The cruiser of today is stuck in the image of the past. This means all cruisers must have chrome, retro styling and lolloping V-Twins, even if the rest of their lineup doesn’t fit that aesthetic. But what if the cruiser wasn’t stuck in the past? What if a brand wasn’t satisfied with the notion that comfort didn’t have to come at the expense of speed? Ducati, a brand built on their racing heritage, has decided to challenge the cruiser status quo with the Diavel. In the process, chrome has been replaced with carbon fiber.
When the Diavel first debuted, many people saw it as a brand expansion that had gone one step too far. Here was Ducati’s “Cayenne moment” – that moment in time where a brand sells itself on its image instead of its product. However, that would be true only if the Diavel was a bike that did not live up to Ducati’s performance heritage. And it not only meets the bar, but exceeds it. With the Diavel, Ducati has redefined the cruiser segment instead of the other way around, and created the essential urban assault weapon.
Devilish Looks
You can tell that this is not your grandfather’s cruiser just by looking at it. In pictures, the Diavel seems ungainly and large, but in person the size is compact and squat. On paper, it looks disjointed and wrong, but all the details look cohesive in person. The Diavel seems like it is bursting at the seams while sitting still; like a pit bull, all muscle and power. So it has the traditional cruiser aesthetic of looking tough while sitting still, but it does this with a completely modern design.
Not to mention that detailing is exquisite. On this Carbon model, the tank and rear seat cover is actual carbon fiber. Where one would find plastic on most bikes, the Diavel has milled aluminum. The Diavel also boasts Marchesini wheels that not only look good, but cut unsprung weight. And the rear wheel is showcased by Ducati’s hallmark single-sided swingarm. Everything on this bike not only fits the cruiser aesthetic, but helps the bike perform better.
The fact is that the Diavel manages to stand out, but looks like it belongs, in every place you take it to. I picked up the Diavel at Chicago Motoworks, a dealer in the heart of Chicago that offers Ducati, Triumph and Vespa scooters. From there, I was taken on a tour of the city from biker bars to upscale restaurants on the gold Coast, and everywhere in between. The feedback from others was always positive. Even a guy in a Prius shot a thumbs up. You can’t take a traditional cruiser into the heart of a modern city without looking a touch old-fashioned, but this is no problem on the Diavel. Conversely, showing up to a biker bar on a sport bike is a faux pas, but not on the Diavel. A cruiser is supposed to attract attention and the Diavel does so without conforming to the traditional aesthetic tropes that accompany the segment. Not to mention, with advanced electronics and impressive ergonomics, it’s actually comfortable in the inevitable city traffic instead of crippling.
