The Diavel's in the detail
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure|September 2024
With more power, less weight and better brakes than the previous brilliant V-twin version, It’s a winner
GEOFF HILL
The Diavel's in the detail

Ducati Diavel V4

Since this is a bike review, let's talk about chocolate. A pinch of sea salt in a chocolate bar, cooking chicken with chocolate or adding a teaspoonful to spaghetti Bolognese shouldn't work, but they do.

Which brings me, naturally, to the Ducati Diavel V4.

At the launch of the original V-twin Diavel in Sicily in 2011, all the hardened sports bike riders took one look at it in the morning and decided that although it looked fabulous, it wasn't going to work because it was still a cruiser... And came back at teatime grinning from ear to ear about how astonishing it was. It had the engine from Ducati's 1198 superbike, but its longer wheelbase stopped the front and rear wheels lifting under brutal acceleration and braking respectively.

The real stroke of genius, though, was the dual compound rear tyre; hard at the bottom for longevity, and soft around the rest for grip. Although it was 240mm wide, or about the same as Kim Kardashian's left cheek, it had a sports profile which allowed you to exploit a remarkable 41-degree lean angle to the full, unlike most cruisers, which had a lean angle of around 28 degrees and shallow profile tyres which tended to reach the edge then tip into corners with disturbing instability. Even the Harley V-Rod, the Diavel's main competition in the muscle cruiser market, could only manage 32 degrees before the pegs touched down.

Its only other rivals were the fairly esoteric Yamaha V-Max, although its first-generation model loved straights but had a panic attack if you introduced it to a corner, and even the handling of the second-generation version wasn't a patch on the Diavel.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 2024-Ausgabe von Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 2024-Ausgabe von Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS MOTORCYCLE SPORT & LEISUREAlle anzeigen
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin

Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now

time-read
2 Minuten  |
October 2024
BMW R 12 nineT
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

BMW R 12 nineT

Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track

time-read
2 Minuten  |
October 2024
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX

After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff

time-read
2 Minuten  |
October 2024
Portuguese Perambulations
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

Portuguese Perambulations

Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored

time-read
8 Minuten  |
October 2024
Highway to Heaven
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

Highway to Heaven

Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...

time-read
9 Minuten  |
October 2024
Battlaxes at the ready!
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

Battlaxes at the ready!

We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet

time-read
6 Minuten  |
October 2024
Ducati Riding Experience
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

Ducati Riding Experience

When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...

time-read
7 Minuten  |
October 2024
Four pot flyer
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

Four pot flyer

Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...

time-read
8 Minuten  |
October 2024
Eastern adventurer
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

Eastern adventurer

With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry

time-read
10 Minuten  |
October 2024
First Time Lucky?
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

First Time Lucky?

It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.

time-read
9 Minuten  |
October 2024