Ducati DIAVEL 1200 2016 — Specifications

Imagine an anvil wrapped in muscle, sitting on a 240 rear tire, and powered by a Superbike twin-cylinder. That's the impossible equation Bologna solved in 2011, and one the Ducati Diavel 1200 continues to defend in 2016 with the same insolence. This machine refuses to fit into boxes. Too settled for a sportbike, too sharp for a cruiser, too fierce for a classic roadster. Competitors like the Harley V-Rod Muscle or the Yamaha V-Max may play in the same power-cruiser sandbox, but they clearly aren't playing the same tune as the Italian.

Beneath the 17-liter tank sits the 90-degree L-twin Testastretta 11°, a 1198 cc deliberately capped at 162 horsepower at 9250 rpm, with 132.4 Nm at 8000 rpm. On paper, you lose about forty horses compared to the 1198 Superbike it descends directly from, but the block was recalibrated to favor mid-range vigor over pure brutality. The generous 106 mm bore and short 67.9 mm stroke, paired with a 12.5:1 compression ratio, betray the racing DNA. The six-speed gearbox handles the massive torque well, even if the chain drive demands the attention owed to any muscular Italian. Count on around 2.6 seconds for the 0 to 100 km/h, and an announced top speed of 250 km/h. More than enough to make a sports sedan tremble at the start of a red light.

The Ducati Diavel 1200's spec sheet holds a few surprises for a machine of this caliber. 239 kg fully fueled, 210 dry — heavy on paper, but the low center of gravity and carefully studied geometry make you forget the mass from the very first curves. The tubular steel trellis frame grafted to two aluminum plates follows the house recipe, the Ø 50 mm inverted fork and mono-shock each offer 120 mm of travel, and the Brembo braking with its two radial 320 mm front discs anchors the bike without flinching. The 770 mm seat height remains accessible to modest builds, rare enough on a two-wheeler in this category to be worth saluting. Personal opinion on the Ducati Diavel 1200: its behavior through successive corners remains stunning for anyone expecting a cart. That big 240/45-17 rear tire should anesthetize any inclination to lean, and yet the beast negotiates tight turns with an agility that would make some roadsters a hundred kilos lighter blush.

At 18,790 euros, the price of the Ducati Diavel 1200 in standard trim positions the bike against rivals often less exotic but never as distinctive. The Dark plays the full matte black card, more sober, more menacing. The Carbon steps up with carbon parts, forged wheels, and a slightly more favorable scale, while the S pushes the cursor toward Öhlins suspension and high-end finishes. On the Ducati Diavel 1200 accessories side, the Performance catalog brims with transparent clutch covers, passenger backrests, side panniers, and Termignoni exhaust lines. The original battery holds up honestly, servicing now stretches to 30,000 km for the major intervals, and the updates made since the 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015 model years have smoothed out the concept's few early flaws.

The target audience is clear. Experienced rider, full license long since paid off, fan of mechanical showmanship and lingering stares at the red light. The beginner will break his teeth on the brutal torque, the hardcore tourer will prefer a Multistrada, and the track rider won't even look at it. That leaves the profile that matters, the one who wants a character-motorcycle, an object as sculpted as it is a weapon. The Diavel has owned that identity since 2011, and still has no direct equivalent. The arrival of the XDiavel in 2016, with its belt drive and more cruiser-oriented riding position, doesn't kill the original — it completes it.