Ducati Diavel V4 Tries to Split Lanes Between Performance and Comfort
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The 2024 Ducati Diavel V4 is phenomenal. It's a motorcycle with a hot Italian pedigree, stunning curb appeal, and blistering, top-tier, superstar performance. It’s also stupidly comfy, and includes many features that casual and even long-haul touring bikers desire.
But the Diavel is not a cruiser. Nor is it a sportbike, though it performs like one. It's bare, without a fairing, like a classic standard. Not mere wind in the face, but wind on the whole body. It’s responsive and easy to handle—but with its brawny broad chest, massive engine, and eager powertrain, it's too much motorcycle for zippy, efficient commuting.
So what the heck is the Ducati Diavel V4, and why should you buy one?
Bi-Polar Beast
Ducati introduced he V-twin Diavel in 2011, aiming to split segment lanes by mashing up the style, comfort, and performance aspects of naked, cruiser, and sport bikes into one versatile machine. Like most things that try to appeal to everyone, though, the Diavel never captivated, let alone built, any particular audience.
Back then, Ducati admitted its Diavel should be viewed more as a “lifestyle accessory” for discerning motorcyclists. Now owned outright by Lamborghini since 2012, which is owned by Audi (which is itself owned by Volkswagen), Ducati has given the Diavel a massive makeover for 2024, leaning into what the legendary Bologna marque calls “superhero aesthetics.”
Identity Crisis
With its formidable torso and suspended, agile tail section offset by a massive 240 rear tire, the Diavel V4 carries itself like a superhero. (Or perhaps a PED-addled pro wrestler.) It features the smooth, stunningly powerful Granturismo V4 engine borrowed from Ducati’s more successful genre-bender, the Multistrada. The 1,158cc motor cranks out 168 horsepower and 93 viso-fusione foot-pounds of torque—but not until it hits 7,500 rpm. Talk about "superpowers"; this tach doesn’t even sniff its redline until it breaches 10,000 rpm.
The Diavel offers four ride modes: Sport, Touring, Urban, and the new Wet, allowing the rider to customize power delivery, traction control, ABS, and more.
The electronic cruise control is ideal for all-day touring, and Brembo Stylema calipers and dual 13-inch front discs provide superior anchorage. For urban riders, the Quick Shift 6-speed transmission lets you toe through the upper gears without engaging the clutch lever—a lifesaver in city traffic.
The new Diavel V4 weighs 520 pounds (wet) and while that may seem heavy, it’s thirty pounds less than its predecessor—and over a hundred pounds less than Harley-Davidson’s entry-level Big Twin, the Softail Standard.
On the road, the Diavel V4 handles like a naked or standard bike. It leans easily, turns readily, and is a breeze to maneuver in traffic or the twisties. Complimenting that "flickability" is a relatively low 31.1-inch seat height, allowing for a flat-footed stance at stops. A higher handlebar provides an easier reach to the grips than previous models, and the upright riding position is comfortable for hours. As a cruising and touring machine, it’s primed for the long haul.
With all the characteristics of both sport-riding and touring/cruising in its wide-ranging arsenal, the Diavel V4 seemed like the ideal bike to tackle a weekend run up to the Catskills. Unfortunately, that's when the bike's desire to be all things to all riders left me bereft.
Swing and a Miss
A motorcyclist like me would seem to be the target demographic for the new Diavel. I’m an experienced rider comfortable on large-displacement bikes, and while I occasionally enjoy riding aggressively, I usually prefer to cruise while pushing the acceptable bounds of exceeding the speed limit. I love road trips, but prefer taking them via leisurely two-lane country roads rather than the frantic pace and choking smog of the interstate. Yes, a hot August weekend held plenty of promise as I prepared to load up the Diavel for a run through the Catskills to Cooperstown, New York and a visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
When it came time to strap my overnight bag to the standard-issue Diavel V4, though, I stumbled across the perfect epitome of the bike’s identity crisis: despite all the long-haul amenities featured here—cruise control, a 6-speed tranny, plus power and comfort for days—there's nowhere to stow your stuff.
In typical Ducati fashion, the fit and finish on this bike are spectacular. To that end, the underside of the Diavel’s tail is a single piece of finely textured black plastic, with clean seams and small dots for the resplendent LED taillight—but zero bolts, connectors, or seams to slip a bungee hook into or around. Even if you wanted to strap a pack to the Diavel's tail, you're out of luck.
Bottom line? Anyone planning on commuting or even occasional overnight runs on this road-ready, touring-capable Ducati will need to wear a backpack or pony up for optional luggage.
On the road, the V4 leaps off the line and pulls effortlessly through the power band, achieving 0-60 mph in less than three seconds. That ain’t PR jargon, kids. On on-ramps and during overtakes, the Diavel consistently shot to over a hundred miles per hour in a matter of seconds, with a power delivery so smooth I never even noticed I was doing 108 until I saw my riding buddy’s headlight as a bright speck in my mirror, half a mile behind me.
Beyond that weekend run upstate, I spent a couple of weeks commuting and running the occasional around-town errand on the Diavel—or rather, trying to. The lack of luggage or portage capabilities made even the simplest errands a chore. After a few runs, I had to accept that the bag-free Diavel V4 simply isn’t much good for anything beyond “going for a ride.”
You expect such a focus on Function over Form when you buy a naked or a sport bike. But for a motorcycle this powerful, comfortable, and fully-featured? It feels like an oversight. Despite comfortable ergonomics and long-haul amenities like cruise control and a generous 5.3-gallon fuel tank, Ducati missed an opportunity here.
Properly outfitted, this motorcycle would be a top-tier, premium sport-tourer in the vein of BMW’s R 1200 RT or KTM’s 1290 Super Duke GT. Frankly, there’s no doubt in my mind a sport-touring Diavel V4 would easily battle for domination of the sport-touring segment. (Note: You can configure the Ducati Diavel V4 with a $2,029.50 “Touring Package” via the Configurator function on the Ducati website—but it does not include the optional Touring Windshield [$317].)
As-is, however, this motorcycle is just as Ducati intended all those years ago: a lifestyle accessory, now with superhero aesthetics.
Wherefore Art Thou, Diavel?
To be clear, the Diavel V4 is a blast. Its performance, comfort, and tech make it a pleasure to throw around twisties or cruise a boardwalk. For devoted Ducatisti who can afford such a “lifestyle accessory,” the Diavel V4 would be a fine addition to any stable of motorized toys. For the rest of us, however, the premium cost doesn't quite equal out to a premium value. Yet.
The Diavel has never been one of Ducati’s top-selling models. Its sibling the Multistrada, on the other hand, is one of the legendary Italian marque's most successful motorcycles worldwide precisely because of its versatility. Here’s hoping Ducati realizes its Diavel V4 is also cut out for far more than just being a lifestyle accessory.
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