Ducati Diavel 1260, Diavel 1260 S Announced

Ducati has announced an updated model of the Ducati Diavel with the 1,262 cc Testastretta motor of the XDiavel. Unlike the XDiavel's belt-drive, the new 2019 Diavel will get a chain drive. The 2019 Ducati Diavel 1260 now claims 159 bhp at 9500 rpm and 128 Nm of peak torque kicking in at 7500 rpm, from the 1,262 cc, Testastretta v-twin with desmodromic valve timing. The engine promises smooth performance at low revs and sporty performance at high revs. Ducati has also revised the engine mapping for sportier performance than with the XDiavel.

The base Ducati Diavel misses out on top-spec Ohlins suspension and Brembo M50 calipers

The electronics package is managed by a six-axis inertial measurement units (IMU) from Bosch, which constantly adjusts roll and pitch angles and the speed of altitude changes. The new Diavel offers three riding modes - Sport, Touring and Urban. Each mode has its own engine map, as well as distinctive settings for traction control, wheelie control and cornering ABS. The Ducati Traction Control system offers eight different levels of intervention, as well as the wheelie control.

The 2019 Ducati Diavel gets a full-colour TFT screen and a state-of-the-art electronics safety package

The 2019 Ducati Diavel 1260 uses a steel trellis frame using the engine as a stressed element of the chassis, and is attached to both cylinder heads. The cast aluminium rear subframe attaches to the rear cylinder head while two forged aluminium side plates attach to the base of the engine and connect to the single-sided swingarm. The Diavel 1260 uses 50 mm forks, with damping compression and spring preload adjustable on the left fork tube, while the rebound is adjustable on the right tube.

The top-spec variant, the 2019 Ducati Diavel 1260 S, gets a fully adjustable 48 mm fork and rear shock from Ohlins. The S model also uses Brembo M50 monobloc front brake calipers, whereas the regular Diavel 1260 uses Brembo M4.32 calipers. Both variants use twin 320 mm front discs and a 260 mm rear disc. Other features include a full-colour TFT display, hands-free ignition, and cruise control. The S variant adds Bluetooth connectivity to the TFT screen, and full LED lighting.