I'll be honest, when I first rode the Ducati Diavel ages ago, I wasn't a fan. Even to this day, I'm not the cruiser guy, nor do I truly understand the allure of the cruiser layout. I mean, I hurt my spine in a motorcycle crash ages ago. Why would I want to have it part of the suspension system?
But there are those out there who love cruisers. Harley and Indian wouldn't be things without that demographic. And more and more brands outside the Americans wouldn't be producing them without those very same people. I mean, if Kawasaki is building one, there's a market.
And now there's a new XDiavel, one that finally turns the Borgo Panigale-produced motorcycle into the American cruiser clone it always wanted to be via nearly a full redesign. I just hope it has a softer suspension setup than the last one I rode.
My back is aching just thinking about it.
Centered around Ducati's 1,158cc V4 Granturismo engine, the same in the Multistrada, and based on its MotoGP-dominating race motor, the XDiavel produces 168 horsepower and 93 pound-feet of torque. But Ducati made some changes for the motorcycle to offer riders more low-down torque than in its other V4 applications, as cruiser folks want that comfortable grunt.
Likewise, Ducati touts that the XDiavel is one of the lightest cruisers in its class, with a dry weight (no fuel, oil, or whatever which is dumb to quote cause no one runs a bike without those things) of 505 pounds. That, according to Ducati, "provides the XDiavel V4 with handling that sets a benchmark in the segment." Ducati claims the new XDiavel is 13 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, as the V4 is far lighter than the old 1260 motor.
Brembo Stylemas handle the braking, while adjustable suspension built by Ducati is front and rear, and a single-sided swingarm completes the motorcycle's more muscular look. It also takes the reins of Ducati's Panigale series with the swingarm, as the sportbike finally lost the piece late last year to many people's displeasure, including our own Robbie Bacon.
On the suspension side of things, Ducati states "Comfort is substantially improved, thanks to the rear suspension that features an increased travel of 25 mm (0.98 inches) in comparison to the XDiavel 1260." Now, is that enough? I'm not sure, as while offering more travel is important to the overall comfort, it's how the shocks are damped and what the rebound is set to that'll determine if it's more comfortable when you hit a highway split or pothole at cruising speed.
I remember going over the highway joints in Los Angeles and cursing Ducati's setup on my last trek with a Diavel.
A 6.9-inch TFT dashboard featuring Bluetooth integration and the brand's Ducati Link App gives riders access to three different power modes, and four riding modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet), as well as turn-by-turn navigation, and a suite of electronics designed to keep you rubber-side down, including ABS Cornering; Ducati Traction Control (DTC); Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC); Ducati Power Launch (DPL); Ducati Quick Shift up/down (DQS), and Cruise Control. I'm not sure who's attempting to pull wheelies on a XDiavel, but I'd like to meet you and shake your hand, at least if you haven't lost it while trying to wheelie this massive sport cruiser.
Customers will have the choice between two colors: Burning Red and Black Lava.
And now here's the biggest kicker, it's price. As the industry grapples with high inflation, low consumer economic confidence, potential worldwide tariffs, and a shrinking of the higher-priced motorcycle market (as well as the higher-priced everything market), you'd think Ducati would be cognizant of those facts. That's not really the case, as the XDiavel V4 has a starting price of $28,995 for the Burning Red color scheme and $29,295 for Black Lava. Ouch.
I'm no business genius, but in a world where more and more folks are moving their purchases toward small-displacement, light, nimble, and inexpensive motorcycles, the XDiavel is a hard pill to swallow. Maybe that's just me, though, as like I said in the introduction, I'm not part of that cruiser market demographic.
But based on Indian Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson's recent troubles, I'm not sure a $30,000 cruiser is going to help the Italian company.
