New 2011 Ducati “Diavel” to debut at November’s EICMA Milan Show

After months of spy shots and speculation running rampant in the past couple of months, Ducati finally acknowledged that the new “Diavel” power cruiser will debut at the EICMA show in Milan this coming November, with a teaser photo of the bike’s distinctive rear end posted on its ducati.com website. It’s been known for some time that Ducati has been developing a bike that would create yet another motorcycling lifestyle genre that Ducati enthusiasts could become part of (and another category the Italian company could expand into and mine financially), one that went beyond the previous Monster and Streetfighter heritage.

So-named reportedly because of a Ducati technician’s remark in Bolognese dialect ““Ignurànt comm’ al diavel!” (“Evil, like the devil!”) after seeing the prototype for the first time, the Diavel is said to use the same Testastretta 11° engine as the Multistrada 1200, but with better flowing exhaust due to the roomier chassis layout. Part of that layout includes a huge 240-section rear tire hanging from the typical Ducati single-sided swingarm (albeit lengthened to accommodate the wider/taller rear tire and quicker accelerative characteristics).

The Diavel will also get the same technological advances as many of its 2011 models, including ABS, Ducati Traction Control, and Ducati Riding modes. Riding ergos are said to be more relaxed than the slightly forward-canted Monster positioning, although surely far from the usual cruiser genre riding setup considering Ducati’s performance heritage. Claimed curb weight is 456 pounds, so the Diavel should be able to zip off the line quickly.