Ducati Thiveval revealed

A DUCATI XDiavel is already a head-turning bike but put one into the hands of Belgian customizer Fred Krugger and the result is guaranteed to be interesting.

That’s just what Ducati has done, and the finished bike – named Thiveral after a race track near Paris – is being unveiled this weekend at the Bikers’ Classic at Spa-Francorchamps.

Krugger, who’s won the AMD Custom Bike Building World Championship twice, has created a completely new look but managed it without actually changing too many of the bike’s parts.

He’s clearly binned the original, curvaceous seat and tank. In their place come custom-made units that look like they might have been inspired by a toaster. Straight lines and boxy shapes are very much the theme here, along with a black-and-brushed-aluminium colour palette.

The original headlight is kept, and blends in surprisingly well with the new look. At the back there’s a new, inset tail light that neatly matches the twin exhaust exits of the bike’s custom-made, under-seat pipe.

It’s clear that while the bike retains the stock suspension components, they have been lowered by several inches. It doesn’t look like there’s much travel left in those forks. But then again, practicality isn’t really the intention here.

Of course there are no current plans to make more of these – it’s just a one-off to show what the possibilities are. But it’s an interesting move away from the traditional custom bike style.

What do you reckon? Is this a bold new look that Ducati should be considering for future models?