2017 Ducati XDiavel India Review, First Ride

2017 Ducati XDiavel India entry happens at a time when premium motorcycles are reaching new heights and Ducati is genuinely offers a lifestyle cruiser with proper performance on tap

Enchanting –

• One of a kind aesthetics
• Superlative chassis, brakes, engine
• S variant is feature loaded
• Fast and fun accessible touring machine unlike others

Unsatisfying –

• Ride can be properly stiff
• Lacks pillion comfort

Ducati has been associated with making sports bikes, naked bikes, modern classic motorcycles in all shapes and sizes for young and old experienced Riders. We have Monster. the Panigale, the Scrambler now we have the Super Sport all coming into the market and expanding the Ducati stable. In between all of this Ducati also made the Diavel which was the company’s first Cruiser. Cruiser is a legitimate area that is growing in the Lifestyle area and is a place where Ducati thinks it can crack the code and offer its customers the Ducati Pedigree and at the same time offer luxury in design and also give a style statement.

Ducati did that with the Scrambler and it is doing well for them in certain markets but not all markets worldwide. The X Diavel is yet another approach in the Cruiser market from Ducati used to highlight the design as well as offer the true Ducati experience. We spend some time while clocking 550 km on it to tell you what it is like to ride and tell you good and bad things about the same.

Design

One glance at the motorcycle from any angle and you will see that this is strictly made for a single rider and not a pillion. Small seat is here if you have a supermodel as your girlfriend who can fit but she would end up complaining very likely. Ducati Is offering back support but that just clearly takes away from the style that the designers wanted to offer to the masses.

Look at the pictures closely while we are riding it and you will see this motorcycle is truly one piece motorcycle and the rider has been made a part of it. The headlight is so big and Square at the same time it reminds you of handheld televisions from the past. The trellis frame painted in Grey reminds you of this beast hanging onto. The subframe that houses a seat which goes upside is a complete and clean approach towards the design not seen anywhere else. The tail Lights Are mounted below the seat in true Ducati fashion as they look like two daggers stuck on them.

We had the S variant which had a alloy wheel and had a bit of chrome finish and was slapped with 245 mm rubber which is the highlight of this motorcycle. The single sided swingarm makes thing even more appealing and attractive to all the people on the road. Superbikes to get all the stares when they are riding but the XDiavel is something else as it gains proper attention and then it happens again as people continue to turn their heads and get as much as possible of something which is a prime example of beauty and beast. No wonder Ducati is being offered best looking motorcycle in the world award to the XDiavel.

Speedo and Switches

When it comes to the instrument cluster the Ducati XDiavel is offering a small screen which displays everything you will ever need. Trip meters, odometer, tachometer, speedometer all in digital. All the fuel efficiency parameters including distance to empty, average fuel economy, current fuel economy and much more. The three riding modes on offer also change the way the meter looks which we will come to a bit.

The switches are backlit in red colour which look really cool. The menu switch along with the toggle switch help you navigate through the cluster options. Then there are the usual buttons for indicators, fast light and high beam control the all LED lights on offer. Right hand switch controls the starter button and the engine kill switch. The motorcycle almost has a car like features list. Cruise control, LED lights, Bluetooth, keyless go, start button,

Ergonomics

When it comes to ergonomics the XDiavel is a mixed bag. The front set foot pegs are standard and adjustable by 22 millimeters (forward and rear) in stock form . The seat height is very low, the u shaped humongous handlebar falls to your hand perfectly. However the taller you are the better you are with the motorcycle. The reach can be a bit less for short riders which result in acceleration that will push you back in the seat. It is best to get the front set put price as close as possible for a much engaging ride while being comfortable with the motorcycle as you explore it. Rear pegs are available, but Ducati is stilling perfecting that idea. The seat is comfortable, the Mirrors are placed well to show you what is behind.

Engine and Gearbox

The 1200cc engine makes 152 bhp of power and 123 newton metres of torque. The engine now comes equipped with DVT which in Ducati speech is variable valve timing system. The DVT promises to make the engine much more livable in the lower part of the revv range. The engine is less jerky at low speeds when compared to the previous versions of the same engine.

However it isn’t flawless and does demand gear shifts very often. Clutch feels heavy and the gearbox though, is very smooth. The DVT has also made the top and really smooth to extract. Mid range is absolutely ballistic the motor pulls cleanly from 3000 RPM all the way till 8000 RPM. There Is enough torque in every gear always making rapid progress. Tall gearing and a shorter redline along with a mid size power band to play with, rideability is very good.

However at the same time the motor is extremely linear and the power delivery is really smooth thanks to the ride by wire throttle and riding modes on offer also control the amount of horsepower is on tap. Urban mode cuts down the power substantially, something we felt it in the throttle. Touring mode is apt where you get all the power in a much more linear fashion. Electronics do their job really well and we did not see traction control most of the time like the Panigale 959 we tested last time.

Sport mode is where you get everything and it is dialed up to the maximum. We saw speed of 175 km/hr on the Speedo too! While riding you will also appreciate the pops and bangs from the loud exhaust which is very throaty, screamy and loud at the same time. We cannot imagine when you will put an aftermarket exhaust on this which will take things to a whole new level sound quality and quantity.

Ride and Handling

When it comes to the dynamics we can tell you immediately the fact that the motorcycle is very stiffly sprung. The front end is very light and as is the case with the cruisers the rake is quite high. The motorcycle also has a very long wheelbase. Both of these things doesn’t make it look good on paper but that is not the case.

Motorcycle is very agile in the corners, changes direction quickly by cruiser standards. The stiff suspension is the reason why the front is very light which makes it nimble in the city too. Let’s not forget the fact that it has a 240 mm section rear tyre. Tyres are good offering superlative grip in most conditions. We think the front tyre could be a bit bigger to give that complete confident steering that we thought completes the motorcycle.

The stiff Suspension and high curb weight of 245 kgs makes it an apt highway machine as well. Ride quality can be bone jarring at medium speed and can send shocks directly to your spine. Ducati is made sure there is no compromise with the handling of the motorcycle. Low speed ride quality still bearable and at high speeds bigger bumps will throw you off the seat. Ground clearance can be on the lower side and it does manages to touch very big speed breakers. Brakes are really good as always with top-notch hardware and adjustable levers making things more confidence inspiring while offering excellent bite on both ends.

2017 Ducati XDiavel India Review, Verdict

The X Diavel then is a complete motorcycle. The design has been winning awards. The cruiser comes with an excellent ride and handling setup. The engine has become more tractable and easier to live with. Despite all of this it is also a luxury lifestyle vehicle which fits the need of all types of riders in the world right now. Someone who wants to ride it on the weekend, somebody who wants to ride it on a daily basis and somebody who wants to extract performance as well. We guess that’s the reason why the Diavel now has a X before it, as it does it all!

X-Diavel Price Rs. 15.87 lakh
X-Diavel S Price 18.47 lakh
(both ex-showroom, Delhi).