Biker Boy tests out the Ducati XDiavel
Ducati's rewriting the cruiser rule book with the XDiavel
On Jan 30, 2016, Biker Boy rode the Ducati XDiavel at a World Press Test in San Diego, California.
This Italian motorcycle, the first in the Ducati line-up to be equipped with a belt drive, is touted as a "technocruiser".
Now, forget gleaming chrome, white-walled tyres or any previous notions you have about traditional cruisers.
Ducati's rewriting the cruiser rule book with its interpretation of what a modern and technology-laden cruiser should look and how it should ride.
The XDiavel merges two worlds -- Ducati's famed racing heritage and performance with the laid back style of cruisers.
At the heart of the XDiavel, which comes in two guises -- a matt black version and glossy black (the XDiavel S) one with desirable extras --
is a twin-cylinder Ducati Testastretta 1,262cc engine. Power and torque figures give a hint of the bike's "excitability".
For a cruiser -- it spits out 156hp at 9,500rpm and about 130Nm at 5,000rpm.
We've also done an initial "pillion" test (see below) for the benefit of our readers.
Take it from Biker Boy, the XDiavel may look like a cruiser.
But it is deceptively fast when you crack the throttle open.
Stay tuned for our full test report in The New Paper on Feb 14.
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