Sometimes if you want to know where something is going, it helps to know where it’s been. That seems to be the case as Ducati News Today has esnagged some photos 2011 Ducati Diavel from way back in May of last year. Caught in the United States being fitted with a new swingarm (according to DNT), this version of the Ducati Diavel shows some interesting lines that depart from the photos we’ve seen earlier of the performance cruiser.
But why does this Diavel look so different from the clay models and spy shots we’ve seen? While some will say it’s an earlier model, our eagle eye spots a few parts from the Roland Sands Design parts bin. When we saw the latest spy shots of the Diavel, the bike had some wheels on it that screamed influences from Performance Machines. It’s no secret that PM and RSD have close ties, so we went digging, and our sources tell us that Roland Sands Design has been helping Ducati kit the Diavel with aftermarket parts (note the Öhlins shock which will surely be a Ducati Performance part for the Diavel). More info and photos after the jump.
Looking at these photos we can see frame sliders, shift levers, case covers, and brake-disc carriers from Roland Sands, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the headlight and new body panels were the work of the Southern California custom house as well. It’s not clear at this time if these photos represent finalized additions to the Diavel’s aftermarket kit from Ducati, or if they were being crated back up for company approval; but whatever the case may be, we do know for certain that Roland Sands Designs has been involved in the design process with the Diavel.
It’s obvious that Ducati is pegging the American market to be a strong area for the Diavel when it launches in a few weeks time at Milan. However from what we can gather, Roland Sands has been the only real American influence on the project, so it will be interesting to see how the final form of the Ducati cruiser resonates in the market Harley-Davidson built.
Source: Ducati News Today
Comments