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Ducati Shows the draXter Concept, a Sport Interpretation of the XDiavel

It's so cool to see Ducati getting carried away and playing the concept game. Their latest custom creation is called the draXter and is a concept derived from the XDiavel. And because Bologna went further on the sporty looks road, the draXter takes things deeper into extreme motorcycling territory.
Ducati draXter 11 photos
Photo: Ducati
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The draXter made an appearance at the Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy, this weekend, and judging by its decals, we're looking at one of the anniversary bikes for 2016. The 90 figure on the belly pan undoubtedly stands for the nine decades of Ducati history, and we are so glad that Borgo Panigale chose the XDiavel as one of the platforms for the special bikes.

Ducati Design Center's Advanced Design area took care of customizing the XDiavel. This department deals with exploring the future design possibilities for the Ducati bikes, and this is why their creations are sometimes the cutting edge of concepts that may one day become real machines.

The XDiavel cruiser heart and character was upgraded with race-grade components

Ducati draXter is a true XDiavel, and retains the extreme cruiser vibe, but the machine was upgraded with a lot of top-notch components sourced from the race bike shelves.

The suspension and the brakes come from the company's flagship 1299 Panigale superbike, and they introduce an even more race-prone character in the entire build. The open dry clutch and the Termignoni exhaust with downwards-facing ports also enhance the mean looks.

More racey accents come from the rearsets, low clip-ons, the foam padding on either side of the tank and other elements inspired by the road-racing world, which tell the draXter story in ways few other bikes can.

Now, on the practical side, the Ducati draXter is no BMW nineT Concept, and its rideability is, at best, questionable. However, we're talking about exploring new design approaches, so judging should not be too harsh.

We're eagerly waiting to see more 90th Anniversary Ducati bikes, and if the upcoming machines are as interesting as the draXter, we anticipate we'll be very busy at EICMA in November.

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