No-compromise RS version of Diavel power cruiser released, with fastest acceleration of any Ducati
There’s long been a thriving market for crazy street cruisers with totally wild performance. Going back to the Yamaha V-Max of the 1980s, to the Triumph Rocket III and Harley-Davidson V-Rod, adding superbike-level power to a low, long, fat-tyred street cruiser has been a really successful strategy.
And Ducati joined in back in 2010, launched with a V-twin superbike engine in just such aa long, low custom chassis, together with the finest suspension, brakes and chassis kit options, with enormous performance potential.
In the 15 years since launch, it’s carved out a nice niche for the Bologna firm, gradually improving in style, power, handling and technology – as well as being a barrel-load of fun.
But this 2026 Diavel V4 RS takes things up to another level. It’s a no-holds-barred super-cruiser, with a full-on Desmosedici Stradale V4 superbike engine, that uses desmodromic valve operation, rather than the conventional valve-gear design on the standard Diavel V4’s Granturismo engine.
That RS engine makes a heady 182bhp at 11,750rpm (14bhp more than the standard Diavel V4), and that, combined with the long, low chassis, fat 240-section rear tyre, and advanced electronics package, means the Diavel V4 RS is the fastest-accelerating Ducati road bike ever, hitting 60mph in a claimed 2.52 seconds (despite being a comparatively chunky 220kg wet with no fuel).
Reckon a lighter, more powerful 215bhp Panigale V4 should be faster? Well, the shorter wheelbase of the superbike means wheelies are the limit on acceleration: you can’t get any more thrust to the back tyre without flipping the thing.
Away from the pure acceleration of the new Diavel RS, the spec is total sauce. The chassis, based around a high-tech aluminium monocoque mainframe with a gorgeous trademark Ducati single-sided swingarm, boasts the full Öhlins suspension package, with 48mm NIX30 USD front forks and an STX46 rear monoshock, both fully adjustable.
There are sweet forged aluminium wheels, wearing grippy Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV rubber, including that fat 240-section rear, plus Brembo Stylema four-piston radial brake calipers up front on a pair of enormous 330mm discs.
The 1,103cc Desmosedici Stradale DOHC 16v V4 motor comes with a race STM-EVO billet dry clutch, titanium exhaust end can and Sprint Filter race air filter, and has a rear cylinder de-activation mode that stops the back bank of pistons firing when the bike is stationary in neutral with temperature over 70°C.
The electronics package is full-on too: there’s a second-generation DQS quickshifter setup plus a Bosch IMU assisting the rider aids, including launch control, wheelie control, cornering Bosch brakes, cornering headlights, as well as advanced traction control, three power modes and four riding modes.
Keyless ignition, full colour 5” dash, turn-by-turn navigation, Bluetooth link and lightweight lithium ion battery rounds off the tech package, and it’s dripping in posh carbon fibre and billet aluminium parts.
The new limited edition Diavel V4 RS will be available in Europe from December 2025, priced at £34,395. More info: www.ducati.com
2026 Ducati Diavel V4 RS
£34,395
TECH HIGHLIGHTS
Colours
Dedicated “RS” livery
Main standard features
1,103 cc Ducati Desmosedici Stradale engine with valve clearance adjustment every 30,000km
High-permeability Sprintfilter P08 air filter
Titanium exhaust end cap
Dry clutch
Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) 2.0
Maximum power of 182 hp (133.8 kW) at 11,750 rpm
Maximum torque of 120 Nm (12.2 kgm, 89 lb-ft) at 9,500 rpm
Aluminium monocoque frame and aluminium single-sided swingarm
Dedicated single seat, air intake ducts, and tail fairing, with two-seater kit supplied as standard
Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)
Carbon fibre details
Fully adjustable Öhlins NIX30 fork with 48 mm stanchions
Fully adjustable Öhlins STX 46 shock absorber
17-inch forged aluminium wheels with Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres, 120/70 ZR17 front and 240/45 ZR17 rear
Bosch-Brembo ABS 10.3ME Cornering braking system
330 mm diameter front discs with Brembo Stylema four-piston radial calipers
Full LED headlight with DRL and Ducati Cornering Lights (DCL)
5-inch TFT dashboard with colour screen and dedicated graphics and display
Dedicated Hands-Free key with laser-etched “RS”
3 Power Modes (High, Medium, Low)
4 Riding Modes (Race, Sport, Touring, Wet)
Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC)
Ducati Traction Control (DTC)
Lithium-ion battery
Hands-free start
Turn-by-turn navigation
USB charging port