2017 Ducati xDiavel review, test ride

It was an unforgettable scene, right out of a Ghost Rider comic. After a long day of shooting at a location about four hours from home, I returned to discover that the torrential rain had brought life in the suburbs to a standstill. Traffic snarls are never fun, less so on a 152hp fire-breathing beast. But in that painful clutch-in, clutch-out drudgery, the new XDiavel dramatically validated its name. The unceasing rain, locked in an unwinnable battle with mighty 1262cc, L-twin engine, would vaporize on contact. The thick billows of steam rising off the motorcycle and the piercing white LED headlight lent the bike an eerie, menacing presence. And so, for the next two hours, this snarling, steaming beast inched its way towards the city, whipping heads around every minute of the way. The beast has certainly not been tamed! 

Looks to kill

It may share most of its name with the old Diavel, but nearly every component on the new XDiavel is different. It doesn’t replace the Diavel, but will be sold alongside as a more stylised, cruiser kind of bike. The differences begin with the appearance. The XDiavel features a slimmer, lighter look with glossy and machined-finish parts that introduce a sense of beauty previously lacking in the Diavel. The side-mounted radiators of the Diavel have been moved to the front here, putting the grey finished trellis frame on display. The 18-litre tank is long, just as on the Diavel, but now tapers to an ultra-slim waist at the rider seat, before the lines widen once again towards the tail. The twin-slash brake light theme continues, but the headlamp unit is far sleeker with a menacing daytime running light covering the top half.

The bike's pretty side is the right, with the enormous, machined wheel proudly on display. This being the higher-spec XDiavel S model, the engine casings get a similar machined look with a gloss black finish. Dual slash-cut exhaust pipes are also visible, along with the large collector box – an ugly necessity to conform to strict new emission norms. The XDiavel ships with an optional long rear seat and a backrest. This bike is running the long seat option, but even that is a rather precarious perch best saved for short rides and brave passengers. The number plate holder is a solid hunk of metal that extends from the swingarm and frees the tail from any extensions for the splatter guard, giving it a lovely, cantilevered look.

There’s a new, 3.5-inch TFT colour screen between the tank and handlebar, while the telltale lights get their own tiny display above the handlebar. While it’s fairly easy to read, we noticed that the greens look grey from the rider’s point of view. The red backlighting for the switchgear forms an 'X' on the left bar at night; a cool touch.

The XDiavel finds allure in a naked, industrial form through the high levels of finish and minimal design. It’s almost perfectly executed, but there are a few minor niggles like the haphazard snaking of hoses near the headstock and the uneven, lumpy welds on the swingarm. Overall, the exposed frame, intricate single-side swingarm and huge rear wheel work with the slim tail and highly finished parts to make a beautiful motorcycle.