Hi Newb,
Welcome. I'm new here myself, but I also recently became a first time owner of a Diavel. I test rode a 2016 Carbon at a Dealer Demo Event last fall. At the time I had two bikes, a BMW R1200GS LC and a Moto Guzzi Griso 1200 8V. I have owned everything from Ninja ZX-10s to Ducati Monsters and 916s. I was impressed by the Diavel test ride, and started watching for a deal on one. Four months later, I found a low mileage (1200 miles) 2013 Diavel Cromo at a below market price.
My BMW GS is a great sport-tourer (rode it to Austin for the MotoGP and back with wife from Atlanta via New Orleans, with no issues and just got back from a spring tour of the four corners area (NM, AZ, UT & CO) and it has been fun on the dual track dirt and gravel roads I've tried it on. Versatile, comfortable, reasonably fast and capable, a BMW R1200GS is the most complete motorcycle ever built.
The Guzzi is a beautiful / cool torque monster with a long, low sporty chassis. The Guzzi is magic on roads with 50-80 mph sweepers and short straights, as it turns in beautifully, holds its line even in bumpy corners and accelerates out like a two-engine freight train. It puts down a solid 80+ pounds of torque between 4,000 and 6,000. It is very similar to well-sorted air-cooled Ducati 900SS of years gone by. Easy to ride fast and not so fast its scary.
The Diavel is different from those two. It is long and low like the Guzzi. But the riding position is different. The rider puts far less weight on the front tire, and as a result, gets far less feedback through the handle bars on the Ducati. On initial turn, in at slower speeds, the front wheel feels like it wants to fall in, which is a little worrisome for someone (me) who wants to be able to feel what the front tire is doing always. Tucking-in-type feedback from the front tire does not encourage corner entry speeds for me. But it gets better over time. The chassis feedback is different, less immediate, but nevertheless there, once you get some time on the bike. That initial vagueness in turn in feel, is my only complaint. All else is praise. It does turn precisely. It goes where you aim it. I have never felt I was close to low-siding.
Once set, the bike holds its line securely. It does not try to stand up excessively under braking mid-corner, as long as the tire is properly inflated. Underinflation increases the tire footprint and causes changes to steering feel.
The brakes are great, Brembo monoblocks, that's all you need to know. And thank the Big Guy in the Sky for brakes, cause my bone stock 2013 Cromo accelerates like nothing I have ever ridden (or driven) before. That to me is THE thing about a Diavel. It is top of the line superbike fast in a straight line, with a live-able knee, back and wrist friendly riding position. The seat on my Cromo sucked bad, could not move once seated. The Corbin replacement seat took a month to get built and shipped to me, but it has been worth every penny of the $600 cost.
You will love the Diavel, if you don't expect it to be a pure sportbike and you can adapt to the chassis dynamics of a long, low, feet forward hot rod.
