The first new Ducati Diavel 1260 motorcycle rolled off the production line in Borgo Panigale, Bologna, Italy. The new bikes mark the second generation of the Diavel model.
The entire production team and the company’s CEO Claudio Domenicali were there at the end to celebrate the beginning of its new production. Domenicali gave a short speech to the workers and then it was on to keep rolling these bikes out.
At the heart of the new Diavel 1260 is the Testastretta DVT 1260 with Desmodromic Variable Timing. The V-twin engine comes with a 1,262cc displacement. It makes a whopping 157 hp and 95 lb-ft of torque.
Ducati upgraded the chassis setup to make the bike an even more competent handler. Pair the new chassis with modern electronic features like Bosch Cornering ABS, and you have a true performer with cruiser motorcycle comforts.
Image from Ducati
Ducati will sell the regular Diavel 1260, which should thrill whoever rides it. That said, the company will also sell a Diavel 1260 S version of the bike. It comes with Öhlins suspension, Ducati Quick Shift up & down Evo system as standard, higher-performing brakes, and dedicated wheels.
Colors for the Diavel 1260 include Sandstone Grey. Colors for the Diavel 1260 S include Sandstone Grey or Thrilling Black & Dark Stealth.
You can expect the Diavel 1260 in dealerships later this year. With Triumph’s new Rocket III power cruiser in the works and looking awesome, Ducati needs the Diavel 1260 to be a killer.
Ducati‘s 2016 XDiavel brings something new to the cruiser market. Built to bring the excitement of a cruiser and the riding capacity of a sport bike together. With an incredible lean angle, a ton of power, and 60 ergonomic fit options, we’re waiting to see a part of the new XDiavel we don’t like.
Ducati enters the Cruiser domain and does so in its own inimitable way, presenting a true Cruiser with all the design, technology and performance one expects from a Ducati thoroughbred. Called the XDiavel, it brings together two worlds: the Cruiser world – low speeds, relaxed riding, long journeys and feet forward ergonomics – and the Ducati world, characterised by Italian style, refined engineering and unparalleled performance.
The XDiavel ensures the “low speed excitement” typical of a Cruiser and the adrenaline rush of sports riding that Ducati has made its own. That’s what the X in XDiavel stands for: the merging of two apparently separate, distant worlds on one bike, a superb combination where both are accomplished without compromise.
5,000, 60, 40. Three numbers that sum up the XDiavel concept.
5,000 as in the rpm at which the twin-cylinder engine achieves maximum torque (13.1 kgm). Extremely low revs for a Ducati engine but perfect for a Cruiser. Moreover, at 2,100 rpm the XDiavel power unit already ensures a torque of over 10 kgm, with an extremely flat curve all the way to the rev-limiter. Yet the engine remains a Ducati engine through and through, with a maximum power of 156 hp and thrilling performance across the rev range.
To obtain that performance Ducati engineers pushed the Testastretta engine through its ultimate development phase to create the Ducati Testastretta DVT 1262. Increased engine displacement, together with the DVT (Desmodromic Variable Timing) system, results in delivery of full yet fluid torque at low revs, but ensures sports bike performance when the throttle is twisted wide open. Moreover, the design work on the Ducati Testastretta DVT 1262 has been meticulous: for example, relocation of the water pump inside the intra-cylinder V means the cooling system pipes are no longer visible on the left.
60, as in the number of different ergonomic configurations for the rider. The XDiavel provides vast scope for personalisation thanks to 4 different footrest positions, 5 different seats and three different handlebars. It’s also possible to fit a comfier passenger seat, even with a small backrest. All this, then, because comfortable riding means full “low speed excitement”.
Lastly, 40, as in the maximum attainable lean angle. The XDiavel is a Ducati and as such ensures dynamic performance and the thrill of a sports bike, but only when you really want to push it to the limit. Frame, suspension, brakes and the chassis set-up have been designed to maximise sports-style riding fun, but without compromising on the comfort and easy handling that are essential when exploring the highways at a more relaxed pace.
The XDiavel is the first Ducati to use belt-type final transmission. A must within the Cruiser world, this system has been developed for the XDiavel by Ducati engineers to ensure reliable, secure transmission of the power provided by the Ducati Testastretta DVT 1262. Belt drive offers the advantages of more silent running, cleanliness, reduced maintenance and the fluid throttle response one wants from a Cruiser.
Design and technology merge again on the Full LED light assemblies, which play a key role in the styling of the XDiavel.
Like all latest-generation Ducati bikes the XDiavel features the Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), which dynamically measures pitch and roll angles plus the speed of relative variations in attitude, thus raising performance and safety standards even further. This system, together with Ducati Traction Control (DTC), Riding Modes, Bosch Cornering ABS , Cruise Control and the innovative Ducati Power Launch (DPL) make the XDiavel a technological gem offering high performance and, above all, safety.
Available also as an S version, the XDiavel features a black-only colour scheme (on the S version the matt black becomes gloss). The bike also has the innovative DRL (Daytime Running Light) at the front, forks with DLC coating, Brembo M50 front brake callipers, a special seat and parts with machine-finished highlights. These include eye-catching alloy wheels and aluminium engine belt covers, given even greater allure thanks to the gloss black paintwork.
For more information on this and other new models from Ducati, check their website Ducati.com
