Introduced for the 2011 model year, this nameplate marked Ducati’s move into a new kind of performance cruiser: a low, muscular road bike that blended naked-bike attitude with long-legged street presence. The bike was first shown publicly at EICMA in late 2010, but it entered the market as a 2011 model and quickly became one of Ducati’s most distinctive modern designs. Its name comes from a Bolognese dialect word for “devil,” a fitting choice for a machine that was meant to be dramatic, unconventional, and instantly recognizable.
From the beginning, the model stood apart from Ducati’s traditional sportbike and naked-bike families. Rather than copying existing cruiser formulas, Ducati used it to create its own interpretation of the genre, with aggressive styling, a compact stance, and an emphasis on road presence as much as outright performance. Over time, the nameplate evolved through major technical and stylistic updates, including the move to the 1260 generation and later the V4 era, but it has remained rooted in the same basic identity: a high-profile Ducati “muscle roadster” with strong enthusiast appeal.
The model also became notable for helping Ducati showcase new technology. Early versions were used to introduce features such as the company’s full-TFT dashboard on a production bike, underscoring that this was not just a styling exercise but an important platform for innovation. Across its life, the nameplate has spawned special editions and limited-run variants, while the core concept has stayed consistent: a bold, powerful, highly styled Ducati aimed at riders who wanted something more dramatic than a conventional naked bike and more performance-focused than a typical cruiser.