Eccentric design
It was the kind of crisp, misty morning in Mussoorie that feels tailor-made for a ride. The town was still asleep, a veil of fog hanging low over the winding roads, and I was astride something that didn’t just look like it came from the future, it sounded like it, too. The Ducati Diavel V4 doesn’t whisper its presence. It announces it with authority. Even before turning the key, the Diavel V4 demands attention. Its silhouette is instantly recognizable, a blend of muscular aggression and Italian elegance. You can feel Ducati’s intent to break every mold: part power cruiser, part naked roadster, part sculptural art. It’s like Ducati looked at genres and said, “Let’s build a bike that doesn’t fit anywhere.” But it’s not just the silhouette. It’s the details. The quad-barrel exhaust stacked on the right side, the dramatic floating tail section, and the signature LED lighting, especially that tail light array, the now-iconic “LED matrix”, it all screams personality. It’s eccentric. It’s bold. But most of all, it’s unapologetically Ducati. In Mussoorie’s early morning gloom, the Diavel looked like a spaceship parked beside pine trees. I knew it would turn heads. What I didn’t expect was how it would make me feel before I’d even twisted the throttle.
168 hp engine put to the test
Once the V4 roared to life, everything else faded. The 1158cc Granturismo engine delivers 168 horses, and the way it doles out that power is intoxicating. Ducati has a gift for making mechanical violence feel refined. You don’t just ride this engine, you wield it. The Diavel’s power delivery isn’t just about raw numbers. It’s about how it comes in. That low-end grunt is what makes mountain riding fun, and here in Mussoorie, every tight hairpin and steep climb begged for torque. It never faltered. Just a light twist of the wrist at 3,000 rpm and the bike surged forward with precision, not drama. That’s the genius of this engine, its torque curve is beautifully linear, but its output is aggressive. Ducati’s active rear-cylinder deactivation plays a huge role here. At low revs, the rear bank shuts off. The result? A much cooler ride at low speeds, and this deep, burbling exhaust note that makes pedestrians turn around in awe. I remember coasting into Landour Bazaar and catching a group of café-goers craning their necks to catch a glimpse. This bike doesn’t just perform; it performs theatrically. When the twisties opened up into sweeping bends just past George Everest’s estate, I opened it up properly. The acceleration from midrange to redline was savage. I didn’t need to wring it out to feel the thrill, but when I did, the Diavel V4 made it clear it was capable of much more than just posing in a parking lot.
Stylish design, modern LED light
Let’s talk about that LED setup, because Ducati didn’t just slap lights on this machine, they sculpted them. Up front, the eccentric headlight design is futuristic yet somehow in tune with the rest of the bike. It integrates a sharply contoured DRL and projects an unmistakable face, whether it’s daylight or dusk. But it’s the rear light cluster that steals the show. That array of 112 individual LEDs under the tail, the LED matrix, lights up like something out of a sci-fi film. It doesn’t blink. It glows, and it gives the Diavel this instantly iconic rear profile. Design isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s functionality too. Every angle, every fin, every curve of the Diavel serves a purpose. The wide tank flares feel planted between your knees. The seat cradles you in a low-slung cruiser position, yet it’s sculpted with sportbike intent. There’s plenty of legroom, and the ergonomics are dialed in for long rides, not just short blasts. Even after a full day in the saddle up and down the misty slopes of Mussoorie, I didn’t feel fatigued. That’s rare for a bike with this kind of performance. Ducati’s done something special here, they’ve made brutal speed feel luxurious.
Less weight, more consumption
One of the most surprising traits of the Diavel V4 is its newfound agility. Despite being a big machine, Ducati trimmed its weight down to 236 kg wet, 8 kg lighter than the outgoing model. That’s huge, especially when you’re flicking it through tight hill corners. The aluminum monocoque frame plays a major role here. The bike feels more centered, more balanced, and more cooperative in tighter bends. Mussoorie’s hill roads, narrow, unpredictable, often covered in wet leaves or gravel, were a testing ground. Yet the Diavel handled them all with stability and poise. But here’s the flip side, more power and a thirstier V4 mean fuel consumption takes a hit. I averaged around 6.5 liters per 100 km, a fair bit more than the old twin. Still, I never felt like it was a trade-off. The kind of performance and emotional engagement the Diavel V4 offers makes it worth every drop. It’s the kind of bike where you don’t think about mileage. You think about moments.
Ducati Diavel V4: High price
There’s no getting around it. The Ducati Diavel V4 is expensive. In India, once it lands with all duties and taxes, you’re looking at a price tag north of ₹25 lakh. That’s sports car money for what’s technically a naked bike with cruiser aspirations. But here’s the thing, it’s worth it. Because this isn’t just a motorcycle. It’s a statement. It’s a distillation of Ducati’s engineering excellence, design bravado, and emotional punch. It’s art you can ride. And when you’re carving through pine-shaded roads with a V4 soundtrack echoing off the hills, you don’t care about the price. You care about the ride. And for those who do take the plunge, the Diavel V4 isn’t just a garage ornament. It’s built tough. The engine’s major service interval is at 60,000 km. That’s a long, drama-free relationship with a high-performance motor. Yes, parts and services are premium, but so is the experience.
Technical data Ducati Diavel V4
| Manufacturer information | Specifications |
| Motor | 4-cylinder, 90° V-engine, 1158 cc displacement, 124.0 kW at 10750 rpm, max. torque 126.0 at 7500 rpm, 4 valves/cylinder, injection system, liquid cooling |
| Assistance systems | various FAS: including cornering ABS EVO, traction and wheelie control, ride-by-wire, various riding and power modes, cruise control |
| chassis | Tubular steel frame; 50 mm upside-down telescopic fork, 120 mm travel; single-sided rear swing arm, 145 mm travel; |
| Mass | Unladen weight approx. 235 kg, permissible total weight 455 kg; length/width/height 2305 / 939 / 1300 mm, seat height 790 mm; fuel tank capacity 20.0 l |
| Brakes | kA, front disc, 330 mm, rear disc, 265 mm |
| Performance / Consumption | Top speed kA km/h, 6.4 l/100 km |
| Price | 27090 euros |
Conclusion
The Ducati Diavel V4 is a contradiction that works. It’s big, yet agile. Comfortable, yet savage. Luxurious, yet utterly raw. It feels just as home sipping cappuccino outside a café as it does attacking twisties in the Himalayas. Mussoorie wasn’t just a backdrop, it was a testing ground. The bike faced cold starts, slippery bends, sudden climbs, and dense traffic in the lower town. And through it all, the Diavel V4 was a willing partner, confident, capable, and charismatic. There are faster bikes. There are cheaper bikes. There are more practical bikes. But there’s only one Diavel V4. And once you’ve ridden it, everything else feels just a little… ordinary.
