In recent years, Ducati has uprooted its L-twin engines and replaced them with more powerful, reliable V4s. The Panigale and Multistrada have already received this treatment, and for 2023, Ducati has taken the wraps off the all-new Diavel V4. Announced in its penultimate world premiere, this is the first time the Diavel has employed a four-cylinder engine since its inception in 2010, and it's certainly for the better.
2023 Ducati Diavel V4 Looks Devilish As Ever
The Ducati Diavel has always looked brawny, and the new V4 is a step in the right direction. Everything - the headlight, tail lamp, bodywork - is new here, yet in a way that it’s in line with the Diavel styling. There is no shortage of eye-catching elements here, with the four-tip exhaust and tail lamp being our favorites. The latter, with its honeycomb-like grill, looks unlike anything and, if you look closely, the LEDs light up to resemble the tail lamp pattern of the Panigale V4.
2023 Ducati Diavel V4 Pushes The Boundary Of Performance
The Diavel V4 employs Ducati’s much-loved Granturismo V4 engine, which it borrows from the Multistrada V4. Here though, the engine belts out 168 horsepower and 93 pound-feet, two ponies less than the ADV but 11 more than the Diavel 1260. Couple this with the bike’s 465-pound dry weight (16 pounds less than the 1260), and the Diavel V4 promises to be an exhilarating ride. Just like the Multistrada, the Diavel also boasts rear-cylinder deactivation at slower speeds.
A key factor in the reduced weight is the motorcycle’s underpinning. Gone is the Diavel’s signature trellis chassis and in comes a lighter monocoque unit sprung on 50mm up-side forks and a monoshock, both fully adjustable. The diamond-cut alloys are new too, and now house top-of-the-line Brembo Stylema calipers for utmost braking prowess.
The brakes aren’t the only thing that lets you put a leash on this beast, though. Like most Ducatis, the Diavel V4 is ripe with electronic aids such as ride modes, power modes, traction control, wheelie control, launch control, and a bi-directional quickshifter. Meanwhile, a crisp 5-inch TFT instrument cluster lets you toggle through all this.
2023 Ducati Diavel V4 Isn't Easy On The Pocket
The updates are massive, and it’s safe to say Ducati has pushed the Diavel name to a whole new level. All this, though, comes at a price tag of $26,695 which is $4,900 more than the 2022 Diavel 1260 and $3,200 more than its arch-rival, the Triumph Rocket 3. The prices may be out, but the motorcycle is likely to reach dealerships by late 2022 or early 2023 itself. We expect it to be on display at the EICMA, so you can head there to check it out in the flesh.