So now I've taken one for a test ride too The nice folks at Moto Rapido let me play on their demo Diavel (stripe - the non-carbon, non-Strada, non-Dark current model) this morning. :smile: Took a bit of getting used to the footpeg and lever position and the clutch biting point (very different from my 696) but once I switched it out of the slightly strangled urban mode and into touring, the bike grin switched on. I've sometimes joked (given my rather relaxed as opposed to speedy riding style) that I should be on a Harley, but in fact the Diavel suited me very well indeed. Totally unthreatening in touring mode (as opposed to the rather snappy/jerky sports mode), a real pussycat, and much to my surprise it didn't feel heavy. Out of town, a splendid bike for swinging lazily from bend to bend, stick it in 3rd gear and forget it, but if you need to overtake, open the throttle (nice and controllable in touring mode - I found myself grudgingly admiring the fly by wire) and zoom! I kept imagining taking one round Italy, pootling through the Tuscan sunshine. Even when following queues of other vehicles through double white line or bendy sections where overtaking was not possible, I wasn't getting irritated, just enjoying the ride. Another pleasant surprise was its much better town manners than my 696 - remarkably happy for a Ducati to do 20 or 30 through towns and villages without feeling both 1st and 2nd are the wrong gear. Filtering up from Moto Rapido to the M3 junction, before heading along the A272 was remarkably stressless (although the fact you can't adjust the mirror tilt up or down angle was annoying, as the view in the mirror was of my other half's head and shoulders, following on my Monster, more than the following cars). What was also a revelation was the way the Diavel really made me appreciate my 696. I didn't feel short-changed to be back on the Monster. While the Diavel's handling didn't feel heavy, getting back on the Monster just emphasised the fantastic light flickable nature of the 696, with the telepathic handling (getting me round corners without real physical effort). While I was on the Diavel, the 696 appeared to have metamorphosed into a naughty little cafe racer, with a sporty riding position, urging me to open the throttle more! If anything I feel the Monster is the bike tempting me to get into trouble, not the Diavel! The Diavel is at heart a cruiser, but an exceedingly capable one. So would I buy a Diavel? Probably, but probably not yet. I wouldn't want one as my only bike - I loved the Diavel but I still love my Monster. And as a second bike, frankly I just don't have the money right now, even with the Ducati finance options. The original plan when my other half and I test rode the Diavel was with a view to us splitting the purchase, if we both liked it, and having it as a bike either of us could ride if we fancied a change from our regular bikes. While he liked it, he didn't love it enough to justify what is, after all a very expensive extra toy (a smidgen under £14k for the cheapest Dark model), when we both have bikes we really like. A Ducati is after all a heart not a head purchase, and if one's heart is not truly smitten, buying a Ducati is probably not the right thing to do. If anything, his riding my 696 for 40 minutes was starting to win him over to the Monster's charms! If a windfall came my way (sadly my occasional premium bond wins are of the £25, not £25,000 variety!) I'd buy a Diavel in a flash. Maybe in a few years when there are a few more second hand ones come down in value, it might be a realistic second bike prospect. But for now, despite still thinking it has a face only its mother could love, I'm very glad I've taken a Diavel for a spin. One more option in the sadly very short interesting-bikes-for-shorties list is definitely something to celebrate!
I loved the Diavel when I rode it and would defo have one as a second bike. For what I did on Fri and Sat - Folkestone to Switzerland, I'm not sure that I've have enjoyed it as much on the Diavel as my 999 - it was a fast cruise with some great twisty bits. The motorway bit wouldn't have been so good either. But if you have to do a lot of low speed riding, it's a lot more fun than a sports bike, which is just uncomfortable (as in wrist-achingly and shoulders-achingly uncomfortable) and frustrating. There are times when you just want to chill out and go somewhere without worrying about not getting your knee down on all the fast sweepers.
MrsC, that pretty much spot on how I felt after I rode it, apart from coming from an 848 I didn't find the sport mode too snatchy. I really loved how it can easily potter around at 30-40 without all the jerkiness. 2 weeks and I should have my red stripe!
Great write-up Mrs C - useful insights. Always a bonus when riding another bike makes you appreciate the one you already own. And 14 Grand on a bike to 'potter around at 30-40' does sound kinda hard to justify...!
I took one for a spin a couple of years ago and liked it. I felt it was a bit slow to turn in though. would not consider touring on one, but each to their own. I take Mrs749er away with me so for touring I need two up capability plus luggage. For that I bought a BMW K1300S, which is phenomenal!
I agree, there is one down the road from my office in Witney, and I can't stop looking at it, I think the looks are really growing on me, I would have to hack off that awful rear number plate fingymebob thing though, it just looks silly.
My mate borrowed one the other week to ride to Poole bike night, he is an out and out sportsbike fan but agreed that is very smooth, said it would go all day at *cough* x25mph on the motorway and said it really handled quite well.
This is interesting reading and Im only looking at this thread because I too, rode a Diavel today (for giggles rather than in mind of a purchase). My 848 was in having a teething issue sorted and I asked if I could have a play. It was a Diavel Strada with the big screen and pillion back rest. First impressions? Well, not being blessed with a sensible inside leg measurement, its nice to be able to get both feet flat on the floor. The pegs are in a completely alien place and I agree with Matt's assessment that the indicator button is a bit high. Both these things would no doubt something to get use to rather than in the wrong place.....it's amazing how quickly we adapt to changes in ergonomics and they were feeling more natural by the end of the ride. I started in 'Wet' mode as advised by the dealer but this was changed by the end of the road to full fat 'Sport'. Its certainly smooth, with none of the low rev grumbling and surging of the 848. Obviously there's lots more of that torque stuff too. I'm lucky enough to have a Speed Triple and that's known as an engine with an ample amount of torque delivered in a flat line from about 2000 revs but this is a different kettle of fish all together.......in second gear its like being run into by a runaway truck and I fancy I felt the front go light(ish). I was surprised by the sheer about of counter steer required to get the Harl* sorry, Diavel to turn though. Coming from the 848 (and indeed the Triumph) it needs a significant shove to get it turned and you really have to concentrate on positive counter steering if you want to adjust your line. I suspect having a play with the forks would stop it feeling a little loose when getting on the power at small lean angles but once its hooked into a roundabout it feels very secure. The weight helps it feel very solid and stable at larger leans (more so than the 848), and I felt confident once I'd tried shifting my weight to the inside as I would on the 848 to get it to turn. The front still had a slightly floppy/vague feel but at no point did I think it was going to under-steer or loose grip. Im 5'7" on a good day and for my height on the bike the wind noise is ridiculous with the touring screen fitted. It obviously takes breeze off your chest but it threw it straight onto the middle of my Arai Chaser which made it uncomfortably noisy. There must be something about the angle its deflecting the wind as I don't have this problem on the naked Triumph or the 848 with a standard low screen. Did I like it? This bike is as mad as a box of badgers and I was giggling during overtakes at way it puts on speed. The gearbox is very good, the controls are OK (I'm not a fan of the colour screen on the tank though) and with tweaking of the bouncy bits I'm sure it would handle even better. Am I going to buy one? Nope. Good fun though.
Before I test rode the normal (non Strada) Diavel, the 5'9 other half had tried a Diavel Strada and grumbled about the way the screen directed the turbulent air at his head - not just you AliT finding the screen an irritant.
A couple of days ago I found myself once again at my local Ducati dealer - Snells, in Alton - with a couple of hours to kill. (You can see where this is going already, can't you!) With the Monster duly dropped off at the workshop for a service and MOT, it seemed a shame not to at least enquire about the 6 month old face-lifted (if you can call it that!) demo Diavel that had just been put up for sale. As well as the obvious new LED headlight, the new bike has an updated twin-spark version of the 11 deg 1200cc V-twin. This update apparently results in better smoothness around town as well as more mid-range grunt, even though the outright top end power remains unchanged at a mere 162 bhp. Clearly it demanded investigation... for science, of course. A few minutes later I found myself sitting on a red Carbon demonstrator with the optional comfort seat, the engine producing a hearty, if slightly muffled rasp from the new exhaust. Together we swung effortlessly out onto the road, and my memory of just how light the Diavel feels on the move was refreshed. Maybe it's just familiarity, but it seemed to handle better than the earlier model, with a much more linear response to a shove on the bars than before. It still needs a firm shove to make it turn, but it felt easier to judge exactly how firm. What I didn't remember from before was just how firm the ride was. Has the A31 deteriorated that much over the year since I last rode a Diavel down it? Probably; it's a horrible road surface at the best of times, though I really shouldn't be getting kicked up the ar*e quite this badly on any ride that doesn't require vaccinations in advance of the trip. I stopped and wound the rear preload adjuster a few clicks towards 'soft'. And then a few more, and then a few more. That cured the worst of the bumpiness, though the ride still wasn't exactly what I'd call 'plush'. Leaving the A31 helped. Time to assess the rest of the bike, then. The engine is the best incarnation of the 1200 I've yet ridden - other examples being an early Multistrada (fantastic, but hunts at low speeds), the previous Diavel (fantastic), and the 1200 Monster (someone please take its ride-by-wire system out the back and shoot it). Even through a 20mph village it was smooth and happy to deliver just the power I wanted, no more and no less. And that was with the bike in 'touring' mode, which was the only mode I needed. Wind noise was surprisingly low, and unlike the Monster, the wind doesn't get behind my knees and try to splay my legs apart as I'm riding. And speaking of knees, the forward peg position feels like it would be kinder to them too over a long ride. Apparently there's another optional seat which is taller, and I'll definitely be trying that out as well. It's usually a good sign when I get to the end of a test ride and don't want to hand back the key. The suspension clearly needs work, but now the bike has been out for a few years there are some options. And speaking of options... The demo bike was 6 months old, but at just £1k off the price of a new one, I figured I'd rather have the latest registration and the knowledge that it had been run in properly. So the choice came down to either the standard 'dark stealth' model, or £3k more for a bike which shaves off just 2kg and looks slightly less like the bike that Batman would ride. So, I'm trading in my Z1000SX for a new Diavel Dark in a month's time, with every expectation that I'll be putting some of the saving I made by not going for the Carbon version into a touring seat and an Ohlins rear shock. It turns out I'm far from the only one who doesn't rate the standard suspension, and I'm slightly surprised there isn't already a Diavel S. Because that would be a very, very good bike indeed.
just finished a 1,400 mile trip round the UK on mine - finishes off a 5k mile first year. Not done much to it but there's no way I'd have been able to do the trip on the standard seat, very coccyx heavy - got the touring seat which is 40mm higher and not too salty at £169. What I'd really like is for someone to make an "under hugger" as the rear shock is directly in the firing line for getting splattered with road shite (have a shock tube over the spring but that doesn't cover the linkages). I got it as years of sports bikes have hammered my left shoulder and right wrist, I wanted a full fat v-twin but not one that would load up the wrists under braking and don't like the streetfighter look. I found it hard to "dial into" for the first thousand miles and it was only when I went out and had a red mist ride chasing a sports bike that I realised it could be pushed much much harder than I had thought and then I started to enjoy riding it a whole lot more. Only bugger now is that it needs a new set of boots and an annual service plus tax which will mean it has to spend a few weeks in the garage while I get some cash together, ironically meaning the R1 is now back out in use! Overall very pleased, it's allowed be to enjoy more riding - not just the 10% of the time where the road is clear and you're going fast enough to get the weight off your wrists. Now I get stuck behind something or stuck in town traffic and just have a look about instead of having to ride with one elbow on the tank just to get the weight off whilst wishing for an RPG or two to clear the road. I had an afternoon on an 899 and then a chat at Box Hill with a guy who'd bought the 1198. I asked him what his thoughts were and the slight pause and tone of voice of the "yeah, it's great" I took to mean "when it's dry and sunny and I've got the whole road to myself in a national limit it's the best thing I've ever ridden" - subtext "the rest of the time it's flipping punishing and abit too much like hard work to be honest and I'd rather be on something else". Which were my thoughts on the 899. Now I need to stop mucking about on this forum and go sell some stuff to someone so I can afford the tyres, tax and Termis )
After reading these reviews I really fancy giving one a go. I've been surprised by a bunch of bikes lately that previously wouldn't have been on my radar. The Monster 1200s I took out at Silverstone yesterday was awesome. Cruisers like the Diavel are not my bag at all but a complete stranger I'd been introduced to at a cafe in Italy offered me a go on his Yamaha V-Max a few weeks ago. I love to try new stuff so went for a mile or two up the coast and back. There was so much grunt it spun the huge rear wheel a few times on the dusty tarmac, and I was amazed that it did actually handle. After I gave it back I was told that the guy was from a mafiosa family and had done five years for killing three people (not much when you know the right people I suppose). I'm glad I didn't drop his bike!!
That's what I found when I test rode the Diavel, though I was dialed in after 15 mins. For the first 15 mins of my test ride I hated it and was going to take it back to the dealers. Then I decided to ride it like a sports bike and that's when it clicked, and I had a blast. Great bike when you ride it hard
Wow Matt, are those the gates to your house!!! :Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy::Greedy:
Riders of Bristol were good enough to give me the chance to test ride a Diavel and a 1098 Streetfighter back to back. I'd gone to try out a SF and was given an escorted test ride. My escort rode a Diavel and half way round we swapped bikes for the ride back. The most intoxicating thing about the Diavel is the outrageous liberties you can take with the throttle. The vast rear tyre and oil tanker wheel base keep you out of trouble. This bike was in "Sport" and I can't see why you'd ever want to change it. The acceleration is epic and feels even faster because you can use all of it. But its not threatening, just hilariously ballistic. Away from traffic lights its like riding a drag bike while sitting in an armchair. I doubt rear tyres would last long. I reckon you could smoke a rear before the front was scrubbed in. (Assuming the electronics will let you. Can they be turned off?) Reading reviews I'd never really got the custom cruiser description. It doesn't look like a cruiser - I'm not sure what it looks like - and it doesn't behave like one but it really does feel like one when you sit on it and reach for the bars and it goes like you've always dreamed bruiser cruisers should, but never do. But I wasn't keen on the riding position. It was comfortable but odd, like trying to reach a table from a chair that is too low and I felt cocooned and restricted. I would miss being able to slide around on the seat and shift my weight in corners. For all that, though, I was astonished how well it handled. Yes it needs muscling but far less than it ought to considering its mass and the rider's restricted posture. This bike would make a fantastic solo tourer. But in the end, for all its performance and easy rideability the Diavel for me is a bit of an odd looking one trick pony and so I bought the Streetfighter. Its more versatile, more agile, just as quick with the added frisson that it will bite if provoked, and it imparts a greater feeling of road presence by being taller. If the Diavel had been the same price as the Streetfighter it would have given pause for thought but as it is I couldn't live with it as an only bike. But if I was a rich man and could afford a bike for every mood my garage would be incomplete without a Diavel in it. Edit: I'd better add, the Streetfighter I bought was up for grabs because its original owner traded it in for a Diavel, so its horses for courses and purely down to personal taste. One thing's for sure: everyone who loves motorcycles should ride a Diavel at least once, whether you buy one or not. Few things on two wheels are more of a hoot.
