Now, I'm not normally a fan of Ducati bikes - they look great but the rattly engines and suspect build quality have always put me off. As with a lot of Italian machinery, I've always felt that for what they cost, there is better value out there. However, I've had a "bit of a thing" about the new Diavel for some time now. It's an awesome looking bike but until yesterday I had successfully fought the urge and resisted a test ride (mainly because I suspected I would love it and would then have to think about how I'd get spending clearance for a bike retailing at £15,495!). But since Ducati were coming to us (so to speak) I considered that it was time to see what all the hype was about. And as a bonus I got to try out the Streetfighter S and 1100 Monster too. So which bike won my mini test? Read on....
Diavel: I ended up having two goes on the Diavel, mainly because the first was ruined by traffic. Thankfully, I got to "explore" it a bit more on the second run. This is a bike that straddles the sportsbike and cruiser genres, incorporating the Testastretta engine from the 1198 SP race bike within a frame resembling your favourite armchair. Add the forward pegs and long wheelbase into the mix and really, you get the feeling that this sort of hybrid shouldn't work - but for the most part it does. The bike comes with loads of gizmos - traction control, keyless ignition, switchable engine mapping etc - and the 162bhp engine has been retuned to produce a huge amount of torque through the range. At one point I tried the bike in 6th gear doing about 15mph and it pulled cleanly through. The bike is also rock solid in corners, which I didn't expect at all and the acceleration is instant. Ohlins suspension, a very comfortable riding position and good visibility (mirrors that actually enable you to see behind!) all help make the Diavel a very impressive all-round package.
And yet....I found the bike a bit uninspiring. This may sound an odd complaint but in many ways the Diavel is too powerful and too comfortable. I like a bike to engage me and I like to feel that I'm working the bike for what I get out of it. You don't get any of that with the Diavel. It is very easy just to climb aboard, point it in the direction you wish to go and then simply open the throttle. It is that easy to ride. And anyone with points on their licence should beware - I was up to 80 in second gear before I knew what was happening. This bike is most definitely a licence shredder. Overall then, a very impressive (and expensive) bike but not really what I'm looking for.
Streetfighter S: I had a sit on this before deciding to take it for a spin - and instantly hated it. Despite the 1099cc engine, this bike felt minute and the riding position is more perched on top of it rather than sitting in the bike. The bars are also very forward so there's a lot of strain on wrists and the seat was rock hard too, so I expected this to be a very uncomfortable 40 minutes! All of which just goes to show that you have to actually ride bikes to make an informed judgement because in the event, the higher-spec Streetfighter S was great fun and a joy to ride. Very fast and very revvy, the engine is an absolute peach and with Ohlins as standard, the handling was spot on too. But it is very, very small and so not the most comfortable ride for those of us of a more "robust" build - and retailing at £14,000 it's also expensive. Good fun for a buzz around but not one for the long term.
1100 Monster: Coming after the back-breaking and bone-crunching Streetfighter, this was a very comfortable bike to ride. But it's also dull....v-e-r-y duuuuulllllll..... To be fair, there's nothing actually wrong with the bike - everything works as it should and it's easy to ride but I just found the engine so boring. This bike, to me, has zero character - all it does is rumble on in its plodding, unexciting way. I tried pushing it about a bit but got nothing back - unusual for a bike with an 1100cc engine. Suddenly, an Oyster card started to look appealing (I'm joking, but not by much!). A very uninspiring bike and I do wonder why they are so popular.
Overall, a good day playing around on bikes that I would not normally ride. As a package, the Diavel wins but it didn't blow me away in the way I expected - for which I suspect the missus and the bank manager will be forever grateful! If you can, get along to one of the remaining roadshow dates and judge for yourselves.
Here are a few photos of the day
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