What Happens When Ducati Changes Up Their Fight Formula?
Ducati has just broken the silence on episode four of their World Series Premiere – and the Streetfighter V2 and Streetfighter V4 SP are, to Team Red, “the perfect synthesis of audacity and essentiality.”
We’ve covered the all-new Streetfighter V4 SP in a separate article, so be sure to stay tuned and head over to check the SP out when you’ve got a moment.
Ducati Streetfighter V2
The New Gateway to the Borgo Panigale Super-Naked Family
“We wanted to distill the pure essence of the Fighter Attitude and give life to a new fighter, starting with the Panigale V2 this time,” says Giulio Fabbri, the Streetfighter’s Product Sponsor.
Think Ducati’s twin-cylinder Panigale V2, only with Ducati’s famous ‘Fight Formula’ applied: no fairings, a high and wide handlebar, the very nice 153hp Superquadro engine, and cutting-edge tech components.
The result? An “intuitive and easy-to-handle” sports naked with more than enough extra juice to have you grinning on the upstart.
In line with the Streetfighter V4’s aesthetics, Ducati’s allowed the V2 to keep the iconic, personable “Joker grin” that are the V-shaped headlights. The beastie also now has a thicker padded, wider seat, with the footpegs repositioned to give the rider more ease of handling.
As stated before, the Streetfighter V2’s 955cc, Euro 5-compliant Superquadro will be capable of 153 hp @ 10,750 rpm, with a maximum torque of 101.4 Nm @ 9,000 rpm – at 178 kg dry weight, that’s a sizeable power band.
Ducati also mentions in the press release that this new machine (compared to the Panigale V2) “has a shorter final ratio (15/45 vs. 15/43…[guaranteeing] greater torque to the wheel at road speeds while giving better engine responsiveness when re-opening the throttle.”
One of the biggest changes, though, was in the chassis.
“While developing this new model, Ducati engineers focused their obsessive attention on the chassis set-up. The Superquadro engine is used as a bearing element connecting the compact front structure, consisting of a monocoque frame in die-cast aluminum fixed to the engine head.”
“The single-sided swingarm, which is also connected to the engine, is 16 mm longer compared to that of the Panigale V2, a winning point which contributes to ensuring the stability of the whole bike.”
Other features of the Streetfighter V2 include the 43 mm Showa BPF front fork and Sachs shock absorber, 5-spoke wheels, new Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres (120/70 ZR17 at the front and 180/60 ZR17 at the rear), slightly less aggressive brake pads (though the whole braking system is still purely Panigale V2 and touts Brembo M4-32 monobloc radial calipers with 320 mm diameter discs), as well as three riding modes.
As for electronics, Ducati again takes from the Panigale V2 with the following:
- ABS Cornering EVO with “slide by brake” functionality
- Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 2
- Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) EVO
- Ducati Quick Shift up/down (DQS) EVO 2
- Engine Brake Control (EBC) EVO
Everything runs through a 6-axis IMU inertial platform – lit up on a 4.3” full-TFT dashboard with an intuitive interface.
Naturally, Ducati also offers the option to upgrade the electronics package via the Ducati Data Analyzer (DDA + GPS) and Ducati Multimedia System.
The Streetfighter V2 will be made available as of December in Ducati’s iconic red color scheme and black rims.
Let us know what you think in the comments below, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.
Here’s a list of the previous Ducati World Premiere Episode, if you’ve missed them: