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Ten years after it was first launched on an unsuspecting motorcycle world at EICMA, Ducati’s XDiavel is back for a redo, and Gen 2 has left no stone unturned in the redesign. And much like the original XDiavel blew through the usual cruiser-segment tropes, this one’s looking to buck convention too; it’s a V-4.
Why not? Ducati entered the cruiser market on its own unorthodox terms with the Diavel back in 2011, and seeing as how that model inherited the 1158cc Granturismo V4 engine in 2022, it looked like the XDiavel was next in line for a revamp. For 2025 the X gets the new mill, a fresh aluminum frame, upgraded Brembo brakes, and more suspension travel, along with a host of other improvements; Ducati says nearly 90% of the 2025 bike’s components have been revised compared to the outgoing 1260 L-twin.
Of course the Bologna brand made it clear (again) that the two Diavels are distinctly different machines intended for different purposes. The Diavel V4, it says, is the “muscle roadster,” while the XDiavel V4 is a “sport cruiser,” with forward controls, a lazier rake, and lower seat.
Just to make sure we understood the design brief, Ducati flew us out to France to ride the new X on parts of the old Route Napoléon, which winds along the foothills of the Alps in a tangle of hairpin bends and staggering mountain views. Scraping pegs on winding hilltop lanes with a ridiculously scenic backdrop? Seems like the perfect way to test a new bike.
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