Dealing with the Diavel

Big, heavy and unapologetically quirky, the Diavel has divided opinion since it bounded into our lives 13 years ago. And there’s a box fresh offering for 2023 and maybe, just maybe, Ducati has mastered a sportier formula that will further appeal to the masses

- Bruce Wilson

Ducati Diavel V4

There are those born desperate to fit in and there are others who would sooner chew their own arm off than join the ranks of convention. The same goes for bikes, with the king of the renegades being Ducati’s Diavel.

It’s been unashamedly different since the very get-go, audaciously bursting on to the scene back in 2010, and the model’s now on to its third iteration and has cranked up 45,000 unit sales to its name… which is another way of saying it’s been a surprisingly big hit for the Bologna brand. The question is, what happens next for this extrovert power cruiser now it has ditched its V-twin motor for a smaller, but pokier V4 option? In fact, it’s dropped a number of things, including 13kg in mass, of which 5kg came from the engine alone. Based largely around the Multistrada V4’s motor, there’ve been some tweaks to the cams, the airbox (now integrated into the bike’s ‘front frame’), and the exhaust system. The culmination of this sees an output of 165bhp, with 126Nm to make sure nothing ever beats you away from the traffic lights again… especially if you indulge in one of the three tiers of launch control that come as standard.