Ducati and Bentley Collaborate on a Diavel Limited-Edition Bike

• This particular bike/automotive collaboration is the primary joint mission from the British and Italian manufacturers, that are each a part of Volkswagen Group.
• The Diavel sports activities tourer will get bodywork impressed by the Bentley Batur, plus a distinctive paint coloration.
• The even rarer Mulliner model offers the prospect to alter colours.

Don’t be concerned, that is nonetheless Automotive and Driver, not Bike and Rider, however information of a collaboration between Bentley and Ducati is compelling sufficient to steer us to sing the praises of two wheels for a change. The Diavel for Bentley is a restricted version of Ducati’s long-lived sports activities cruiser, impressed by the Continental-based Bentley Batur.

The reason for the collaboration is easy since Ducati and Bentley share a familial relationship as Volkswagen Group subsidiaries; Ducati is managed by Audi. The well-known Italian bike maker has beforehand produced different restricted editions, together with the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini that was created in 2021, sharing its metallic inexperienced coloration with the Lamborghini Sián FKP 37. Additional again, earlier than the Audi takeover, it additionally collaborated with Mercedes on the Diavel AMG Particular Version in 2012.

However the Diavel for Bentley is the primary time the British luxurious model and Ducati have labored collectively on a joint mission. Simply 500 can be provided as a numbered restricted version, with an much more unique run of simply 50 Bentley Mulliner editions to be bought to prospects of Bentley’s bespoke division providing consumers the prospect to configure totally different colours for the saddle, the brake calipers, and the carbon-fiber bodywork. “They may be capable to select the identical coloration as their automotive for the bodywork, or these from an unique palette chosen by Mulliner’s designers,” in accordance with Bentley. As a result of who would not hate it when their automotive and bike do not match?

Different modifications made by Ducati’s designers embody revised bodywork impressed by the design of the Batur, with aspect air intakes modeled after the Bentley’s entrance grille and a brand new entrance mudguard with three longitudinal ribs that pay homage to the Batur’s hood. Even the Diavel’s saddle is a part of the transformation with a charcoal and pink coloration scheme like these of the Batur, plus a stitched Bentley brand. Metallic Scarab Inexperienced paintwork, the identical coloration the Batur was proven in, can be normal.

Mechanically, the Diavel for Bentley is unchanged, utilizing the usual bike’s 1158-cc liquid-cooled V-4. That is the primary time the configuration has been provided with a Bentley-branded car. Based on Ducati, this makes 166 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and accompanies this with a peak of 93 pound-feet at 7500 rpm. There are not any official efficiency figures, however given the usual Diavel’s claimed 520-pound fueled curb weight, we will anticipate the Bentley version can be prone to outdrag any of the corporate’s four-wheeled merchandise, together with the 740-hp W-12-powered Batur itself.

The Diavel for Bentley can be delivered in a customized picket packing case and comes with a certificates of authenticity. And if that is not unique sufficient, consumers may also have the prospect to purchase matching helmets and driving jackets.

We look ahead to a reverse collaboration. How a few Ducati-inspired Continental Pace?

Senior European Correspondent

Our man on the opposite aspect of the pond, Mike Duff lives in Britain however experiences from throughout Europe, typically past. He has beforehand held employees roles on U.Ok. titles together with CAR, Autocar, and evo, however his personal automotive tastes have a tendency towards the Germanic: he owns each a hard 987-generation Porsche Cayman S and a Mercedes 190E 2.5-16.