Spirit of America

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Motorcycle Show

This weekend has been interesting. Ducati had its Ride Day, my Kawasaki shift assist fell off my bike, and tomorrow is the Spirit of America motorcycle show in Grand Forks, North Dakota. After reconnecting my shift-assist linkage on the side of the highway, (fortunately, I carried my tools with me), I visited my local Kawasaki Dealer at Headingly Sports Shop and had the mechanic check to make sure I wasn’t missing any parts, which it wasn’t.

While at the Ducati Ride Day, I had the opportunity to take the totally redesigned Ducati Diavel V4 for a spin. One thing was noticeable immediately in that the Diavel is a big, brawny bike. With a 1260cc V4 engine producing 158 horsepower, acceleration is robust. What surprised me was how light the bike steered. While I wasn’t able to throw the bike into too many turns, (this is the prairies) the steering was spot on. I would miss not having a windscreen, as most of my mileage is done on the highway. The suspension was quite good, being an Ohlins system and the Brembo brakes stopped the bike quite well, considering the Diavel’s weight.

The engine was flexible, with tons of torque available (95 ft-lbs) from as low as 3000 rpm. Similarly to comments made on Motorcyclenews.com, I did find the throttle response a bit disconcerting. The bike tended to lurch, even when I tried to not be abrupt. Engine braking with the Diavel was quite noticeable as well. Rider aids are many, with a two-way quick-shifter and the Evo system, which was fortunately set to preclude me from performing wheelies, uses a 6-axis inertial measurement unit, including Bosch cornering ABS and Ducati Traction Control.

There are three rider modes, Sport, Touring and Urban, and they are also customizable to your preference. I did not try the bluetooth connectivity, which allows for phone calls and music. The bike also boasts keyless ignition. It comes with a 2 year, unlimited mileage warranty. The price of the Diavel I rode was $32,500 in Canadian dollars, which is probably its biggest detraction.

Tomorrow I’ll be heading down to the Alerus Center in Grand Forks for the motorcycle show. I’ll provide you with some photos and information about what impressed me, and what didn’t.

Ciao…