This (Kind Of) Is the First-Ever Bentley Motorcycle, And It's Diavel-Stunning

Alongside the mainly European Skoda, SEAT, and Cupra, Volkswagen's watching eye also supervises the businesses of Lamborghini, Bentley, and Porsche, making for one of the most diverse portfolio in the entire automotive industry.

Through Lamborghini and Audi, Volkswagen also owns one of the planet's most important motorcycle brands, Ducati. As one of the few car companies to also be in the business of producing two-wheelers, VW had no way of missing out on the chance of creating some incredible crossovers that would have otherwise been impossible.

Taking advantage of Ducati's image of being a prestigious and highly competent bike maker, Volkswagen probably had an important role in the creation of the incredible Diavel 1260 Lamborghini in 2020, and the Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini last year.

The success of these limited edition bikes probably made the other brands in the VW portfolio, especially Bentley, quite jealous. I like to imagine reps of the British carmaker heading over to the dwelling of its German overlords and demanding for them to receive the same attention from the Italians as Lamborghini did.

Or maybe it was the other way around, and Ducati shopped through the VW portfolio for another collab victim, but whatever the case the reality remains: Volkswagen listened, so enter the Ducati Diavel for Bentley, the result of the first-ever collaboration between the two brands. It too will be a limited edition run, it comes with unique features and appointments, and it's insanely expensive (for a motorcycle, that is, not for a Bentley).

As usual with such special edition bikes, Ducati did not tamper with the mechanical bits of the two-wheeler, offering the same Diavel V4's 1,158 cc Granturismo engine in the frame, rated at 168 horsepower and making its presence felt through carbon fiber dual exhaust.

Beyond that, although the Diavel remains largely recognizable as a Diavel, it comes with a multitude of throwbacks to the Bentley Batur. That's the most powerful production car the Brits have ever made, with no less than 730 horsepower coming out of the W12 twin-turbo engine, it too made in limited numbers (just 18 units).

It all starts with the way the bike touches the ground. It does so by means of purpose-built forged wheels, which have been shaped in such a way as to remind of the wheels seen on the Batur. Both of them come painted in Dark Titanium Satin but have some surfaces visibly machined to a more impressive effect.

Then, the side air intakes of the bike borrow their shape from the car's front grille; the rear extractors have been shaped like the ones on the Bentley, while the front fender, fairing, and upper side of the fuel tank show basically the same lines as the car's hood.

Last but not least, since a motorcycle does not have an interior, all Ducati could do to replicate the inside of the Batur was to give the Diavel a seat in black Alcantara.

When all the reshaping of the body was done, Ducati turned to Bentley for the paint, and chose the Scarab Green from the Mulliner catalog, offsetting the hue with tons of carbon fiber elements.

Ducati will make just 500 units of the Diavel for Bentley, and they are meant for the general public. Well, at least for the people who can afford to spend about $70,000 for one.

These bikes will be delivered to their owners in a specially designed and personalized wooden crate. The package will include a certificate of authenticity, a passenger seat that can be installed on the tail, and a cover.

To make sure nobody mistakes these bikes for something else, each bike will have the name of the model and the production number inscribed on a plate that's inserted in the cover of the vertical head.

Because Ducati was never one not to take things a little further, the DIavel for Bentley special edition will have its own... special edition, this time meant exclusively for Bentley owners.

Technically based on the same Diavel V4, this run of just extra 50 bikes will be eligible for customization at the hands of Mulliner, and their owners can opt for several different parts, including seat, front brake calipers, carbon fiber parts, and wheels. A matching jet helmet and a technical jacket are also thrown into the mix.

Naturally, the number of options made available for the 50 bikes, along with the status of the people who will buy them, means the price for these examples is a lot higher, sitting at a whopping $90,000. That's more than a lot of the cars in the Volkswagen Group portfolio are going for.

The pricing for the two kinds of special edition bikes are probably hard to understand without the proper context, so maybe this will help: a normal Diavel V4 for normal people sells for around $27,000.