Ducati Diavel Strada Buyer's Guide

The Machine's Character

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.

Hard Numbers

Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.

Show full specs & equipment Hide specs & equipment

Key specifications
Power	162 hp (119 kW)
Torque	94 lb-ft (128 Nm)
Displacement	1198 cc
Engine	90° V-twinMotorcycles With V-Twin Engines →
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

Manually Adjustable Front Suspension Standard
Manually Adjustable Rear Suspension Standard

Comfort

Heated Grips Motorcycles With Heated Grips → Standard

Safety

ABS Standard
Traction Control Standard
Ride Modes Standard

The Truth on the Street

This picture comes from years of listening: paddock talk, owner chats at club nights, and the messages riders send me once they've lived with a bike for a while. On the 2013–2014 Diavel Strada the pattern is consistent. Owners rave about the engine, the brakes and the way it holds a line. Their grumbles center on the gearbox, the clutch and the back seat.

Engine noise and highway calm

Owners talk about the engine first. They describe a hard midrange hit followed by a top-end rush that keeps building, and they rarely bring it up without mentioning the intake and exhaust sound. Many also say it wins nearly every stoplight sprint. Yet the same riders report that the bike settles down completely on the highway. At 80 mph and beyond they call it planted and unruffled, a calm mile-eater. Several credit its length, its weight and well-damped suspension for that composure.

Steering and brakes riders trust

The handling catches people off guard. Given the long wheelbase and the wide rear tire, they expect a cruiser. What they describe is neutral steering and a bike that holds its chosen line precisely through a corner. The brakes earn similar praise. Owners mention superbike-level stopping power, lots of feel and ABS that seldom interferes.

Where owners lose patience

The most common complaint is the six-speed gearbox. Owners call it clunky and heavy, with long, deliberate throws, and say it can be stubborn about finding neutral. The clutch pull is heavy too, and riders say their left hand tires in traffic or on a long day. Passengers have their own complaint: the pillion seat is small and hard and sits right over the rear tire, which makes anything past a short ride a chore. Some owners also report that the engine stumbles and feels snatchy at small throttle openings and low revs, especially in Sport mode around town. Others say the fork is too stiff over ripples and the rear shock too soft, which can leave the bike unsettled on broken pavement.

Known issues

Gearbox jumping out of second / false neutral light

drivetrain occasional

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 system rare

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

brakes rare

The rear brake disc can warp, causing a pulsing sensation through the brake pedal at high speed.
Stalling / erratic idle in hot traffic

engine rare

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

electrics rare

The stock headlight bulb has a tendency to blow after only a few months of use, requiring repeated replacement.
Brake master cylinder leak

brakes occasional

The covers on both the front and rear brake master cylinders can weep fluid due to corrosion, requiring replacement of the reservoir covers.

The Expert Benchmark

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.

What kind of bike this is — character vs. the class

Brutal Throttle Punch

Front-Wheel-Lift Urgency

High-Speed Chassis Control

Control Systems Under Pressure

Everyday Madness Tolerance

Aggressive Road Presence

This bike Class average

The shape of the Ducati Diavel Strada — numbers and character vs. the average Hyper Naked

Head-to-head: Ducati Diavel Strada vs. its rivals

Power

162 hp This bike 199 hp Yamaha V-MAX 160 hp BMW S 1000 R 158 hp MV Agusta Brutale 1090 167 hp Aprilia Tuono V4 R

Torque

94 lb-ft This bike 123 lb-ft Yamaha V-MAX 83 lb-ft BMW S 1000 R 74 lb-ft MV Agusta Brutale 1090 82 lb-ft Aprilia Tuono V4 R

Displacement

1198 cc This bike 1679 cc Yamaha V-MAX 999 cc BMW S 1000 R 1078 cc MV Agusta Brutale 1090 999 cc Aprilia Tuono V4 R

Wet weight

540 lb This bike 683 lb Yamaha V-MAX 456 lb BMW S 1000 R 463 lb MV Agusta Brutale 1090 403 lb Aprilia Tuono V4 R

Seat height

30.6 in This bike 30.5 in Yamaha V-MAX 32.0 in BMW S 1000 R 32.7 in MV Agusta Brutale 1090 32.9 in Aprilia Tuono V4 R

The Handshake Score

Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Diavel Strada is actually built for.

A scenic view of Angeles Crest Highway winding through rugged Southern California canyon terrain. Rocky mountainsides with golden earth tones frame the asphalt road with tight sweeping curves. Double yellow center line visible, sparse vegetation along the shoulders, clear blue sky with white clouds. Daylight, dry conditions. Iconic location for canyon-road enthusiasts. — Josh Sorenson / Pexels

Best motorcycle for Angeles Crest?

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 Scenic Byway · Big Sur Coast Highway

Best motorcycle for Tail of the Dragon?

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 Tail of the Dragon · Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway

Alternatives to the Ducati Diavel Strada

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.