In it’s second generation, Ducati’s Diavel has gotten a little more devilish for the 2015 model year with a modified Testastretta engine and exhaust, plus other enhancements that include bar risers, a revised headlight and a new radiator cover.
At the 84th Geneva International Motor Show in Switzerland, Ducati took the wraps off the new 2015 Ducati Diavel.
In it’s second generation, Ducati’s Diavel has gotten a little more devilish for the 2015 model year with a modified Testastretta engine and exhaust, plus other enhancements that include bar risers, a revised headlight and a new radiator cover.
The heart of this new Diavel – the stout 1198cc Testastretta engine, still has 11 degrees of valve overlap, but revised intake and exhaust ports, together with what Ducati calls a “radical adjustment” of the cam timing, has enabled the Bologna company to improve the torque curve at low rpm, while remaining strong through a wider range. Although the claimed peak horsepower remains at 162, it now peaks at 9,250 rpm versus last year’s 9,500 rpm. More significant, Ducati says the new Diavel produces 96.2 pound-feet of peak torque, up 2.2 from last year but arriving at the same 8,000 rpm.
Other changes to the four-cam, 90-degree L-twin include new pistons with 1198 Superbike-style crowns that bump the compression ratio from last year’s 11.5:1 to 12.5:1. Moreover, Ducati says new injectors are positioned better, spraying fuel onto the rear of the hot intake valve, not the “relatively cold” surface of the intake port wall. This improves atomization, and thereby combustion. As for the exhaust, the Diavel still has a 2-1-2 arrangement with massive 2.28-inches tubing, but the stainless steel mufflers are new, slash cut and angled to match the radius of the rear wheel.
Ducati continues to use a raft of leading-edge electronic technologies—including traction control, ABS, and ride modes made possible by ride-by-wire fueling—to manage this power all the way from the crank, through the six-speed transmission, to the 240-section rear tire. Three ride modes are available: Sport, Touring, and Urban, with different levels of throttle response and reduced output in Urban. Eight levels of user-selectable traction-control intervention are also available.
Ducati’s taken the opportunity of the powerplant upgrade to refresh the Diavel’s styling as well. A new instrument surround and headlight—now will all-LED lighting—work with other updates including fresh radiator surrounds, a revised seat, and updated handlebar risers. Ducati didn’t mess with the Diavel’s low/long styling themes, nor did its designers sacrifice a low seat height: the saddle is just 30.3 inches off the tarmac.
As before, two versions of the Diavel will be available. The standard version weighs 463 pounds and will be offered in Dark Stealth exteriors, while a carbon fiber draped iteration that’s 11 pounds lighter called the Diavel Carbon will be available in red or white, both over matte carbon and with colour matched frames. The updated Diavel goes on sale in late April in the international markets and is expected to land on Indian shores by the end of 2014.
Performance has never been the weak suit of Ducati’s innovative and charismatic Diavel sport cruiser.
But that didn’t stop Bologna from giving the Diavel a revised version of the torquey Testastretta 11-degree engine coupled with cosmetic nips and tucks. We can’t wait for this Italian mean machine to land on the Indian shores.
