If there is a motorcycle that you can refer to as testosterone materialized in mechanical form, which one would it be? For us, it is the Ducati Diavel V4. Diavel, ever since it came out, has been a kind of motorcycle that could never really fit in any conventional class. Muscle bike? Power Cruiser? Well, those terms come quite close but still, they fail to encapsulate what the Diavel really is. It has the brutality of a beast but it also has the finesse of a gentleman. Somehow, the folks at Bologna combined these two characteristics and it is a feat alright. And now, the progression of this unholy union has led us to the very best Diavel ever- the V4.

We have ridden the Diavel extensively. After all this time, one might expect no surprises. And yet, it blew us away every time. And after riding the Diavel V4, we’d say it obliterates everything in its path and obscures its identity even more. After riding the Streetfighter V4 and the Panigale V4, we were already aware of the capabilities of Ducati’s V4. But this, the Granturismo V4 that powers the Diavel V4, is something else entirely.

The focal point is the engine, of course, so let us start with that. The Granturismo V4 displaces 1,158cc and with its four cylinders, makes 168 bhp of power and 126 Nm of torque. Despite the addition of two cylinders and other hardware, the engine is 5 kg lighter than the Testastretta 1262 that powered the previous Diavel. There is more weight loss but we’ll address that later. The thing you need to know first is that Ducati claims that the Diavel can go from 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds! Like the other V4s from Ducati, the Granturismo V4 also possesses a rear cylinder deactivation system. Less heat and more gas mileage, people!

The trellis frame is now gone and before you cry foul, it has helped in a weight reduction to the tune of nearly 5 kilos. That is nothing to scoff at. With a lighter engine and a lighter frame among other smaller things, the Diavel V4 is a smidge over 13 kilos lighter than the old Diavel. The slew of impressive hardware does not stop there. The Diavel V4 gets 330mm floating discs at the front with a Brembo PR16/19 radial master cylinder and radial monobloc Stylema callipers. Hitting the brakes on the Diavel V4 is like hitting a wall without the messy consequences of the latter.

In terms of tyres, the front is a traditional 120/70 ZR 17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso III. But the signature of Diavel is at the rear- a 240/45 ZR17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso III. Massively wide rear tyres may seem like just an aesthetic thing or a motorcycle that is trying too hard. And yes, the Diavel V4 tries too hard to not chew that massive rear tyre up in a few spirited runs. You get four riding modes; Sport, Touring, Urban, and Wet which are self-explanatory. The electronics package is comprehensive, it is a Ducati after all and they are one of the best in the business.

So the Ducati Diavel V4 is an extremely impressive motorcycle on paper and even more so on the road. First of all, that engine is a thing of beauty. Wring its neck, utilize the quickshifter, keep it in the thick of revs, use engine braking, and have a ton of faith in a 237 kg motorcycle to make it through the nastiest of corners with relative ease. Do all that and you’ll know that the Diavel V4 is a motorcycle that intends to not be thrown in with others. We just wish the pegs didn’t limit its cornering clearance because that chassis wants to give you so much more leans!

So, it handles like a machine of its size shouldn’t, it accelerates like a machine of its size shouldn’t, heck, it even looks like a machine of its size should not and yet, it does all that and then some. We have always been fond of the Diavel for standing out but the Diavel V4 is simply superlative. It makes the Diavels of the old look and feel ancient. And that is the power of the Diavel, a power that has now been passed on to the Diavel V4. The power of defining your own class, your own place, and your own little piece of history. And the Diavel V4 does that astoundingly well!