THE DEVIL: If you think you've seen the Ducati Diavel before it was probably on the cover of a Meat Loaf album.

The only Meat Loaf album that's truly memorable, thanks to the songwriting strengths of Jim Steinman, was Bat out of Hell. Its cover featured a painting of a bike being blasted out of an open grave by a banshee. Said bike didn't look anything like the new Ducati Diavel, but the suddenly free-from-the-shackles sentiment expressed in the image is embraced by the first muscle bike from an Italian manufacturer with unbridled enthusiasm.

Ducati has definitely built this rocketship of a motorbike to raise Hell. They've even named it after the Devil, Diavel being code in Bolognese-style Italian for the goatee-grower in the red pyjamas with a pitchfork fetish. You can imagine the PAs croaking into life at large Ducati dealerships the world over with announcements like: Mr. Lucifer, your bike is now ready...

The Diavel also looks like a bike designed by Beelzebub, exhibiting none of the angelic classicism and visual grace expected of Ducati's signature sports bikes. For some, this will be off-putting, and already there are stories circulating in the New Zealand motorcycle industry about how some prospective out-of-town buyers paid for their flights to visit their nearest metropolitan Ducati dealer, then immediately fled from the showroom after taking their first glimpse at the Devil's own bike. Not only did these folk not take the time to call their nearest exorcist (there's plenty to choose from in South Auckland), they also missed the point about the design of the Diavel. Muscle bikes are meant to be as grotesque-looking as any Mr Universe contestant, and the Diavel is arguably one of the more visually-arresting when parked alongside freaky competitors like the Yamaha V-Max, Suzuki B-King, and Harley-Davidson V-Rod.

The Ducati brings a whole new Italian take on the muscle bike theme with its well-rounded athletic abilities. Even the corner-friendly B-King, essentially a Hayabusa superbike dressed in muscle machine drag, can't compete with the Diavel's back- road blitz; while the V-machines from Harley and Yamaha like to draw attention to their performance in straight lines, but are challenged by curves and squiggles. If you need proof of the sporty dynamics of the Diavel before you take a test ride, check out the brakes and wheels of this top-spec Carbon model on test here. The wheels are lightweight alloy forgings from Marchesini, and the four-piston front calipers are machined from solid alloy billets for extra rigidity by Brembo. Valentino Rossi goes racing with components that are merely the equal of these.

Meanwhile, there is much the Diavel inherits from the stunning Multistrada all-rounder, including its electronic sophistication, 150bhp liquid-cooled Testastretta V-twin engine and a frame package that is only slightly slower in its steering and handling than one of Ducati's superbikes. The result is the whole package weighs 40kg less than the B-King, 70kg less than the Hog-Rod and more than 100kg less than the V-Max. The Diavel's reduced mass is the key to its dynamic superiority, and its ability to supply a level of performance that so eclipses that of other muscle bikes that it belongs to a whole new genre.

Like many who have already bought into the Ducati brand, I approached my first ride on the Diavel with some apprehension. Would the fat rear tyre destroy the steering quality? Would the suspension be found wanting? And most important of all: would I recognise the experience as that of riding a Ducati?

I need not have worried, for this bike is as Bolognese as mince- flavoured spaghetti. Thanks to Pirelli's special profile for the fat rear (the centre of the tread is raised to ensure that wear doesn't adversely affect the bike's steering), the Diavel likes to carve corners with the same enthusiasm as the rest of the breed. The suspension might lack the Multistrada's electronic adjustment on-the-fly, but not its ability to soak up surfacing imperfections of all varieties, nor its ability to deliver clear messages of the grip available to the rider. Even the upright riding position with the slightly incongruous rear-mounted footpegs felt comfortable over long periods in the saddle. About the only hint that this was no normal Ducati was being able to deck those pegs on occasion during enthusiastic cornering.

On the minus side, the Diavel has several flaws. The fuel warning light delays its intervention until the 11th hour, leaving just 20km worth in which to find a refilling station. The expertly hidden pillion accommodation is a design highlight, but the pillion needs to be of the right (petite) size to really appreciate its tailoring.

Finally, there's price. At $29,690 for the base model, and $36,790 for the Carbon, the Diavel's pricing virtually mimics that of the mechanically similar Multistrada 1200, a more versatile and practical Ducati for its weather protection, luggage-hauling and pillion-carrying. However, we all know which of the two Dukes the Devil would prefer.

AT A GLANCE

Engine: 1198cc liquid-cooled V-twin stoked by electronic fuel injection to develop 110kW (150bhp) at 9250rpm, 119Nm at 7500rpm.

Transmission: Six-speed sequential gearbox with chain drive.

Chassis: Steel tube trellis frame with fully adjustable 48mm inverted front forks and monoshock.

Price: $36,790 (base model: $29,690).

Hot: The Devil's own bike is a highly rewarding ride worth selling a soul or two for.

Not: Slow to react fuel warning light, petite pillions only need apply.