UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – It felt as if I were in a scene from cult Japanese car drifting movie Initial D. In reality, I was on Jebel Hafeet – an Abu Dhabi mountain 1,000m above sea level – to test the 2023 Ducati Diavel V4.
Our test loop was a 20km stretch of public road cordoned off by the police and emergency vehicles. It consisted of more than 50 corners with hairpins, blind turns, back-to-back bends and fast, long sweepers. We clocked more than 130km over two days.
The latest Diavel V4 retains its larger-than-life proportions. It is bold and muscular – with its prominently wide 240mm rear tyre on a single-side swingarm – and four short exhaust pipes resembling grenade launchers.
A bulbous 20-litre fuel tank sits atop an aluminium monocoque frame. The handlebar, equipped with dynamic signal lights, sits 20mm closer to the rider for better control and more comfort.
Design components include a double “C”, which appear on the headlamp as a daytime-running light, air scoops on the side of the fuel tank and rear brake lights consisting of more than 120 LEDs.
Unlike the previous twin-cylinder Diavel, the new sport cruiser carries a compact 1,158cc V4 Granturismo engine. At 211kg dry, it is 13kg lighter than its predecessor, with weight shaved from its engine, wheels, frame and brakes.
The bike’s 790mm seat height allowed my feet to be firmly planted on tarmac. The seat is also larger than before.
Staring at the Diavel’s 5-inch full-colour TFT dashboard, you get a sense the Italian motorcycle comes with bells and whistles. And it does. There are four adjustable riding modes – Sport and Touring give you 168bhp, while Wet and Urban drop power to 115bhp; cornering anti-lock brakes; wheelie and traction control; power launch and cruise control; and Bluetooth connectivity completing the package.
Despite some crosswinds, it was easy to ride the V4 into bends or make quick directional changes without wresting the handlebar. Its counter-rotating crankshaft, which reduces gyroscopic forces that usually want to keep a motorcycle upright, gives the Diavel added agility and responsiveness.
The feet mid-controls also give the V4 its sporty and playful nature. Heavier riders reported grazing their foot pegs in sharper turns. But the issue was resolved when adjustments were made to pre-load settings.
The V4 is equipped with 50mm adjustable upside-down forks and a single rear shock. Its superb brakes – dual radial monobloc Brembo callipers in front and a single two-piston calliper at the rear – delivered composed braking.
The V4’s linear torque curve means that whenever I overshot turning points or selected a wrong gear, a generous twist of the throttle was all that I needed to propel myself out of trouble.
Acceleration on the V4 was smooth in the lower rev range. But it was brutal at higher revs. On long uphill sweepers, speeds reached close to 200kmh as the rev counter swept towards 12,000rpm. Changing up with the bike’s quick shifter on such a stretch was accompanied by a tug you could feel.
The V4 certainly had more to give, judging by its angry V4 exhaust wail. But I was not prepared to scare myself further.
When cruising below 4,000rpm, something magical happens. Its rear two cylinders shut down. Called the extended deactivation system, it helps reduce fuel consumption and heat from the two cylinders closest to the rider’s thighs.
But riding the V4 hard will certainly wear its unique (read: expensive) rear tyre in no time. On the plus side, the V4’s servicing is less frequent, with valve clearance checks required at every 60,000km and oil changes at 15,000km – versus 32,000km and 11,000km for other equivalent bikes.
DUCATI DIAVEL V4
PRICE $84,600 without COE
ENGINE 1,158cc 16-valve V4, water-cooled
TRANSMISSION Six-speed, chain drive
POWER 168bhp at 10,750rpm
TORQUE 126Nm at 7,500rpm
0-100KMH Under 3 seconds (estimated)
TOP SPEED Above 250kmh (estimated)
FUEL CONSUMPTION 6.4 litres/100km
AGENT Ducati Singapore
