2025 Ducati XDiavel Review | Motorcycle Test

2025 Ducati XDiavel Review

Motorcycle Test

Sitting in the opulent surroundings of the Hotel Alcazar De La Reina for the 2025 Ducati Panigale V2 launch, nestled in the hilly countryside a half hour’s drive northeast of Seville in Spain, a nameless, high-ranking Ducati official asked what I thought of the XDiavel.

“It looks like something one of the bad guys from Miami Vice would ride.”

As you can expect, my attempt at humour did not go down as planned.

“Well then, you will just have to wait to see if we change your mind,” was his curt reply.

Ducati’s XDiavel has been somewhat the redheaded stepchild of the Ducati range. The bike has occupied space on dealer floors for nine years in the old 1260 format, but hasn’t been the sales success many in Bologna have hoped for.

The XDiavel (along with the base model Diavel, for that matter) have never really had any competition from Japan or Europe. Perhaps you could argue the Triumph Rocket III could be classed as a rival, but both the Diavel and XDiavel positively smoke it in the outright performance stakes.

We tested the Diavel V4 back in 2023 at the world launch in Dubai and loved it.

The XDiavel V4 is largely the same machine, save for the obvious even more outlandish style and attitude that even if you’re not familiar with the brand, you’d probably guess was from Ducati.

The centrepiece of the $46,500 XDiavel V4 is the same 1158 cc V4 Granturismo engine that’s found in the base Diavel V4 and the Multistrada V4, which pumps out a claimed 125 kW (or 168 hp) at 10,750 rpm and 126 Nm (93 lb-ft) of torque peaking at 7500 rpm.

Unlike the peakier high-performance bikes that house a Ducati V4 (Streetfighter and Panigale), the GranTurismo V4 is tuned for stronger mid-range power, resulting in a punchy, responsive feel, especially between 4,000 and 7,000 rpm. It’s only from 7000 rpm that the more sports-focussed Streetfighter and Panigale version really gets going. Trev rates this GranTurismo drivetrain as the standard by which all others are judged. High praise indeed…

Hammer the throttle and the counter-rotating crank (along with the myriad electronics) does its best to reduce wheelies and mash the drive into that fatty 240-section rear tyre and, before you know it, you’re fired towards your near future at a fabulous velocity.

Acceleration from the 1158 cc V4 is irresistible when you’re on a clear road with no cars to ruin your fun. Get that motor spinning up in its mid-range, and it’s an absolute riot. There’s so much mid-range torque on offer, and you can even see just how much power or torque you’re using for a given rpm and throttle position via the cool little graphic on the left side of the new dash.

The quick-shifter engagement is not as smooth as I’d have liked, especially at low rpm. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a superbike-derived motor (even if it is now firmly ensconced in the touring camp), and as such, low rpm is still not its game; the engine likes mid-to-high rpm shifts with all the engine internals working at a fast pace.

It’ll still do slow-speed shifting on the DQS, but I found using the clutch for sub-60 km/h riding made the experience far more comfortable. Ducati’s rear cylinder deactivation in traffic also enhances ride comfort by reducing heat from the V4, which can be uncomfortable in certain conditions. However, given the almost spot-on temperature conditions in Colorado, it was hard to feel the difference. A screaming hot summer’s day in Melbourne would be more the place to test it.

Like its less swanky Diavel V4 brother, the XDiavel V4 comes with four riding modes (Wet, Urban, Touring, Sport), three power modes (High with 168 hp/125kW, Medium with 168 hp/125 kW but a smoother throttle response, and Low with 115 hp/85kW with a sedate throttle response).

There’s also the usual Cornering ABS and traction control, wheelie control, power launch, LED’s front and rear, cruise control, and turn-by-turn navigation as standard (nice job, Ducati).

These systems are managed through a sharp 6.9-inch TFT display, the same as the Panigale’s, that presents information in a clear and intuitive layout. Navigation, media, and call integration are available via Bluetooth, with Ducati’s proprietary app offering additional functionality like ride tracking and system updates.

One area that boggles the mind is that, on this near $47K motorcycle, Ducati hasn’t given the rider 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 this is a bike you will probably want to use to cover some pretty vast miles with a passenger and maybe even luggage. Thus, having to change preload setups with the collar does not meet the standard of the rest of the machine.

Anyway, moving on.

One area that is impressive is that the motor’s valve check is now out to a whopping 60,000 km, and the oil changes are 15,000 km apart, thus bringing down the cost of ownership.

Ducati has done wonders to make a bike with an arse so fat, handle as well as it does.

With its long wheelbase and fat 240-section rear tyre, you might expect the XDiavel V4 to be a reluctant partner in the twisties. 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.

You’re sitting quite low at 764 mm seat height (Ducati has an aftermarket seat that will give you an extra inch of leg room, and trust me, if you’re over 178 cm tall, you’re going to want it,) and the XDiavel V4 comes standard with forward-mount foot controls in the traditional cruiser style.

This, however, proved incompatible with me after 45 minutes on board. The combination of the forward controls and the extreme curvature of the seat put an uncivilised amount of pressure on my lower back, to the point where I had to demand that Ducati fit the $300 extra mid-mount controls, or else I’d be taking the bus back to the hotel.

This put the XDiavel V4 back into the same ride position as the Diavel V4 I tested in Dubai, transforming the machine into a bruiser naked bike, one where I could get my weight over the front end and make it steer with a bit more speed and a lot more precision.

It also took 70 per cent of the weight off my lower back and made the ride a lot more comfortable. If I had access to the taller seat, I think I’d have hit the riding position sweet spot.

That being said, the handlebars are 20 mm lower and 15 mm closer to the rider than previously, so the reach to the handlebars is comfortable regardless of what foot position you have chosen.

The suspension setup features a 50 mm inverted fork up front and a fully adjustable monoshock at the rear. In standard setting for a 93 kg rider such as myself, the ride is composed and pretty comfortable (once you’ve got your feet position sorted), although you will get a bit of a shock up through the seat if you hit square-edged potholes at any decent speed.

In faster corners, the big ’ol wheelbase of 1620 mm and the 240-section rear tyre make for a bit of a sluggish initial turn, but again, you have to expect that with the territory.

Given the bike’s size and length, it’s remarkable how nimbler the XDiavel V4 is. It won’t hold a candle to any sporty nakedbikes, but handles with more precision and has a greater speed of turn than a bike this size has any right to.

Braking performance is strong as you’d expect with Brembo Stylema four-piston calipers biting down on 330 mm front discs with a Brembo radial master-cylinder giving you plenty of feel at the lever. When backed up by Cornering ABS and featuring the massive 265 mm rear disc, braking is very difficult to fault.

The XDiavel V4’s styling is a major pillar of its identity. Let it be known—this is not a subtle motorcycle. The aggressive stance reminds me of nightclub bouncers with ’roided up traps. The distinctive lighting signature, the XDiavel V4, more so than the Diavel V4, is designed to turn heads.

The quad-exit exhaust system, tucked neatly on the right side, is both a visual and auditory highlight. The sound is rich and deep at idle, and transforms into a feral bark under acceleration (Ducati even has a full race exhaust for this bike that was modelled on the Spitfire WWII plane that must sound extraordinary).

For riders looking for a cruiser that’s about as far as you can get from the Harley-Davidson/Indian Motorcycle definition, the XDiavel V4 is a compelling option.

Bringing together the emotional appeal of Italian design, the brute force of the high-performance V4, and the kind of technological polish that is now a hallmark of modern Ducatis.

The XDiavel is not a bike for everyone, but for those who understand the language, this bike speaks volumes. Even Miami Vice villains…

2025 Ducati XDiavel V4 Specifications

2025 Ducati XDiavel V4 Images

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