Motorcycle specifications DucatiDiavel V4 RS 2026 Fear of the devil

It's not this bike or its rider who will fear the master of the underworld! Quite the opposite, in fact. With the Diavel V4 RS, Ducati wants to unleash its power and give the rider a taste of the apocalypse. While the Panigales are designed to rule the track, this Diavel takes the Fast & Furious approach.

With its RS label, Ducati has found a new way to blow people's minds. Remember the R lettering? The kind of emblem that gave 160 horsepower to the Monster 1200? This time, it's a step up. To give the Diavel a demonic reach, the "Granturismo" V4 engine is gently disengaged to make way for the edgier "Stradale", direct from the Panigale and Streetfighter.

A heart racing

Here we have a block that smacks of superior performance, infused violence and breakfast time. In terms of power alone, the gain is obvious, with 14 horsepower more than the standard Diavel V4. This brings the RS to 182 hp, obtained at 11,750 rpm. Torque is somewhat lower, a logical consequence of the smaller displacement. With 120 Nm, there's still plenty to do.

But it's not just power that sets this engine apart. It's sportier, revs faster, and delivers less low- and mid-range power than the Granturismo, but with more revs. A character much more in tune with the over-activated dynamics that the Diavel V4 RS claims.
Purists will smile to learn that a desmodromic valve train is revived here, and that the clutch is dry. With its less delicate noise, its gritty song, its more direct grip and the small gain in power passing through the transmission.

The Diavel V4's rev counter starts to redden around 10,600 rpm. The RS, on the other hand, has yet to get into its stride, delivers its full load at 11,750 rpm and can still rumble along at 13,500 rpm; except in first gear, where Ducat' allows it 14,000 rpm. Nice length, and enough to break the 400 DA barrier. With the STM EVO-SBK clutch (the same as on the Panigale V4R) fitted as standard, a Spintfilter P08 air filter, a specific final drive, a new DQS 2.0 shifter and a recalibrated Ducati Power Launch (DPL), this beast can gobble up 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds. Quite simply, it's the Ducati with the best acceleration in the range and in the brand's history (except in compèt').

This puts it in the top 5 of road-approved motorcycles in terms of acceleration. To celebrate its catapult-like starts, the RS displays and records 0-to-100 and 0-to-200 performances. Alongside it, the electronics are loaded as they should be, with 4 riding modes, 3 power modes, traction and wheeling controls, cornering ABS, cruise control, automatic deactivation of the rear cylinders, adaptive cornering light, a multimedia system for smartphone control and turn-by-turn navigation, keyless entry, a USB port and a 5-inch color TFT screen (with new graphics and exclusive start-up animation).

Styling to impress

Big numbers, big tires, big helmets... The Diavel V4 RS shows it even before it starts. Its racing deco, all-black exhaust system, red-stitched seat, more aggressive muffler (still with 4 tailpipes) and red-painted brake shoes bear witness to this. A selection of carbon parts accompanies the styling: front and rear mudguards, clutch housing, upper fairing, fuel filler cap, seat cover and air intake ducts.

The RS philosophy doesn't just apply to big watts and fierce design. It also translates into parts of noble lineage. Brembo stylema calipers and their submissive 330 mm discs provide the same highly effective braking as on the standard Diavel V4 - and then there's the 3-kilo lighter Li-ion battery, forged aluminum wheels and Öhlins suspension. The good news is that these are not semi-active components. As a result, the bike's behavior is as ardent as its personality.

The 48mm NIX30 inverted fork and STX46 shock absorber are more firmly calibrated than on the other Diavel, to reduce load transfer. Both elements can be adjusted from anywhere, to adapt efficiency to your needs. With damping of this level, it's impossible to be disappointed...... unless you're doing anything at all, which its customers don't even dare to imagine.

Small anecdotes:

• As with the first Diavel, the footrests and passenger handle are hidden.
• It was Marquez who signed the chono in 2.5 seconds.
• To preserve the clutch, the DPL uses an algorithm that allows only a limited number of consecutive starts.
• Race is the first riding mode in the Diavel family.
• The rear cylinder bank is deactivated when the bike is stationary, in neutral and with engine temperature above 70°C.
• The Diavel V4 RS is produced in a numbered (but not limited) series. The number is displayed on an aluminum plate attached to the rear cylinder head.
• The wheelbase of the RS is increased by 9 mm.
• This is the first time that a Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV is available in 240.
• With the optional Akrapovic exhaust system, power rises to over 194 hp and weight drops by 11 kg.
• With all accessories optional on the Diavel V4 RS, the price stabilizes at 55,127 euros.

The other interpretation of the drag-bike

A few years later, Ducati offers its own version of the V-Max. A mix of cruiser and roadster, with a huge rear tire, a devastating mouth and a V4 capable of exploding your senses. The Yamaha produced more horsepower and torque, but cubed 600 cm3 more, and was 100 kilos heavier.
We thought the price of the 1700 V-Max was pretty hefty - 10 years later, it's almost laughable compared to the Diavel V4 RS. Equivalent to a Multistrada V4... Plus a Monster SP. And still enough to buy a combarde, a helmet and a set of tires.

Except that with this kind of machine, customers don't really think in terms of price or sensations, but in terms of fantasy relationships. The "super-Diavel" conceives it with a panoply of desires above the common world.

M.B. - Manufacturer's photos