The Pursuit Of Happiness

The World Never Asked For Power Cruisers, But They’re What We Always Needed.

- Aadil Naik

For most of us enthusiasts, especially those whose veins run thick with the oily combustible remains of dead dinosaurs instead of blood, motorcycles are a compromise of sorts. Young ones like me love speed, so we get stiffly-sprung crotch rockets which are great as long as you are ‘crotch rocketing’, which, let’s face it, we manage to do for less than 20 per cent of our total riding time. For the rest, we are roughing it out, with destroyed wrists and backs, for that final blast is worth it. Then there is the other spectrum. People who are no longer as young (I think that’s me, too), who desire comfort, and would trade speed for a sofa seat and a soft suspension. Until they see aforementioned crotch rockets blast past and rue their choice. The one thing common to both, though, is they ride. A lot. KTM Dukes make it to Ladakh and Harleys go canyon carving on the weekend, both having a blast —albeit an uncomfortable one. But finally there is a category of bikes that seek to make life joyful again in its entirety — the power cruiser.

This new species evolved from the need to bridge that gap between cruiser and sportsbike; to satisfy an entire ride, not merely sections of it, and while bold manufacturers are few and far between, it was Ducati that took up the challenge with its Diavel. We didn’t know what to make of it at first, as it looks like a stretched-out cruiser, has a rear tyre wide enough to cover your living room, and is a rocket in a straight line. But then it can also take corners with surprising lean angles and feels comfortably happy at the redline. And don’t just write this off as marketing gibberish, for it really is true.