X Diavel experience

[steve1968]

Can anyone share their ownership experience with me ?

Never owned a Ducati in 40 years biking so it would tick that box , looking to reduce my bikes and the 2 to go to make this happen will be Vmax and Griso .

Would be an early used bike , also on short list is rocket 3R but a bit put off by the rear brake and other issues.

Thanks in advance

Steve

[Salted_Peanut]

It's an awesome bike to own. A few thoughts …

Fun: Riding the Xdiavel is an event and fantastic fun.

Handling: Fab and fun. It benefits massively from an expert suspension setup. Ducati supply the bike with decent suspension, but the factory settings must be set by cheeky chimpanzees. The Xdiavel benefits from being about 100kg (!) lighter than a Triumph Rocket.

Comfort: Again, an expert suspension setup is transformative. A small screen makes a big difference if you do lots of motorway miles.

Riding position: I was uncertain about the foot-forward riding position but adjusted quickly. I wouldn’t go back to a more cramped knee position now. Plus, the Xdiavel is highly adjustable (various options to change the control positions, higher or lower aftermarket seats, etc.).

Issues: It’s generally reliable. Early bikes had factory recalls fixing rear brake and side-stand issues. The rear brake was useless until the factory recall – a massive job you want to check has been done. Early side-stands could come off the bike! The factory recall replaced them with sturdier stuff.

Other owners' reviews:
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/ducati...

[steve1968]

Does the factory recall fix the rear brake, unlike the apparent ongoing Rocket 3 issue ?
Any idea what the fix was and how to know it it’s been carried out ?

[Rene Souffle]

A call to any Ducati dealer would tell you on the history Ducati main system.
It holds any recall, campaign or standard warranty work ever carried out.

The recall replaced the rear brake lines with hard lines re-routed away from the exhaust system as it was getting too hot caused the fluid to overheat and making the rear brake go spongy.

[Salted_Peanut]

Rene Souffle is spot on, and Ducati’s factory recall fixed the rear brake

Out of curiosity, what’s the rear brake problem with the Triumph Rocket?

[steve1968]

Similar problem I believe with Rocket 3, never ridden one myself but the demo bike I was offered a ride on had long travel spongy pedal so I gave it a miss .

[ujio]

Following this! I love the looks of the X Diavel, is it that much different from the standard 1260 Diavel?

I've ridder the original Strada version a decade back and was blown away by it's performance for a Cruiser. Interested to hear long term owner's opinions too.

[Salted_Peanut]

An Xdiavel has been my main transport for several years. Riding from hot summer blasts to cool winter days is a hoot. It's grin-inducing, highly capable, fast and fun.

I imagine Ducati didn’t design it as a winter commuter! But with lashings of ACF50 and Ducati’s heated grips, it has coped with everything. It needs a small screen (various options exist) for motorway use, and the suspension settings must be set right for bumpy British roads. However, it’s bloody brilliant fun!

I also considered a Rocket, but the svelte Italian beat the heavy Triumph. The Rocket is about 100kg heavier than the Xdiavel.

ujio said:

I love the looks of the X Diavel, is it that much different from the standard 1260 Diavel?

Very similar. The Xdiavel has belt-drive (less hassle), whereas the Diavel has a chain. The Xdiavel has foot-forward controls as standard, although Ducati offers optional mid-mounted controls if you prefer. The Diavel only has mid-mounted controls. But they are essentially the same bike – an awesome bike at that.