• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bike India

Best Bikes in India | No.1 Two Wheeler Magazine

Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

  • Home
  • News
    • Upcoming Launches
    • Latest News
    • New Bike Launches
  • Reviews
    • First Ride
    • Road Test
    • Comparison
  • Features
  • Our Bikes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • NG Auto
    • AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA
    • CAR INDIA
    • COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
  • Brands
  • AUTHORS

The Devil Wears Carbon: Ducati Diavel Carbon First Ride Review

April 19, 2015 by Aninda Sardar Leave a Comment

Ducati Diavel Carbon (3) (555x370)Having familiarised myself with all the controls, I flicked the engine kill switch (which cleverly covers the starter button when switched off) on and thumbed the starter. The Diavel starts with a nice loud bark before settling into a throaty rumble from its 1,198.4-cc liquid-cooled Testastretta 11° L-twin. In case you’re wondering, this is the same engine that powers the fearsome 1199. However, before you get the horses galloping, the unit sitting in the Diavel’s trellis frame is in a different state of tune. While the 1199 puts out 195 galloping thundering Pferde, the Diavel has a more modest 162 PS on twist. Torque, too, is reduced to 130.5 Nm as opposed to the 1199’s 133 Nm. In the Diavel the peak power comes in at 9,250 RPM while the maximum torque is available at 8,000 revs. Both of these are transmitted to the rear wheel via a slick six-speed ‘box. There’s a slipper clutch to boot.

Ducati Diavel Carbon (2) (555x370)

Still trying to come to grips with my shakes, I gently let the clutch out and opened the throttle a wee bit. Voila! The bike rolls off gently and smoothly. At ease now, I get going and it becomes immediately apparent that the Diavel is a rider-friendly motorcycle. It feels light on its feet and the power is delivered in a smooth arc so that it doesn’t leave even novices like yours truly fazed and gasping for breath. Things only start to become frenetic as you watch the revs climb past 5,000 RPM. Of course, on the narrow and crowded roads of Goa one can’t really experience the Diavel’s monstrous side, but the bike does give you enough hints about what it can do. That is when you discover the third and final layer to this motorcycle. Beneath the veneer of rider-friendly softness lies a core of carbon with fangs that could bite your head off. Should you choose to get ham-fisted and wring the throttle harder than usual, that is. Else, it is happy to comply with your inputs and play an able companion who will gently but surely help you improve as you discover your limits on this bike. Trust me, you will exceed your own riding abilities long before the bike reaches its limits. Unless you’re a rider of exceptional skill, of course.

Ducati Diavel Carbon (12) (555x370)

 

More on page 3 >

Aninda Sardar – who has written 312 posts on Bike India.


Email • Twitter

Related posts:

Ampere Magnus Neo Review - Definitive or Derivative?

Brixton Cromwell 1200 Review - Best Foot Forward

TVS iQube ST 5.1 kWh Review - The Price of Range

Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

Filed Under: First Ride, Review Tagged With: 1199, 1200cc, bike, Carbon, Desmosedici, Diavel, ducati, First, India, latest, launched, muscle, naked, review, Ride, Street, Testastretta

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

AlphaOmega Captcha Classica  –  Enter Security Code
 ⟲    ➴
 


* Copy This Password *

* Type Or Paste Password Here *

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

LATEST ISSUE

Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

19TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Bike India - India's no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

Triumph Street Triple 765 R and RS Review | The Best Street Triple Yet

Ducati Diavel V4 Review | Devil of the Mountain

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 first ride | Aspi Bhathena

SPECIAL Featured Story

Yamaha FZ-S Fi Hybrid

Yamaha FZ-S Fi Hybrid Launched

The Yamaha FZ-S Fi Hybrid has been launched at Rs 1.45 lakh (ex-showroom). Yamaha claim that this is India’s first sub-150-cc hybrid motorcycle. 

More about this.

Recent Posts

  • Oben O100 Platform Coming Soon
  • JUNE 2025
  • Ather Energy Partner With Infineon Technologies
  • Honda CB750 Hornet Launched in India

Car India

Car India Magazine - Get your Digital Subscription

Footer

Latest News

Oben O100 Platform Coming Soon

Ather Energy Partner With Infineon Technologies

Honda CB750 Hornet Launched in India

Honda CB1000 Hornet SP Launched in India

Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

Bike India: India’s no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

BIKE India covers the two-wheeler industry in its entirety, both from the local and the international perspective. Also delivers the most definitive verdict on machinery and performance by explaining the hows, whys, and whats on every new bike in a lucid and user-friendly manner. BIKE India is the India’s most authoritative two-wheeler publication, a magazine for people with a passion for bikes and everything to do with their history and heritage.
SiteMap

Copyright © 2025 · BIKE INDIA INDIA’S NO. 1 TWO WHEELER MAGAZINE, BY FAR! ·