2013–2014 · Hyper Naked · Buyer's Guide
Brutal V-Twin With Luggage
Ducati took the Diavel and gave it a passport. Same 1198 cc Testastretta L-twin, same 162 hp and 94 lb-ft, but the Strada adds a windscreen, color-matched saddlebags, heated grips, a taller and closer handlebar, and a plusher seat with a passenger backrest. What it does not do is water anything down. This is still a 540 lb (245 kg) machine wearing a 240-section rear tire that pulls like a freight train from idle, and the steel trellis frame with 50 mm Marzocchi forks and a Sachs monoshock lets it change direction far more willingly than the silhouette suggests. ABS, traction control and ride modes come standard.
Ride it and the numbers stop mattering. The torque arrives so early and so flat that you shift out of laziness rather than necessity, and the Brembo triple-disc setup hauls it back down without drama. It ages the way good Italian hardware does: the build quality holds up, the finish stays sharp, and there is a deep aftermarket if you want to make it yours. The honest caveat is the mechanical record. Second gear can jump to false neutral on some bikes, fuel pumps fail from water ingress, and the engine can stall in hot stop-and-go traffic. Buy one with paperwork.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 162 hp (119 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 94 lb-ft (128 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1198 cc |
| Engine | L-twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 240/45-17 |
| Wheelbase | 62.6 in (1590 mm) |
| Seat height | 30.6 in (777 mm) |
| Wet weight | 540 lb (245 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.5 gal (17 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Safety
The first thing that registers is the noise. The L-twin has a hard, uneven bark at low revs that turns into something genuinely loud once you open it, and you feel every combustion event through the pegs and the tank. It is not smooth in the four-cylinder sense and it should not be. The riding position on the Strada is the surprise: the bar sits taller and closer than the shape of the bike leads you to expect, so your wrists stay light and your back stays upright over a full tank. At 30.6 in (777 mm) the seat lets most riders flat-foot it, which matters on a machine this heavy at walking pace. Once rolling, the mass disappears. Roll on in any gear from about 3,000 rpm and the thing simply leaves, with a shove in the small of your back that stays funny after a hundred repetitions.
Gearbox jumping out of second / false neutral light
Some bikes exhibit a tendency to jump out of second gear into neutral, or show a neutral light while still in gear. This can cause dangerously sudden power loss and is a known gearbox design flaw on early Diavels.
Fuel pump failure (water contamination)
Fuel pumps are prone to failure due to water ingress and corrosion, leading to engine stalling. Multiple pumps can fail in succession even after replacement.
Warped rear brake rotor
The rear brake disc can warp, causing a pulsing sensation through the brake pedal at high speed.
Stalling / erratic idle in hot traffic
When stationary in heavy traffic on a hot day, the engine may rev and then stall. Suspected causes include overheating or sensor issues.
Headlight bulb premature failure
The stock headlight bulb has a tendency to blow after only a few months of use, requiring repeated replacement.
Brake master cylinder leak
The covers on both the front and rear brake master cylinders can weep fluid due to corrosion, requiring replacement of the reservoir covers.
Where this Ducati Diavel Strada pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Diavel Strada is actually built for.
It turns better than its size suggests and the drive out of a corner is enormous, so the Angeles Crest run works. Just know you are steering 540 lb, not flicking a lightweight.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
On flowing Blue Ridge sweepers it is superb, and the screen, bags and heated grips mean you can ride there and back. Tight, first-gear Dragon hairpins will make you work for it.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Ducati Diavel Strada. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2009–2017
Four Cylinders Of Pure Torque
About the same used price as this bike at 12 yr
Competitor · 2014–2016
Factory Bagger, Connected Cockpit
Roughly $4,700 pricier used than this bike at 12 yr
Same Platform · 2012–2016
Italian Muscle With Low Saddle
About the same used price as this bike at 12 yr