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positions, however, and I have to say the XDiavel is no different. After an hour with my back in the old-school cruiser slouch, pain began to make its ugly presence felt despite the seat being one of the more outstanding in the seg- ment. The placement of the pegs no doubt attributed to this, and I wasn't able to try an XDiavel with more rear-mounted pegs—so I'll reserve final judgment on overall ergonomics until I do. I'd better find a setting that fits, because Ducati is claiming 60 (yes, 60) different ergonomic possibilities with the XDiavel via different bar bends, peg and lever settings and seats. Another thing is the rear shock, which is certainly on the stiff side in the standard settings. After a while the shocks through my lower back really started to annoy me, so if it were my money I'd be looking for a softer setting for when I do big days in the saddle, which this bike is no doubt aimed to do. There're two versions of steed available to the potential XDiavel customer, with the only performance feature being an upgrade of front brake calipers to the Brembo M50 monoblocs found on the Panigale. The rest is as follows: gloss black paint and red pinstriping on the tank, machined engine covers in gloss black, beautiful chrome and gloss black rims (they really do look exceptionally horny), forged and machined side plates, peg supports and billet mirrors, a brushed and anodized swingarm, different seat and also a daytime running light and Bluetooth infotainment system. An XDiavel S will cost you an extra three grand, but next to a standard XDiavel there's sim- ply no comparison in the looks department. The S screams at you in such volume it makes you think the standard XDiavel has lost its voice. But if performance is all you care about, go for the standard bike. And this brings me back to that question I was struggling with at the start of the story. Who exactly is going to buy an XDiavel? After chatting to a few staunch Harley friends, they simply wouldn't buy it because it's not a Harley. Just as they won't buy a Victory or Indian. The marriage of eye-popping performance and cruiser aes- thetics will appeal to a very certain customer, rather than the broad public appeal of a push rod American twin. I'm a performance nut, so for me there's no question as to what I'd buy in the former or the latter, but I don't think it'll be so simple for many others out there. But that's a job for a good salesman, and Ducati has plenty of those. Regardless, Ducati has produced an outstanding machine—the build quality is superb, the performance mouth-watering, and the sheer presence as Italian as Agostini in an Armani suit. CN VOL. 53 ISSUE 4 FEBRUARY 2, 2016 P87 D U C A T I X D I A V E L ENGINE: ............ Ducati Testastretta DVT (Desmodromic Variable Timing), L-Twin, four desmodromically actuated valves per cylinder, dual spark, liquid cooled DISPLACEMENT: ............................ 1262cc BORE X STROKE: ............... 106 x 71.5mm HORSEPOWER: ........ 156 hp @ 9500 rpm (claimed) TORQUE: ..........95 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm (claimed) COMPRESSION RATIO: ........................ 13:1 TRANSMISSION: ........................Six-speed CHASSIS: .................. Tubular steel trellis FRONT SUSPENSION: ..................... 50mm inverted fork, adjustable rebound and spring preload REAR SUSPENSION: ........................Single shock absorber, adjustable rebound and spring preload FRONT BRAKE: ......... Twin 320mm discs, four-piston radial calipers, ABS REAR BRAKE: .......... Single 265mm disc, two-piston caliper, ABS FRONT TIRE: ........................ 120/70 ZR17 REAR TIRE: ..........................240/45 ZR17 RAKE: ................................................... 30° TRAIL: ............................................. 5.12 in. WHEELBASE: ...............................63.58 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ............................. 29.72 in. OVERALL WIDTH: ................................ N/A OVERALL LENGTH: .............................. N/A FUEL CAPACITY: ..........................4.75 gal. WEIGHT: ............ 545 lbs. (wet, claimed). COLOR: .......................Black, Gloss Black MSRP: ......................$19,995 (standard), $22,995 (S model) S P E C I F I C A T I O N S