{"id":32983,"date":"2014-08-01T10:54:47","date_gmt":"2014-08-01T14:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/?p=32983"},"modified":"2020-03-20T10:10:54","modified_gmt":"2020-03-20T14:10:54","slug":"diavel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/2014\/08\/diavel\/","title":{"rendered":"Dancing with the Devil"},"content":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s not just for the rich and famous. The Diavel is a real attention-getter for the common rider<\/p>\n
Several Bentley Flying Spurs, a handful of Ferrari 458s and even a couple Bugatti Veyrons are parked in front of the H\u00f4tel de Paris, though it\u2019s no special occasion. A Coke at the Caf\u00e9 de Paris costs a paltry seven euros. If your bank account can take a heavy hit, you can take your chances at the Casino de Monte-Carlo just across the street, or you can spend a small fortune on an exclusive gift at Prada, Christian Dior, Chanel or numerous other high-end, high-fashion boutiques that line the streets.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Ducati held the press launch for the 2015 Diavel in, the city-state that claims the highest concentration of millionaires and billionaires in the world. Moto journalists are usually corralled onto buses to the press briefing if it is held offsite from the hosting hotel, but in a brilliant PR coup, our Ducati hosts asked us to ride the bikes through the centre of town to the evening briefing location.<\/p>\n As droves of tourists filed by on the sidewalks, they seemed to show little interest in the surrounding, opulent displays of wealth. Instead, people pointed and waved as 30 thundering Ducati Diavels rode by; cell phones snapped away, fathers held up babies for a better view. \u201cIt\u2019s a bike for people who want to command attention,\u201d Ducati\u2019s product manager, Paul Ventura, would say later during the briefing. He wasn\u2019t kidding.<\/p>\n Ducati introduced the Diavel in 2009, and it was a radical departure for the Italian bike maker. It was a bold move for Ducati to design a power cruiser; the company is, after all, practiced in the production of sport and supersport machines. But the bike has done well for the brand, selling more than 20,000 examples to date worldwide.<\/p>\n The latest version has received numerous changes. Visually, several items distinguish it from the outgoing model, the most notable being the new LED headlight and the shorter exhaust. The Diavel is among a handful of new production motorcycles to come equipped with an LED headlight as standard equipment. The headlight was designed using technology developed by Audi, making the Diavel the first vehicle on which there\u2019s a transfer of technology between the two companies (in case you haven\u2019t been paying attention, Audi now owns Ducati).<\/p>\n The reshaped seat is flatter and uses new foam for improved comfort, but otherwise the riding position is unchanged. Numerous other small changes \u2013 mostly to trim pieces and finish \u2013 distinguish new from old. The mufflers have been shortened and slash cut, improving their appearance and exposing more of the wide rear wheel; compared to the old mufflers, they look like high-end accessory items.<\/p>\n