Here is my opinion on the Ducati Diavel V4 (MY 2023):
First, I have to admit that I find the thing with its 240 rear tire really cool. The bike could easily be straight out of the video game Devil May Cry - the name fits perfectly too.
This is a premium product from Bologna, which, due to its high price, only appeals to a small segment of motorcyclists.
I personally like the look of it, but I find the many cheap-looking black plastic parts extremely disturbing and not appropriate for the price, although they probably contribute to the bike's relatively low weight of 223 kg. There is currently no comparable dragster on the market that can match this low weight. This should also be a big advantage over Triumph's Rocket, which I haven't ridden yet.
Ergonomically, I personally don't find the Diavel V4 very well designed, mainly due to the position of the footrests. To position my feet on them, I had to lift my legs awkwardly high, which feels very unnatural. The position of the legs feels a bit like being on a cruiser/chopper. Combined with the large and very comfortably padded seat, you sit like on a couch. Ducati probably offers the fattest power couch in the world here.
Nevertheless, the bike handles excellently on the road and can be effortlessly directed even in hairpin bends. The 240 rear tire requires surprisingly little lean angle and does not interfere with the agility of this dragster in the slightest. It transfers the engine's power perfectly to the road. To my great surprise, the very sporty Pirelli tire provided very good traction even in the rain.
The engine is already known from the Multistrada V4 and is currently, in my opinion, the best engine from Ducati by far. Traditionalists may criticize that the desmodromic valve system has been dropped, but I see this as a positive, as it eliminates a high cost factor in inspections and the desmodromic system's advantages are more relevant in motorsport. These advantages cannot be fully exploited on the road. Even without the desmodromic system, the V4 offers a remarkable 168 hp, which is already hard to fully utilize on the road. Therefore, I do not miss the over 200 hp that the engine could achieve with the desmodromic system. The rain mode used during my test ride never bothered me and allowed for very smooth and excellently controllable throttle response. In my estimation, Ducati currently offers the best assistance systems. Overall, this brilliant V4, with its high refinement, formidable torque, and ample low-end power, leaves nothing to be desired in terms of performance. Negatively, I would note the slightly muted sound at low revs and the likely very high fuel consumption.
Overall, Ducati has a pretty good product in its lineup, but it ultimately doesn't fully convince me due to too many weaknesses considering the high price.
I would rather wish for a large Monster with the V4 and about 150 to 160 hp.
I can't award the Diavel a triple S - rather an S.