Runnin' with the Devil....Ducati Diavel

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Shriker
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Runnin' with the Devil....Ducati Diavel

#1 Unread post by Shriker »

Well I was fortunate enough to get a demo ride on a '14 Diavel Carbon :devil: with Termignoni/tune last week.

I am considering a few bikes and this one really intrigued me.

First, its a Ducati. I have long been an admirer of this hallowed mark and have ridden several over the years. Most have been character laden and sounded unbelievable. The Diavel is no different in this respect. The bike has a very ominous and imposing muscular look , especially from the rear with its enormous 240 rear tire dominating the view. Walking around the bike you notice its quite reasonably sized . Some call it a cruiser.....which it most definitely is NOT in any way shape or form. I would really call it a muscle bike.....it excels in a straight line , especially, but is still reasonably good in corners (as ANY Ducati must be). Its riding position for my 6'1" frame was quite good being fairly upright . The seat however hold you in one place and was not very comfortable. The updated '15 model seems to address this. According to most of the forums , many Diavel riders buy the touring gel seat which is better.

Once mounted, you dont need a key to fire up the bike , which is nice. The Testastretta engine roars to life through the Termignoni's , which were quite loud (I dont think it had baffles) , and settles into a loapy V twin idle which is nice. There are several traction control modes and three distinct riding modes. I didnt have time to schmutz around with these......BUT , I will say there is a discernible difference between the three riding modes. The middle touring mode is best , yeilding full power , but with not too abrupt response (like the sporting mode ). The bikes controls worked as expected but I must say didnt have a particularly high quality feel that I expected of such an expensive bike ($20K).

Engaging first gear and rolling through the parking lot showed its easy light slow speed handling . The bike is very easy to move around and weighs in just over 500lbs full of all fluids . Once beyond a crawl , the engine dominates the riding with tremendous low end punch and a beautiful top end as well. The throttle, even in touring mode, is like a trigger .....you are always poised to fire off down range. You had best be pointing in the right direction when you do, because the Diavel has tremendous acceleration . The bike FEELS very quick and fast. Most publications have run LOW 10 second 1/4miles and trap speeds in the mid 130 mph range. I have NO DOUBT this bike will go that quickly . Riding it you are always on the edge .....always waiting for the next opportunity to twist the grip ......and it delivers. Shifting is fair , I missed a gear or two going up or down through the range but with more seat time I am sure this would improve.

When you want to or have to ride more serenely , the Diavel is not as well suited. Again, its always ready to RIPPP.....and because of this , it always felt high strung. You never really relax on this bike. This is a GOOD thing when you want it......and not so good when you dont. It vibrates a fair amount , though not terribly. You can hear and feel alot of mechanical noise and motion from the impressive engine all the time , again, like it or not.

The ride is quite well damped and pretty well controlled in all conditions with its good standard components front and rear. Braking is strong from the Brembos with nice feel.

Overall , I LOVED the bike . It has tremendous character , is reasonably comfortable , and is GAWD AWFUL FAST. IF I was buying a bike to do relatively short jaunts on or roar down a main street looking for fight, this would be the bike . A total blast . The down side to all that intensity is that when you want to cruise down ocean boulevard or you have a bit of highway to travel while NOT at warp 15......the Diavel is less ideal, being just a bit too frenetic and intense . It can and will do anything you ask but is just very intense in its demeanor .

Modern Ducatis have remarkably come a long way in regard to maintenance and reliability . They come with 2 year unlimited mileage warranty and dont have the first valve check until 15,500 miles . The down side is , parts are expensive, service is expensive , and you really dont want to mess with the Desmo valvetrain unless you know what you are doing.

The updated 2015 Diavel will hit showrooms later this year with some minor revisions and improvements.

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jstark47
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Re: Runnin' with the Devil....Ducati Diavel

#2 Unread post by jstark47 »

Shriker wrote:When you want to or have to ride more serenely , the Diavel is not as well suited. Again, its always ready to RIPPP.....and because of this , it always felt high strung. You never really relax on this bike. This is a GOOD thing when you want it......and not so good when you dont.
Never ridden a Duc, but this is a general theme in the reviews I read: awesome performance bike, not so good at everyday riding in traffic. Maybe the small-CC Monsters are an exception.
2003 Triumph Trophy 1200
2009 BMW F650GS (wife's)
2012 Triumph Tiger 800
2018 Yamaha XT250 (wife's)
2013 Kawasaki KLX250S

Shriker
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Re: Runnin' with the Devil....Ducati Diavel

#3 Unread post by Shriker »

jstark..... I think you are correct for the most part. I have heard the Multistradas are really nice overall bikes , though some "Ducatisti" refer to them as the ANTI Ducati because they actually are pretty well rounded .

Unfortunately , most of their models are less comfy for me these days......I LOVE the sport oriented bikes they make but most of the ergos are just too uncomfortable for me these days (as I close in on 50).

I really liked the Diavel a lot .....until I rode another bike directly after it......check out my other review......coming soon.......

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