<\/p>\n
Apart from maybe smoothing out some unnoticeable irks in the fuelling and engine mapping, not much has changed. The Diavel remains almost alone on its glorious, muscular hill. Since the demise of the VMAX, the only other bike capable of offering it outside and fighting it in the carpark, is Triumph\u2019s Rocket 3.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I get the impression Bologna is marking time with its most unique motorcycle. Will it eventually replace the amazing Testastretta engine \u2013 that hairy man-vegied Hell-cannon of an engine \u2013 with its even hairier, but very different V4? It would not surprise me. It would seem the correct path to follow for those of us who worship the true, dark gods of motorcycling.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But we shall see what we shall see, shall we not? Bologna rarely disappoints in that regard. But let me put aside my evil-minded whimsy and focus upon the task at hand \u2013 to review a bike essentially unchanged from its previous iteration.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I felt this was best done with the aid of my wife, Lynette \u2013 who is wiser than the mountains, more observant than a spy satellite, and a pillion par excellence.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/152032341_2852945651660122_6917046480016524965_n.jpg\")
Rather naughty-looking, isn’t it?<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n The Diavel, as you can understand, is an amazing paradox of a motorcycle. It has a fat rear-tyre, so it shouldn\u2019t handle \u2013 but of course it does. It\u2019s ability in the twisties is quite stunning. Its size, offset by its relatively quite reasonable weight (244kg wet), seems to be no impediment to its ability to shame the riders of slimmer and allegedly more agile bikes. Ricky Martin actually wrote a song about the Diavel back in 2000 entitled \u201cShe bangs\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Likewise, if you examine the seat, you\u2019ll also see a paradox. Where you sit is a deeply recessed cup. It\u2019s comfortable \u2013 but it does lock you into one position. I have done long days on the Diavel and it really only starts to wear on you when the sun starts going down and you\u2019re approaching a four-figure haul. The main aim of the seat seems to be to keep you from sliding off the back when you crack the throttle, while letting you easily slide your bum to either side when slaying corners. It\u2019s a performance-based unit. So I\u2019m good with that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The pillion accommodation \u2013 part of the same seat unit \u2013 seems to be very much geared towards her (or his) comfort. It is quite broad, and its relationship to the rear footpegs is not unreasonable. But \u2013 and this is a big and gloriously Italian \u2018but\u2019 \u2013 whoever is sitting on the back has no choice but to hang on to the rider \u2013 grimly, stoically, and with the determination of a pit-bull \u2013 if and when he turns the taps on.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So this is my wife to a T.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no back thing,\u201d she observed as we prepared to leave for a day of Italian weapons-firing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou get to hang onto me like in the old days,\u201d I said to her. \u201cJust remember the signals.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat signals, dickhead?\u201d she blinked. \u201cYou just do that weird rolling thing with your shoulders and wriggle your arse when you\u2019re about to terrify me. But you do that when you need to pee, too.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI need to keep you guessing. This is why we shall never, ever, ever, as long as the sun sets in the west, ever have any communications equipment in our helmets,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHave I ever even asked for that?\u201d she snapped. \u201cPfft. As if I want to talk to you when you\u2019re riding.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We set off, did maybe a 400km loop out from Singleton to Wollombi, then Cessnock, then back to Broke, then up Mother Putty so I could demonstrate my manhood to her. It rained for some of the way, quite heavily, and then it was dry when it needed to be.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When we got home I began the debrief\u2026<\/p>\n She can’t say I never take her anywhere nice.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Me: How did you find it in terms of comfort?<\/p>\n .<\/p>\n Lynette: \u201cIt\u2019s very comfortable. And smooth. The suspension feels good.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Me: Would you have been happier if I dialled the pre-load up some on the back?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lynette: That sounds like the off-side rule bullshit you\u2019ve been trying to explain to me for decades. I don\u2019t know and don\u2019t care. If I\u2019m comfortable then the suspension and the seat are good.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Me: How did you feel it handled the corners?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lynette: Well, you weren\u2019t screaming or grabbing the brakes. It felt smooth, and what\u2019s the word? Steady, like it didn\u2019t weave or wobble in corners like they sometimes do\u2026or like you sometimes do.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Me: Did you feel the power? Did it juice your kidneys when I jammed the throttle open?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lynette: Was that when I punched you in the neck? Yes, it goes very fast very quickly. I had to catch my breath a few times. Don\u2019t do that again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Me: In terms of sex-appeal, how did you feel the Diavel went? Like, never mind that I was the rider and you\u2019re hot for me. If it was someone else riding it, some lesser man for example,0 could you step over his inadequacies because he\u2019s on a Diavel?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lynette: It\u2019s a Ducati. You know I like Ducatis. This isn\u2019t like that red one you had, which was one of the sexiest bikes I\u2019ve ever seen, but it\u2019s still a Ducati, so I guess, yeah, it works. But if you think girls go after guys because of the bike they ride, you don\u2019t understand girls very well, do you?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Me: You all remain a wondrous mystery to me. And you went after me because I rode a Shovelhead.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lynette: Yeah, you keep thinking that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Me: Did you like the exhaust note?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lynette: You have ridden much louder bikes, and they\u2019re fine for about ten minutes. Then they give me a headache and you can\u2019t ever hear me over the noise. This one sounded pretty\u2026um, what\u2019s that word you use? Meaty? Yes, meaty, without being offensive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Me: What did you like most about it?<\/p>\n Lynette: I liked how it looks muscular and angry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Me: So like me?<\/p>\n Lynette: Oh, yes. Exactly like you. There are bits of it that look like they\u2019re from a jet, and the wheels look cool. I guess it just looks very purposeful.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Me: It\u2019s like you\u2019re talking about me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lynette: Yes, but I\u2019m not.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For my part, I remain a huge and very appreciative fan of the Diavel. There are a lot of things I like about it, and very few things I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s a big, hard-charging, bison of a bike with impeccable road-manners and cornering abilities. I have always liked the Testastretta donk \u2013 it is one of the world\u2019s most iconic engines, after all. If Ducati ever wedges a V4 into its Diavel, it will very much change the unique bang the 1260cc \u00a0L-twin delivers \u2013 and while that may not be a bad thing given what the V4 will offer, it will still be somewhat\u2026well, unnecessary, I guess.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There\u2019s more than enough stomp and fury in the Diavel, as it is, to satisfy even the most jaded, I-lie-to-myself-about-how-fast-I-am riders. It could certainly do with a bearskin seat. It would set it off a treat. But that aside, it tours beautifully, scratches willingly, carries a pillion with aplomb and comfort, and it makes you smile like a sinner every time you choose to spank it.<\/p>\n I think that\u2019s why it\u2019s called a Diavel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/151943873_2852945694993451_5321287118541705496_n.jpg\")