One area that is impressive is that the mo-
tor's valve check is now a whopping 37,000
miles, and the oil change is 9000 miles, thus
bringing down the cost of ownership.
Anyway, moving on.
If the engine has a few issues, the same
cannot be said for the handling, as Ducati
has done wonders to make a bike with an
ass so fat that it handles as well as it does.
With its long wheelbase and fat 240-sec
-
tion rear tire, you might expect the XDiavel
V4 to be a reluctant partner in the twist-
ies. But once underway, the XDiavel V4 is
remarkably cooperative. Turn-in is smooth
and predictable, the bike holds a line with
confidence, and it does so with less rider
input than on the old 1260 XDiavel.
Navigation, media and call integration are
available via Bluetooth, with Ducati's propri
-
etary app offering additional functionality
like ride tracking and system updates.
One area that boggles the mind is that,
on this $30,000 motorcycle, Ducati hasn't
equipped the rider with heated hand grips
as standard. Nor do you get radar-assisted
cruise control, electronic suspension, or
even a preload adjustment knob for the rear
suspension. That part, along with the grips,
I find stunning, especially given that this
is a bike you will probably want to use to
cover vast miles with a passenger and pos
-
sibly even luggage. Thus, having to change
preload setups with the collar does not meet
the standard of the rest of the machine.
The motorcycle
handles far
better than you'd
think with such
a massive
rear end.
VOLUME ISSUE JULY , P101
