Remember the stir when the Ducati Diavel was launched back in 2010" It?s hard to believe that the brutish ?power cruiser? has been on the market for nearly seven years now?but there?s still nothing quite like it under 250 kilos.
To maintain interest, Ducati has boosted the Diavel range to five models, all pumping out a solid 152 horses. And it?s just gone a step further: the factory has commissioned Fred ‘Krugger‘ Bertrand, one of the world?s most acclaimed custom builders, to restyle the XDiavel S.

Krugger needs no introduction. He?s a two-time World Champion bike builder, able to weave his magic on anything from a humble Yamaha SR400 to a BMW K1600 behemoth. Anyone who has followed EXIF for a while will know that we?re huge fans, and it seems that Ducati are too. At last year?s Verona motor show, Ducati product manager Stefano Tarabusi had a chat with Krugger, and soon after, a new XDiavel S was delivered to Krugger?s workshop in the small Belgian town of Basse-Bodeux. The brief was relatively open, but?and it’s a big But?the bike needed to stay within the ?cruiser? genre. In other words: no clip-ons or rearsets.

Despite those aesthetic shackles, the result is incredible. We see hints of Krugger?s groundbreaking BMW K1600 ?NURBS? from three years ago, but with a lighter (and more rider-friendly) touch.
As with most examples of good design, the secret is reduction rather than addition. ?I wanted to simplify the general lines,? Krugger tells u...