The Diavel is Ducati’s entry into the powercruiser market and Alan Cathcart got the chance to ride the bike in the south of Spain last week.
How to enter the American cruiser market? It’s a conundrum that’s puzzled Ducati’s management for more than four decades, ever since the Italian sportbike manufacturer’s failed attempt back in 1963 to produce a Harley-style cruiser - the abortive 1260cc V-four Apollo prototype, which produced more
power and especially torque than the tires of the day could handle. How does a
company with an unparalleled recent history of success in World Superbike and
MotoGP racing grab a foothold in the biggest single segment of the largest motorcycle market in the Western world, while staying true to its sporting heritage and
competition credentials?
With 48 percent of all the 357,691 streetbikes sold in the USA in 2010 being cruisers, it’s a number for even the world’s most illustrious sportbike brand to ignore.
