes devilish

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Ducati Diavel 1260 S in the driving report

The new power bike is going crazy

Not all motorcycles follow the same pattern. Luckily. Ducati has the courage to go its own way. With its mix of styles, the Powerbike Diavel has been breaking conventions since 2011, establishing a completely new motorcycle species. Now designers and engineers have given it a general overhaul. How is the new Ducati Diavel 1260 S doing on the first test drive?

What is courage To go your own way. Has Ducati. And for the 2011 season style elements crossed by power nakeds, cruisers and athletes. The result was the first Diavel. Since then, 35,000 of these incomparable machines, including their power cruiser sister, the XDiavel, have rolled off the production lines in Bologna. But while the X-Diavel has had the full V2 program in the form of the 1262 cubic DVT engine since its appearance in 2016, the Diavel had to be content with "only" 1198 cubic so far. That is now over, from now on the "all-rounder" Diavel – D.ucati himself sees it as a “mega monster”, as a power naked – the Desmo-V2 with 1262 cm³ and variable valve control DVT.

Desmo-V2 is snappy on the gas

And so the XL-V2 wakes up in the morning in southern Spain with a deep and bassy sound. The Duc sounds potent, but not intrusive, from its now two short outlet mouths in the style of the XDiavel. Longer, fat silencers, that used to be. From the very first moment, the killer engine is highly motivated. The Desmo-V2 is incredibly snappy on the gas, without being aggressive-rough. What a warrior. Power meets sophistication in this Satan’s roast. At the latest from 5,000 revolutions the engine goes devilish, there is no stopping it. You’re glad that the pronounced seat trough supports you backwards like a dragster. Falling down at the back is impossible.

Ducati

The V2 engine is snappy on the gas.

The wheelie control, which can be programmed in eight stages, and a special launch control also contribute to this: This system guarantees violent, but safe starts, not just on the drag strip. This is ensured by an optimized control of the maximum available torque when the DTC is switched on and a constant lift detection of the front wheel by the new six-axis IMU from Bosch. Wake up the dragster pilot in you. Without any burnouts and almost no power wheelies. Simply fully cock the tap and let the clutch come to full speed quickly, the electronics take care of the rest …

Significantly improved bench

But don’t worry, the Diavel can be different too. That is, hand-tame. Tea motorcycle is really well balanced, you notice that when you drive slowly. Those are almost Honda or BMW virtues. Even when turning (tight turning circle!) And the seat looks much better. It is comfortable and comfy and has a nice slim cut in the transition area to the frame and tank.

Ducati

The displacement has increased to 1262 cm³.

You sit very much inside the motorcycle, you feel wonderfully secure. With a very relaxed knee angle. Even for smaller pilots, it is easy to get both feet on the safe ground. The footrests are mounted amidships. As a result, it didn’t use as jackknife-like as on the more cruiser-like sister XDiavel. Criticism? Yes, the mirrors should show a little more of the traffic behind. There is more space for the pillion passenger. And, better safe than sorry, a retaining bracket that can be pulled out of the bold rear.

Power meets torque

Speedometer display 100 in sixth gear corresponds to approximately 3,700 revolutions. That’s low. Three driving modes ex works combine power output, throttle response and the control thresholds of ABS (three levels), wheelie control and traction control (eight levels each). In urban mode (it should better be called "Rain" in view of the rain in Spain), only 100 hp are available. Yes friends, it’s modern times. Nowadays you buy 2 to 3 motors in one. It is a matter of honor that traction control and cornering ABS adapt to sloping positions. The new central computer with six-axis IMU makes it possible.

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What do you notice? Quite simply: The technocratic Testastretta is devilish, just sends heavenly. A real mega-monster this Desmo-V2. Splendor and glory. Ducati’s variable valve control DVT influences both camshafts over the entire speed range. Depending on the load, engine speed and gear engaged. You can find high tech in Bologna. Power meets torque and also a little speed. If in doubt, you’d better take it up a gear. The way the huge pistons hit the top of the crankshaft and hammer it in, you could almost feel sorry for it.

Spring elements do a good job

The eight-stage adjustable traction control is perfectly adapted. A real safety net that you can rely on almost blindly. That creates a lot of confidence and trust, even when things get tough. Ducati is proud to have programmed it on its own without the help of Bosch. The clutch lever is surprisingly easy to pull. But over long distances the clutch hand has a break. The shift assistant with blipper function works much more gently when shifting up and even when the throttle valve is barely open than when shifting down in overrun mode. “Shifting into higher gear is easier to calibrate,” reports Ducati’s development engineer.

Ducati

For the design, she was awarded the "Red dot design"-Award awarded.

The spring elements create the asphalt relief with great sensitivity. You always notice what’s going on below you without ever suffering from it. This is how the elegant Ohlins parts create a fantastic balancing act from comfortable to tight: the standard Diavel has a 50 mm upside-down fork from Marzocchi at the front. But the S relies on a titanium-nitrite-coated front fork from Ohlins with "only" 48 millimeter standpipe diameter. She speaks fantastic. It’s always surprising how great and smooth this macho bike par excellence rides. It’s completely easy.

Weight is 233 kilograms without fuel

The 240 Pirelli Diablo Rosso III with its really round motorcycle tire contour is a wonder tire. The fat Pirelli skin makes the motorcycle so light-footed that it is a splendor. The Ducati holds even tighter radii precisely. Running Wide? Not really. The tires from German production hardly run after the longitudinal grooves or grooves. Class! Here the tire bakers have created the square of the circle. In terms of wheelbase, tire width and weight, this is a real cornering artist. Ducati specifies 233 kilograms without fuel for the S version. The standard version should weigh two kilograms more. Weight distribution is pretty much 50 to 50, the engineers promise.

Ducati

Ducati has given the new Diavel wheelie control, among other things.

This diabolical naked bike is wonderfully agile. If you didn’t know better, you would never believe that a 240/45 rear roller rotates on a fat 8 inch rim. Hell, it goes really far down here. All the way to the edge of the tire and a 41 degree lean to be precise. Must be a tough job for the strut to keep the 240 so neutral. Only in very tight bends (roundabouts in the morning when the tires were still cold) did the mighty motorcycle tip over a little further on its own. The faster the better, the Diavel is also completely Ducati.

Almost 20,000 euros in the basic version

This mighty motorcycle is a fulfillment for haptics: many loving details meet the finest surface finish. Have you ever thought about gaps in a motorcycle? It’s time to design a completely new bodywork. Group parent Audi sends its looks. The metallic panels above the plastic tank offer a magnetic tank bag a secure hold. The cockpit offers four different display options! These include City (speed easily readable) and full mode, but also an option for racetracks.

Ducati

Ducati decided on the Pirelli Diablo Rosso III as the basic tire.

And a mini overhead locker under the driver’s seat with a USB port enables a cell phone to be charged even while driving. But despite Bluetooth connectivity for calls and music, the new Diavel is not a computer on wheels. It is a driving experience of the third kind. However, given the base price of at least 20,000 euros, you need a well-filled change box for it …

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