FEATURE – 2021 Ducati Diavel 1260 Lamborghini
Words: Mike Ryan
Photos: Ducati and Lamborghini media
Given the long history and iconic status of Italian brands Ducati and Lamborghini, it’s surprising the two have never had any formal collaboration. Each company’s respective headquarters are just a half hour’s ride away from each other in Italy’s “Motor Valley” and both have sat under the VW umbrella for a few years now, which makes the lack of any official partnerships in the recent past even more surprising. Sure, Lamborghini has been a title sponsor of the satellite Pramac Racing Ducati team in MotoGP, but that’s about it.
Recently, the two companies formally united for the first time and a special Ducati – the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini - was the result.
1260 S based, Siàn inspired
Announced back in November, the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini is a limited-edition version of the Ducati “power cruiser” that has already won the prestigious Red Dot Award and Good Design Award for excellence in design.
To create the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini, the in-house design studios for both companies - Centro Stile Ducati and Centro Stile Lamborghini - worked together to transform a Diavel 1260 S, using Lamborghini’s limited-edition Siàn FKP 37 as inspiration.
Unveiled in 2019, the Siàn was limited to 63 units globally, reflecting the 1963 debut year for Lamborghini cars - the company made tractors before that. While recognisably Lamborghini, the Siàn was essentially a bespoke creation, based on the running gear of the Aventador, but taking styling elements from recent Lamborghini concepts, as well as the carmaker’s iconic Countach model from the 1970s and ’80s.
For the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini, the joint design teams didn’t take a blowtorch to the Diavel’s styling, instead giving the Ducati power cruiser a cosmetic makeover. This started with applying the Siàn’s distinctive ‘Verde Gea’ paint infused with gold flakes and crystals, with other styling touches making the transfer from car to bike, too.
Carbon fibre trim has been used extensively, featuring on the air intakes, radiator covers, lower bodywork and fuel tank, silencer covers, instrument panel fairing, headlight shell and front and rear mudguards.
There’s also a new design of lightweight 17-inch alloy wheels, styled like those on the car and finished in the same ‘Electrum Gold’ with machined detailing. Electrum Gold also features on the frame, with the only contrast to this feast of green, gold and carbon fibre being the red Brembo brake calipers.
Badging on the air intakes identifies the limited edition and includes Lamborghini’s distinctive script logo, while the bodywork below carries prominent ‘63’ decals that pick up on the same treatment applied to the car.
Each unit carries an individually numbered plaque on the frame, while a finishing touch created by Centro Stile Ducati is an optional open-face helmet, finished in the same Verde Gea colour and carrying similar graphics to the bike.
Power and Performance
When it made its debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Siàn FKP 37 was described as the fastest road-legal Lamborghini of all time. Power came from a hybrid drivetrain, although a 6.5-litre V12 petrol engine did most of the heavy lifting, with a 577kW output at 8500rpm. Combined with a transmission-mounted 25kW electric motor, the Siàn’s maximum output was 602kW, allowing a 0-100km/h time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed in excess of 350km/h.
While Lamborghini holds the ace in terms of power, Ducati has the edge in acceleration, with the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini able to hit 100km/h from standstill in 2.5 seconds.
That performance is unchanged from the Diavel 1260 S that the limited-edition bike is based on, with the rest of the mechanical specification carrying over unchanged, too. That means the Testastretta DVT 1262 engine from the Diavel 1260 S puts out the same maximums of 117kW at 9500rpm and 129Nm at 7500rpm. The 1262cc v-twin’s electronic fuel injection and ride-by-wire throttle are unchanged, too. The frame, single-sided swingarm, 6-speed gearbox, slipper clutch and quickshifter also carry over unchanged.
Being based on the 1260 S, the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini gets that model’s upgraded suspension, which is made up of Öhlins 48mm USD forks with full adjustability and 120mm travel, while the Öhlins rear shock is also fully adjustable and offers 130mm travel.
A Brembo braking package front and rear consists of dual 320mm discs up front with radial-mounted 4-piston M50 calipers and a 265mm rear disc with a 2-piston floating caliper. Cornering ABS is standard, while those distinctive rims are fitted with Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tyres, including a fat 240-section rear.
Diavel 1260 S tech features, like the ‘Power Launch’ launch control, cruise control, wheelie control and the aforementioned cornering ABS (controlled by a Bosch 6-axis IMU), all carry over to the limited edition, as does the 3.5-inch TFT instrument display, although a specific start-up animation with both Ducati and Lamborghini identification is added.
One small point of difference on the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini is that the abundant use of carbon fibre shaves a kilogram off the dry weight of the Diavel 1260 S for a total of 220kg (246kg wet).
Small Numbers, High Price
The Diavel 1260 Lamborghini is being released in a numbered limited edition of 630 units. Australia will get a fraction of that allocation, but exactly how many was unconfirmed at time of writing.
What is confirmed is a local release date and pricing – the former is February and the latter is $48,600 ride away; that’s a 35 per cent premium over the $35,890 for the Diavel 1260 S (the base Diavel 1260 is $30,290 ride away).
While that pricing may seem high, it’s an absolute bargain compared to the Lamborghini Siàn FKP 37, which was priced in excess of AU$2.5 million when it was announced. Despite this, all 63 units of the Sian sold out almost immediately.
By the time you read this, Australia’s allocation of the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini has most likely been snapped up, too, but check with your local Ducati dealer for availability.
If you’ve got a Lamborghini – and especially a Siàn - already sitting in your garage, this special Diavel would make the ideal accompaniment!
