It looks very much like the original, but the Ducati Diavel 1260 is all-new - and it's incredible to ride!
When was the last time you rode a bike that was largely alone in a sector that it itself created? A bike that is instantly recognisable. That made a load of power and delivered in a chassis that was… OK look, enough of this. Let’s talk about the new Ducati Diavel 1260. Actually, the 1260 S. It’s the one we’ve been enjoying on the world launch in Spain. It’s incredible.
And I don’t mean that in a ‘gosh, look at this lovely new motorcycle in the sun, isn’t it spiffing’ kind of way – I’m talking about a bike that I want underneath me all the time. It’s incredible. It’s spot on.
It’s a beast, it’s fun, it’s easy to use and potently rampant on the road and I say this with true conviction after just 175 miles or so on the road.
ALL NEW, YET RECOGNISABLE
The reason it works is because of the overall changes that Ducati has made to the Diavel – the geometric changes are huge (although, happily the riding position is virtually identical to the original bike’s design).
What the Italian factory has done is take the 1262cc Testastretta motor from the X-Diavel and move it further back towards the back wheel. Up front they’ve pulled in the rake and trail to make the handling feel lighter and more responsive. They’ve also shortened the swingarm and shifted the oil cooler to the front of the motor to clean things up aesthetically.
The factory has also cleaned up and made much more elegant the exhaust. It’s still double can, but it juts out of the belly of the bike in a racy, stubby sort of way, instead of effectively blocking out the view of the single-sided wheel.
Bu hikaye Motorcycle Sport & Leisure dergisinin June 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Motorcycle Sport & Leisure dergisinin June 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
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
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
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...
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
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...
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?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
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.