First ride: Ducati Diavel Titanium

A standard Ducati Diavel is anything but run-of-the-mill. Squat, low, muscular and packing that 11° Testastretta heart — all 162hp (claimed) of it — it’s a weapon of a bike, perfect for riders whose sportsbike days are behind them, but still need something that lights up their lives more than a traditional cruiser does.

The original and stock Diavel fits that brief.

But Ducati is Ducati, a manufacturer that made its name by producing special variants of its already-half-nuts machines. Bikes like the 851 Tricolore, 916 SP and 1299 Panigale S obvious examples of special-edition bikes that take the edginess of their base models a step or three forward.

So the Italian mob came up with this, the Diavel Titanium. It rightfully deemed the engine as already up to spec, so most of the specialness of this bike is down to the cosmetic add-ons, as well as the prestige of an individually numbered plaque on the bike — a sure-fire way to make a customer feel privileged when they hand over the moola.

WORTHY PREMIUM
It’s a substantial price tag, too — at $39,990 plus on-road costs — but Ducati has never backed away from the fact it is a premium brand, with premium price tags, too. What do you get for the bucks?

You can see the full range of add-ons below, but the main thing you need to know is that a lot of carbon fibre was weaved up for this bike, the wheels are uber-trick and built to suit, there is actual titanium forming the tank covers and headlight cover and the dreamy seat is a mix of Alacantra and leather.

That aforementioned individually numbered tank plaque adds to the cosmetic package, and while only 500 of these weapons are available world-wide, it’s the fact only 40 made it to Australasia (Australia and NZ) that makes it even more special.

The best bit about a power cruiser is the fact that despite having some serious grunt between your legs, you aren’t paying for it with a seriously compromised riding position.

The Ducati Panigale, for instance, is an absolute ball on the road or track when the speeds are up, but as you trundle towards your shed in peak hour traffic on the way home, you find yourself offering to swap with any scooter-rider you spot. That Alacantra seat means you are happy with where you are on this bike.

High and wide bars, together with a sensible footpeg location add up to a bike that lets you relax when you don’t have the bit between your teeth. The real challenge is trying to resist what your right wrist can make it do…

The engine is hyperactive in the Sports riding mode. That was great for when I was really hunting, but more often than not I was looking for a more balanced feeling at the throttle — selecting Touring mode gave me that. The Ducati Multistrada is the same. I once had one for a year, and that bike was an animal in Sports mode, but happier and more road compliant with the Touring mode on. Same goes for this Diavel.

If you like a lot of excitement in your day, all day, then you’ll just leave it in Sports mode, and I certainly did that on some days. In general, though, the Touring mode is easier to live with. Nice having the choice!

With the option of finessing, the 11° Testastretta engine is a magnificent road-going beast. That 11° reference is to the valve overlap. The standard 1198cc Testastretta engine it is based on runs 41°, the idea being the less extreme the overlap, the smoother an engine is. The theory is proved right in the Diavel, helped by the fact there is still plenty of road-munching torque — a claimed 130Nm makes short work of the gaps between corners, whether you change gear or not.

The best bit is that the chassis handles what the engine does much better than the bike’s looks would suggest.

There is a remote spring preload knob to help you adjust the bike’s balance depending on your luggage or pillion load; it’s really handy for getting the bike right for how you like to ride, too. This much-misunderstood knob makes life easier when you know what it does, and for me it needed two turns in to allow me more front end feel. After that, I’d reckon I was as fast as most other bikes I could ride through a delightful back-country biker road.

The thick, sinister looking 50mm Marzocchi forks steady the whole ship and are fully adjustable — which of course most owners don’t touch. In standard form, they offer feel and help the bike turn better than it looks like it ever will, especially when your gaze lingers — as it will — on the monster rear hoop. That’s what an eight-inch rim looks like on a motorcycle!

That 240mm Pirelli-shod rim up the back is a reason the bike doesn’t quite steer like it would with a more sensible rim, but the thing is still agile while cornering, plus it gives the rider you just passed something look at…

The relaxed ride position doesn’t isolate the rider from the road, a sign of good design and suspension/chassis balance, while the ABS-equipped Brembos also seem to outperform themselves, as looking at the bike, it’s easy to imagine it will be hard to stop. It isn’t.

JUST BRAKE IT
The Bosch ABS system is excellent, and the lever pulsing in your hand isn’t intrusive; it’s just a good reminder the bike is looking after you because you overcooked it. It’s easy to get into an “overcooking” mindset on this bike.

By now, you should be getting the message this bike is part cruiser, part sportsbike. In many ways, it’s an incredible practical bike — Ducati and practical haven’t always been synonymous, it’s fair to say, but with this bike, and others like the Multistrada, the company has nailed that balance between sporty goodness and wholesome practicality.

The Titanium package brings an even more exclusive feel to what was already one of my favourite bikes.

The bike is relatively light — a claimed 234kg wet is impressive for something this size — powered by a superbly matched engine and boasts electronics and features that leave many other bikes in the shade.

It’s not perfect of course, nothing is, but my Niggle List reads more like a set of First World Problems, rather than anything upsettingly wrong with it.

I can’t understand why this bike doesn’t have heated grips, and the Multistrada does? This bike suits hand warmers, as it can certainly tour (though fuel range from the 17-litre tank is around the 200km mark) and it can’t be too hard to add them? Perhaps it is, as there doesn’t seem a logical reason not to have them on a $40k bike.

Ditto for a powershifter — powershifting this weapon up the road would feel good, look awesome and it actually suits this bike as much as it does a superbike.

More fuel range — that 17-litre tank does empty itself pretty quickly if you are getting jolly with the right wrist (the above mentioned 200km is average, it’s less when on the noise), another litre or two would add to the fun between fill-ups and increase its touring practicalities.

For me, that’s about all I would change, though none of the above would stop me buying it, or seriously affect its value for money, or design purpose.

WOULD YOU, SHOULD YOU?
The Ducati Diavel base model, and the X version, etc are great bikes. The Titanium is pricey, but does look incredible on the road and has the go to match the show. That massive rear hoop doesn’t affect the bike’s handling enough to make we wish it was a more conventional size. It might when it comes time to pay for a replacement, though owners of a $40k bike tend not to worry about such things…

As mentioned, above the Diavel is one of my favourite bikes, it has been since I first rode one back in 2013, and the Titanium adds some “special” to formidable performance, a genuine uniqueness and my sense of curiosity when it comes to riding something outside the general box most of our production bikes fit into.

This bike is almost into the “if you have to as how much, it’s too much” price tag territory, but it backs the price tag with collectivity and brutal, but tunable on the fly, performance. If being one of 40 to own one of these things in Australasia is something you aspire to, rest assured it's not just owning a bike like this that’s appealing, it’s riding it. That’s the best test of a collectable bike, and this one passes. Easily.

THE GOODIES LIST
-- Ducati Testastretta 11° DS engine 162hp
-- Riding Mode (Sport, Touring, Urban)
-- Ducati Safety Pack (ABS, DTC)
-- Machine-finished forged black wheels with dedicated design
-- Titanium central and lateral tank covers
-- Titanium headlight cover
-- Passenger seat cover in carbon with titanium insert
-- Carbon fibre specially designed engine air intakes
-- Carbon fibre radiator covers
-- Carbon fibre windscreen
-- Carbon fibre front and rear mudguard
-- Carbon fibre front sprocket cover
-- Carbon fibre tank filler surround
-- Aluminium machine-finished forged black wheels with dedicated design -- Seat in Alcantara and leather
-- Exhaust pipes with Zircotech ceramic lining
-- Stainless-steel silencers
-- Individually numbered tank-mounted plaque (XXX/500)