2016 Ducati XDiavel by Roland Sands at Sturgis Rally

The Sturgis Rally in South Dakota, US, is a yearly event that attracts thousands of motorcycle riders from across the globe. These riders usually have one thing in common, they ride American cruisers, usually Harley-Davidsons.

To find an Italian cruiser in the mix is somewhat exceptional, since Italian motorcycles are known more for their performance and being high-strung than anything else. But Ducati decided it would be the perfect place to show its XDiavel by Roland Sands Designs (RSD) concept motorcycle.

Attending Sturgis for the first time, Ducati brought the Roland Sands concept XDiavel to put forward its take on the “power cruiser”, what it says is a synthesis between the traditional American cruiser traits of low-down power and torque, with a feet-forward riding position, and the performance and handling that Ducati is famous for.

Known for his styling work on cruisers, notably Harley-Davidsons, Roland Sands decked out the XDiavel in billet aluminium, topped off with a one-piece body on the Ducati trellis frame, and a 19-inch front hoop to give it that unmistakable cruiser style.

The RSD XDiavel now features a low-slung dragster style, finished in sparkling silver. Styling parts by Roland Sands can be found in Ducati’s performance catalogue for the XDiavel, featuring a range of styling accessories machined out of billet aluminium.

Carrying a Testastretta 1,262 cc V-twin liquid-cooled engine with Desmodromic Variable Timing (DVT), combined with twin-spark and four-valves per cylnder, the XDiavel pumps out 156 hp at 9,500 rpm and 128.9 Nm torque at 5,000 rpm. Fuelling is by EFI and ride-by-wire, using oval 56 mm throttle bodies.

A full suite of riding aids comes with the XDiavel, including riding modes, Bosch cornering ABS and traction control, cruise control and launch control. The package weighs 247 kg wet, and seat height is a low 755 mm. We had a close look at the XDiavel in Indonesia, and believe it when we say this machine has presence.

For Malaysia, the 2016 XDiavel is scheduled to arrive sometime in the later part of the year, probably in October. Our sources in Ducati have been silent on possible pricing, but we would expect it to come in at around the RM140,000 point.

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.