This Ducati Draxter is pure, wonderful, evil

Yes, we are aware this is a motorbike. It is two wheels, a roof and some doors short of being a ‘car’. But forgive us for yielding to its charms. It looks fantastic.

Meet the Ducati Draxter. Officially a concept, it’s said to combine the worlds of performance and cruiser bikes. It is, in essence, the barmy AMG saloon of the two-wheeled world.

Its basis is the XDiavel cruiser, the Ducati model most disposed to riding as if your hair isn’t on fire. However, its 156bhp 1262 cc engine ensures it’s still fast enough to be referred to - in Ducati’s own advertising bumf - as ‘the gentleman and the b***ard’. Really.

The Draxter, though, looks like it wants to act much more like the latter. It throws the XDiavel’s laidback stance to the wind and cranks its unconventional looks up by several notches. It’s a cruiser bike that wants to go drag racing.

As such, its suspension and brakes are swapped for those from the Panigale superbike , there are new wheels - incorporating a big fat rear tyre to get it successfully off the line - and a ginormous new Termignoni exhaust. And if that's not going to be loud enough, a bold livery also celebrates Ducati’s 90^th anniversary.

It looks pure evil, and we want one. Lots. Have we taken leave of our senses, or is it utterly terrific?