Ducati DIAVEL 1200 2017 — Specifications

Imagine a weightlifter who had taken classical dance lessons. That's roughly what the Ducati Diavel 1200 evokes when you see it attack a series of curves after tearing up the tarmac over a few meters of straight line. Appearing in 2011 to polite indifference, then confirmed with the Ducati Diavel 1200 2012 and the Ducati Diavel 1200 2013, this machine ended up imposing its own genre, somewhere between the American power-cruiser and the Italian roadster pumped up on hormones. Bologna was not mistaken, and the Ducati Diavel 1200 spec sheet tells us why.

Beneath the taut bodywork, the 1198 cc Testastretta L-twin takes the foundations of the 1198 Superbike engine, recalibrated for road use. The cavalry reaches 162 horsepower at 9250 rpm, accompanied by 132.4 Nm of torque peaking at 8000 rpm. The 2015 vintage reintroduced the Dual Spark and reworked the ducts to boost low- and mid-range punch, without touching the peak power. The result is a meaty character from 3000 rpm, catapulting the 239 kg wet weight toward 250 km/h top speed. The Ducati Diavel 1200 0 to 100 is settled in less than three seconds, placing the beast at the level of a hypersport, without its track-focused ergonomics.

Where the concept becomes interesting is in the dynamic compromise. With its tubular steel trellis frame welded to two aluminum plates, its 50 mm Marzocchi inverted fork and its fully adjustable Sachs monoshock, the Diavel doesn't play pretend when the tarmac twists. The 240/45-17 rear tire suggests the worst, but the mass balance and the rigor of the front end make changes of angle far more fluid than one might imagine. The radially mounted Brembo monobloc calipers, biting into two 320 mm discs, guarantee sharp braking, supported by combined ABS. The 770 mm seat remains accessible, and the 17-liter tank allows decent stages as long as you ease off the throttle.

The verdict on the Ducati Diavel 1200 depends above all on the profile. For a beginner, forget it, the torque is too blunt and the forward-leaning position tires quickly in town despite the Urban mode that castrates the mechanics to 100 horsepower. For a pure tourer, the BMW R 1200 R or the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT will remain more versatile. The target is the experienced rider who wants an object of desire, capable of riding fast and squatting the terraces without complex. At €19,290 for the standard version, the Ducati Diavel 1200 price positions itself below the €22,000 asked for the Diavel Carbon, which trades kilos and noble materials for an extra dose of flash. The Ducati Diavel 1200 Dark, more sober, and the Ducati Diavel 1200 S complete a range where everyone finds their level of aggressiveness.

The remaining issue is internal competition, and that is where the shoe pinches. The XDiavel, with its forward controls and its belt, offers a more cruiser reading of the concept, while the later versions, up to the Ducati Diavel 1200 2018 and the Ducati Diavel 1200 2019, widened the technological gap before the switch to the V4. The move to Euro4 in 2017 was made without loss of horsepower, which extends the model's relevance on the second-hand market. A motorcycle that owns its excesses, without apologizing. That is rare enough to be worth highlighting.