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New Ducati XDiavel and XDiavel S

Completely new

The extravagant Diavel is complementing Ducati with the even more extreme Ducati XDiavel. And this is by no means a variation on the topic, but a completely new motorcycle – and what a motorcycle.

Cruiser? No way! When the Diavel came onto the market in 2011, Ducati managers shrank away from this word like the devil before holy water – which was quite fitting, because "Diavel" is a Bolognese dialect and means devil. “Don’t call me Cruiser”, the Italians let their Diavel whisper hoarsely in international commercials; She wanted to be understood as a muscle bike, a different kind of high-tech athlete. But times are changing. Delightfully surprised by the great success of the Diavel – it has sold 13,000 times in Europe so far, over 5000 times in the USA – Ducati continues with the XDiavel is now introducing an even more extreme concept into the motorcycle world, which this time officially goes by the name of Cruiser.

New Ducati XDiavel and XDiavel S

Completely new

Engine and design

It goes without saying that the new Ducati XDiavel fulfills all the criteria of the segment, with a wheelbase of 1.615 meters and a seat height of 75.5 centimeters, it is almost as thin as a thumb, and, appropriately, relies on forward footrests and toothed belt drives instead of chains. With its exciting look and the ultra-powerful engine, it exceeds the usual cruiser demands. The extreme dimensions combine to form clear, bold lines, thanks to the vertically instead of horizontally mounted water cooler, the front of the motorcycle remains comparatively narrow. With the short rear end, the slim waist, the massive swing arm and the thick engine as an eye-catcher, the Ducati XDiavel looks like a mixture of Arnold Schwarzenegger and George Clooney – muscular and supple at the same time.

High-quality materials and a flawless finish even cast a spell over sports drivers who were previously unsuspected of cruising, especially since the technical data speak for themselves: the Desmo-V2 with variable valve control delivers 156 hp. The engine of the Ducati XDiavel is already known in principle from the Multistrada 1200, but for its new purpose it has more displacement – namely 1262 cm³ – and a blatant acceleration: Already at 5000 rpm it reaches the maximum torque of just 129 Newton meters, 100 even at 2100 rpm. Compared to the Diavel, in view of this extreme design, a little top performance falls by the wayside, but nobody cares.

The engine of the Ducati XDiavel is also the focus of the design. Thanks to the repositioned water pump (see interview) all hoses and covers disappeared. “We in the design department have declared war on all these covers anyway,” explains chief designer Gianandrea Fabbro with a laugh. "A mechanics as beautiful as that of our V2 engine shouldn’t be hidden, it should be emphasized."

Driving dynamics and equipment

The new Ducati XDiavel promises almost sporty ground clearance: it should allow a 40 degree incline without attachments dragging or sparks. The ergonomics should also reflect the design as a dynamic techno-cruiser, as the developers define their XDiavel: "Sure, the seating position naturally corresponds to a cruiser," says Product Manager Stefan Tarabusi. “But it is not extreme, it still allows very good control of the motorcycle.” The standard footrests can be moved 22.5 millimeters forwards or backwards. In terms of driving dynamics, the developers can even gain a certain advantage from the forward-set footrests: "Unlike our athletes, the driver cannot lean on the footrests when accelerating," explains project engineer Eugenio Gherardi. "He is pressed into the seat, similar to a sports car, which means that he feels the wind and acceleration significantly more, a really emotional experience." 

In terms of equipment and assistance systems, the Ducati XDiavel is completely up to date. Ride-by-Wire and ABS have long been a matter of course at Ducati, as has adjustable traction control. There are three driving modes, the gentlest of which, called Urban, limits the power to 100 hp. The adjustable cornering ABS and cruise control are new compared to the Diavel. 

The small DPL (Ducati Power Launch) switch on the handlebars makes for a thrilling additional pleasure in the truest sense of the word. Simply press the button at the traffic lights, engage first gear, open the gas, release the clutch when it turns green – and the Ducati XDiavel gets going like crazy, combining maximum possible power with the right traction control, including a slightly lifting front wheel . "But you can’t do it indefinitely," explains project engineer Eugenio Gherardi with a smile, "that would ruin the clutch in the long run." In the sharpest of the three power launch modes, only three full throttle starts are possible in a row.

Ducati XDiavel S for 3000 euros extra

The Ducati XDiavel S is even more exclusive than the Ducati XDiavel. For a surcharge of 3000 euros, it shines with an even more elaborate finish, including wheels with twelve eye-catching spokes that are anchored to the outside of the rims. Then there are the company’s first daytime running lights, a DLC coating on the fork sliding tubes and Brembo monobloc brakes at the front. Its aluminum swing arm is anodized and brushed, the toothed belt cover is made of aluminum, and a Bluetooth module provides the connection between smartphone and cockpit. The XDiavel is only available in matt black, the S variant in glossy black with a correspondingly painted engine block.

However, no one knows whether and how the new Ducati XDiavel will affect the successful sales of the Diavel. “Both are dynamic and cool,”Says product manager Stefano Tarabusi. “We believe that everyone will find or keep their audience.” But why is the new one now called XDiavel when in the end it doesn’t have much in common with the Diavel? “We discussed the name for a long time,” admitted Tarabusi. “We also talked about a completely new name.” But because the Diavel is a trailblazer and inspiration for the new one, it remains the name giver. "We liked the X because it can mean anything," adds chief designer Gianandrea Fabbro, "from the unknown in the mathematical equation to the symbol for a connection. "that seems to be quite successful.

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Giuliana Casadei

Somehow similar, but completely different: here the most expensive version of the Diavel, …

The Diavel was the godfather of the XDiavel. And so there are a few things in common: from the general design line with the high rear to the six-speed gearbox with identical gear ratio to the fat 240 mm rear tire.

Ducati

… and here the basic version of the new Ducati XDiavel.

Biggest visual difference: With the Ducati XDiavel, the focus is on the engine, with the Diavel the chassis and frame.

interview

15th Pictures

Pictures: New Ducati XDiavel and XDiavel S

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Giuliana Casadei

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"What about the footrests?"

Breutel

Born in the Netherlands, Bart Janssen Groesbeek has been a member of Ducati’s design team for more than 14 years. In addition to the new XDiavel, the Diavel also essentially came from his pen.

 ?  Ducati Diavel and Ducati XDiavel look similar at first glance, but are completely different. Which differences are particularly important to you?

 !  The Diavel was our first approach to the cruiser world, actually it is a streetfighter with a long swing arm. This time it was supposed to be a 100% cruiser. The frame and swing arm are shorter, and we’ve moved the engine to the rear, which benefits the center of gravity. The new position of the water pump is decisive. Until now, it sat on the cover of the alternator, which is why hoses and cables ran on the left side of the engine. That would have been a problem this time, because the main focus of the Ducati XDiavel is the engine. Now the water pump sits in the V between the two cylinders, the hoses run inside.

 ?  Have you included a possible customizing from the start??

 !  Yes. In contrast to the Diavel, in which the individual components merge into one another, the XDiavel parts such as the steel tank, swing arm or seat are clearly separated from each other. That makes customizing easier.

 ?  There were special problems?

 !  The toothed belt drive was a challenge. We have developed a three-part single-sided swing arm: top truss tube, bottom cast, in the middle forged parts that can be screwed on for maintenance. And then there were the forward footrests, which was really new territory for us. At some point we asked ourselves: what should we do with them, where can we anchor them? In the end we built in an extra strut, which is what you are sitting on now.

Michael Pfeiffer on the XDiavel

Ducati

Ducati boss Claudio Domenicali shows us the new Ducati XDiavel S in person. It is the first belt-driven Ducati.

It’s already a good tradition: Ducati invites MOTORRAD to a first impression of their latest machines. This has now also happened with the brand new Ducati XDiavel. The techno cruiser was presented by the boss himself.

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Ducati boss Claudio Domenicali explains the new switch units to MOTORRAD boss Michael Pfeiffer, which are now illuminated in red

Blue sky, clear air, a brawny 1300 Desmo V2 puffing away: the world can be so beautiful. But wait: I am not allowed to drive it, because the world presentation for the journalist colleagues has not yet taken place, and you can’t give MOTORRAD so much preference. So for me there is another machine. Never mind. Because Claudio Domenicali drives in front of me and lets the new 1300 fly quickly around the slippery corners with the footrests that are far forward. Brave, brave, I think – the thermometer only shows a painful four degrees – but if anyone here in the mountains south of Bologna is familiar, then it is him. So let’s go afterwards, even if his fat 240cc rear wheel stirs up thick clouds of salt dust.

"Our V2 has never run so smoothly"

What stands out: the new Ducati XDiavel sounds powerful but subtle. The days when a Ducati pounded through the streets with a rowdy brawl are definitely over. “There is a lot of know-how in the exhaust system, and with it we achieved this fantastic torque.” Domenicali is enthusiastic about the work of his engineers and raves about the fine response and pressure from the cellar. “The toothed belt drive is a new world for us,” he reports. "We were finally able to reduce the drive play, you will notice it after the first few meters, our V2 has never run so smoothly and with such low mechanical noises."

We roar on and Domenicali makes it clear that even the longest and flattest Ducati of all time remains a real Ducati. After all, the new Euro4 engine also delivers a whopping 156 hp with a comparatively low vehicle weight of 247 kilograms, which of course makes a cruiser a fairly fast projectile with the appropriate driving style. Seen in this way, the Ducati XDiavel is unique in the market.

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