VOL. 51 ISSUE 16 APRIL 22, 2014 P35
whose last hands-on project this
is after leading the R&D teams
creating successive versions
of the Monster - as well as the
Diavel and Streetfighter - for the
past 14 years, and who in Feb-
ruary this year was rewarded for
his success in doing so by being
promoted to become the compa-
ny's director of product market-
ing. "We needed to make it more
enjoyable and smoother to ride at
part-throttle and at low speeds,
so as to make it more practical
for everyday use – whether to
ride to work, as we know some
customers do, or for leisure use.
At the same time, we wanted to
improve the styling to produce
a more modern, more muscular
and more striking appearance.
So we redesigned the whole
front part of the bike, as well as
at the same time making those
dynamic improvements."
So as I discovered when leav-
ing any set of traffic lights when
trailing along France's Côte
d'Azur coastline, the Diavel's
light-action oil-bath slipper clutch
delivers the same smooth takeoff
as before, but now the low-rpm
pickup is improved (with no lon-
ger any trace of the transmission
snatch of the first Diavel three
years ago) between the 1500
rpm off-idle pull away from rest,
and the 3500 rpm mark when
the engine really starts to motor
strongly.
There's a fatter torque curve
low down, and the new Diavel
is cleaner and more fluid in the
way it gains revs, so that it's hap-
pier running in a line of traffic at
part-throttle at low rpm than the
original bike was, and not just
in reduced power Urban mode,
either. Selecting this knocks the
Diavel's 162 horsepower power
output back to 100 horsepower,
making it mainly useful for wet
weather riding when its TC-heavy
settings will come in handy - but
rather wimpish and uninspiring
for dry weather riding, even in
town.
There, the Touring full power
mode is preferable, as indeed it
is practically anywhere in normal
use, though there's undoubt-
ed extra zip if you select Sport
mode. Either way the Diavel is
still better behaved than before
1. The fully Marzocchi 50mm fork
offers up 4.7 inches of travel and the
Diavel gets Brembo brakes.
2. The Diavel gets all the LCD bling
on its dash.
3. The Diavel features a retuned
Testastretta engine that offers up
some 162 horsepower.
4. The Diavel sounds good. These are
part of the reason.
5. The seat has been redesigned and
offers up more comfort and a less
cramped stance.
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