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Ducati XDiavel

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The first of Ducati’s second unveiling of 2022 motorcycles was today, and to kick things off, the Italian brand has a special XDiavel for us.

The Ducati XDiavel Nero is a limited and numbered edition of the performance cruiser, and its biggest feature is a custom seat, developed by the renowned leatherworkers at Poltrona Frau.

Only 500 units of this unique Ducati XDiavel will be made available for the public, with five different leather seat color options, which bring with them a $4,200 price increase over the regular XDiavel S model.

If you bought a Ducati Monster, Supersport, or XDiavel in the past few years, you may have gotten hosed…rear brake hosed, that is.

Affecting 5,909 motorcycles, Ducati North America is recalling the Monster 797 (2017-2020), Monster 821 (2018-2020), Monster 1200 (2017-2020), Supersport (2017-2020), and XDiavel (2016-2020) models because their rear brake hose line may allow air into the braking system.

For four-and-a-half years now, Ducati has had an ongoing recall with the XDiavel motorcycle and its faulty kickstand design. Today, we get news that problems stemming from this performance cruiser’s side stand continue on.

This iteration of the Ducati XDiavel kickstand recall sees the kickstand bracket at fault, as it may fatigue under load, which could result in a failure of the side stand assembly and a potential for the motorcycle to fall when stationary on the stand.

Ducati is doing a five-part web debut for its 2021 models, and today we saw the second installment, which focused on the XDiavel and Scrambler range.

If you were expecting big changes and new bikes, you probably left the video feeling disappointed, as there were none.

However, if you are a fan of these two unique genres in Ducati’s motorcycle offering, then there might be some hidden surprises for you.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s the case, then the folks at Benelli are positively glowing for their fellow Italians at Ducati, as the Benelli 402S seems somehow very familia to our eyes…

Ok, let’s just call a spade a spade here: Benelli wholesale copied Ducat’s XDiavel motorcycle when the Pesaro company designed its latest machine, the Benelli 402S.

The Ducati XDiavel was produced to better fit the needs of the typical cruiser rider, and to go after Harley-Davidson’s choke-hold on the cruiser demographic. The Italian machine has had mixed success in that regard, though it brings far more performance into the category than ever seen before.

Tapping more into the strong custom scene, the Bologna Brand has been looking to the talents of various well-known fabricators to build upon the XDiavel platform.

This time up is Belgium’s Fred Krugger, who has created this very intriguing “Thiverval” XDiavel model for the Bikers’ Classics event in Belgium.

Ducati North America has issued another recall for the XDiavel, this time it is for the power cruiser’s kickstand.

Affecting bikes made between July 7, 2015 and June 22, 2016, the recall pertains specifically to the Ducati XDiavel’s fastening screws on its kickstand plate, which may not have been sufficiently tightened.

These loose screw may cause the XDiavel to fall over, and during normal use on the road, the loosened screw could cause damage to the kickstand sensor switch, which would cause the engine to stall.

Ducati North America is recalling a number of its XDiavel power cruisers for final drive pulley that may not have been sufficiently tightened at the factory. The recall affects 1,433 units, bike manufactured between July 7th, 2015 to June 22nd, 2016.

With the pulley not properly tightened, there might be a loss of power to the rear wheel, which increases the risk of a crash. As such, Ducati dealerships will install a new washer under the final drive pulley, in order to increase the tightening torque. This will be done free of charge.

In the event’s 76-year history, this year marks the first time that Ducati has ever participated at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally – the Italian company hoping to showcase its Harley-Davidson alternative, the Ducati XDiavel.

Helping fuel that fire was a collaboration between Roland Sands Design and Ducati, which has given way to the creation of a one-off XDiavel with the usual RSD touches.

This means a flowing single-piece body, the addition of a 19″ front wheel, and shotgun-style exhaust are added to the already stylish XDiavel. The RSD Ducati XDiavel is then finished off with metallic flake paint job, along with the usual bits and bobs from the RSD catalog.

There is a lot of “Southern California” transmitted through RSD’s design into the Italian-born XDiavel. It makes for an interesting mixture. We’ll be curious to see how this resonates with American cruiser riders.

The Ducati XDiavel is another big step for the Brand from Bologna, as the modell pushes further into the territory first pioneered by the Ducati Diavel, and hopes to give cruiser enthusiasts a design that speaks a little bit more of their native language.

With forward controls coming standard, along with a low and raked chassis design, the XDiavel is unlike any other Ducati on the market, and it takes some time to wrap your head around that fact.

These changes though allow Ducati to move boldly into an area dominated by one brand: Harley-Davidson. That is a tall mountain to climb, as the Bar & Shield brand has a chokehold on the cruiser-riding faithful, who flock to the American brand not because of what it does, but because of who it is.

This makes winning the hearts and minds of cruiser riders an exceptionally difficult task – one too that is not easily undertaken. The first step in mounting the assault on that summit is to develop a motorcycle that has no equal. In this regard, Ducati has a fighting chance.

Here’s some more BMW Motorrad speculation for your two-wheeled consumption, as Germany’s Motorrad Magazine says that BMW is looking to take on the Ducati XDiavel, with a power cruiser model of its own.

This of course isn’t the first time that BMW has included a cruiser-styled motorcycle in its lineup, with the BMW R1200C being a unique, though slightly odd, offering to the cruiser demographic.

Like Ducati, BMW seems to be learning from its mistakes in going after the cruiser crowd, and instead of offering a motorcycle that is BMW’s take on the cruiser concept, they are building a cruiser that has cues back to the BMW lineup. A subtle but potent distinction.