We didn’t hear too much about “Project 1309” from World Ducati Week 2018, which is surprising considering what the past has shown us about Ducati’s secret reveals, but the Bologna brand was once again giving a teaser to fans in Misano.
In the past, World Ducati Week has been the place where Ducati showed us the first Scrambler model, and last year the event debuted the return of the Ducati SuperSport. This year, it is another new bike. A new Diavel, to be precise.
Set to compliment the current XDiavel model, the new Diavel features the same 1,262cc DVT engine with variable valve timing, but puts it into the more sport Diavel riding platform.
This means tucked in feet on rearsets, rather than the XDiavel’s foot-forward controls. It also means sportier handling, with an eye on performance from this cruiser lookalike.
We have seen photos of this bike floating around the internet already, giving away the major attributes of the new Diavel, which is perhaps why the fanfare from World Ducati Week 2018 was so muted.
With the design a merging of the current XDiavel and the outgoing Diavel, Project 1309 is a conservative and measured approach to a new cruiser from Ducati.
Started in August 2013, this new Diavel has been a long time in the making. The more powerful engine from the XDiavel should be a welcomed addition to speed freaks, as will be the host of electronics that come with it, namely launch control and IMU-powered brakes and traction control.
We expect that Ducati’s 2019 model lineup will all have large color TFT displays, which should help justify the expected $20,000+ price tag.
Expect to see the new Ducati Diavel unveiled at the EICMA show in Milan, in November this year.
Source: BikeSocial
