The true Ducati spirit is captured by an incredibly powerful Desmodromic L-Twin 1098 ’ÄúTestastretta Evoluzione’Äù engine producing 155hp with an incredibly wide spread of power thanks to 85lb-ft (11.7kgm) of torque. The Streetfighter’Äôs power and precision is further maximised by weighing in at just 368lb (167kg) (S version) and further benefits from technology derived directly from Ducati’Äôs MotoGP and Superbike projects. Ducati Traction Control and Data Analysis, racing-style braking system, fully adjustable suspension and forged wheels all come as standard equipment on the ’ÄòS’Äô to complete the battle-ready package.

As orders from all over the world flood into Ducati’Äôs factory in Bologna, the Streetfighter and Streetfighter S models go into production.

Streetfighter made good
The Streetfighter culture was born on the backstreets of Northern Europe during the late 70s and 80s. If the Cafˆ© racer movement had taken traditional bikes and transformed them to establish out-and-out sport bikes, then Streetfighters were definitely anti-establishment. They evolved by removing the fairings from sport bikes, fitting higher bars and customising to create high-performance, over-the-top nakeds. Now, Ducati have taken that concept and applied their own Italian sophistication to a stunning, factory-prepared Streetfighter.

The Ducati Streetfighter is equipped with everything that made the Superbike a legend: Awesome L-Twin muscle with brutal, big-bore torque, thoroughbred chassis technology, beautiful single-sided swingarm, planet-stopping Monobloc brakes and pure, sophisticated class.

While the tank and seat shapes leave no doubt as to the Streetfighter’Äôs roots, it is the upright and commanding riding position that really starts to shape the character of this ultimate naked. New, minimalistic controls, instrumentation and headlight design leave the front looking clean and mean, while twin-stacked right-side mufflers at the rear leave the tail-end high and sharp. No other Ducati has ever achieved such an aggressive stance while providing a comfortable, empowering, controllable and enjoyable ride.

Ducati’Äôs ’ÄòS’Äô treatment of the Streetfighter takes its sophistication way off the scale. Superbike spec ˆñhlins suspension front and rear with lightweight forged Marchesini wheels add street credibility when in town and that all-important ’Äòfeel’Äô when exploring the Streetfighter’Äôs sports soul.

Add the awesome street-going Ducati Traction Control and Ducati Data Analysis as standard equipment and it’Äôs clear that the Streetfighter S is not just muscle ’Äì it’Äôs intelligent too.

Lifestyle
Ducati’Äôs Streetfighter project was inevitable. The passion to build the most successful Superbikes ever, mixed with the desire to create iconic, naked motorcycles was a rush of adrenaline just waiting to happen. Who else would create a bike for out-and-out purists to celebrate naked power in all its forms? A bike with muscle-engine performance, aggressive chassis engineering and intelligent electronics all laid bare to appreciate, respect and enjoy? Ducati build bikes for enthusiasts ’Äì for bikers who appreciate the details that come together to make an awesome bike, for perfectionists who instantly recognise excellence when they see it.

Ducati motorcycles aren’Äôt just a means of transport, they enable a lifestyle that sets their rider apart from the rest of the world. They’Äôre an extension of character and the ultimate personal statement. The Streetfighter is built with pure Ducati passion and it’Äôs ready to impress, whatever the lifestyle. If you’Äôre riding downtown, the Streetfighter is sure to make the coolest arrival. If you’Äôre out of town carving a line through the curves there’Äôll be nothing more exciting than the Streetfighter.

Ducati have captured the essence of all motorcycle lifestyles with the Streetfighter and it now takes ownership of the naked category. It’Äôll be a tough act to follow so get ready for Desmo domination.

Take control
The Streetfighter riding position is empowering. The lightweight aluminium, tapered bars are higher than on a Superbike, but still flat enough to ride hard, so machine control is enhanced and the relationship with the front-end remains intact. Considerable study on seat, footpeg and handlebar position has maximised comfort without losing the feeling that you’Äôre aboard an extreme naked Ducati.

Showing attention to detail typical of all new Ducatis, the handlebars are gripped by beautifully shaped clamps that flow sleekly into the bar-risers. Even the switchgear has been revised to represent minimalism at its best. The slim-line bodies house easy-to-use switches and buttons with new features like the unique weapons-like ’Äòtrigger catch’Äô that slides down to cover the starter button when activating the kill-switch. Symmetrically-mounted remote brake and clutch reservoirs are small, low and compact and feed slim, radial master-cylinders by Brembo to complete the clean and uncluttered controls arrangement.

The Streetfighter’Äôs instrumentation continues that same clean look with a new compact shape that blends into the aggressive line of the headlight. Information additional to the default read-outs is managed from the left-hand handlebar-mounted switch gear, allowing the rider to scroll through and select from various menus. The display presents rpm and speed, with the former displayed across the screen in a progressive bar graph. Additionally, the instruments display lap times, DTC status and level selected (if activated on Streetfighter S) time, air temperature, coolant temperature, battery voltage, two trips and a trip that automatically starts as the fuel system goes onto reserve. Warning lights illuminate to signify neutral, turn signals, high beam, rev-limit, low oil pressure, fuel reserve, DTC intervention (if activated on Streetfighter S) and scheduled maintenance. The instrument display is also used as the control panels for the DDA and DTC systems as well as listing lap times recorded by using the high-beam flash button as a stopwatch.

A chassis born to fight
At 373lb dry weight for the Streetfighter and 368lb for the Streetfighter S, both come to the fight with the highest power-to-weight ratio in their class and the need for rock-solid handling and well-planted front-ends to match. A purpose-built Trellis frame takes care of business at the front-end by using 25.6¬ƒ of rake compared to the Superbike’Äôs 24.5¬ƒ, and a 35mm longer single-sided swingarm at the rear ensures the Streetfighter’Äôs acceleration need never be compromised. The longer, beautifully created aluminium swingarm follows the same dual construction detail as the Superbike models and is anodised finished in black.

The lower triple-clamp also gets more muscle development. Formed in a strength-enhancing gull-wing shape for even more rigidity, it maintains a vice-like grip on the fork legs, giving a precise and solid feeling through the bars on fast direction changes.
The revised rake, longer wheelbase and cross-mounted steering damper ensure stability even under the extreme acceleration of Ducati’Äôs incredible L-Twin torque.

Power house
The world-beating 1098 Testastretta Evoluzione needs little introduction. Debuting in 2007, it went on to form the basis of a motor that powered Ducati to Superstock and Superbike World titles that left the competition stunned. Now, its massive bore, short stroke and incredible torque powers Ducati’Äôs most extreme naked and the results are equally as stunning.

Producing a ballistic 85lb-ft (11.7kgm) of torque and 155hp (114kW), the Streetfighter’Äôs awesome 1098 power house fears nothing of the naked sports competition. The L-Twin, Testastretta Evoluzione engine gives both the best power-to-weight and the best torque-to-weight ratios in its class.

New features include enhanced detailing on the cam belt covers and the magnesium dry clutch cover as well as a new black finish for the main outer casings and carbon-grey finish for the crankcases, which employ the same weight-saving technology used for the 1198.

The vacuum die-cast process used to make the crankcases ensures consistent and precise wall thickness and increased strength from absolute material purity while reducing weight an incredible 3kg (6.5lb) compared to those of the 1098 Superbike engine.

Using the Testastretta narrow valve angle, super-straight intake ducts and specially shaped combustion chambers, the Desmodromic motor continues to breathe through MotoGP-derived elliptical throttle bodies and four large diameter valves per cylinder to achieve its incredible spread of torque.

A high performance six-speed box and racing-style dry clutch makes sure the transmission package delivers 155hp as efficiently as possible.

The Streetfighter’Äôs power house is protected by twin coolant radiators, carefully curved in pure naked style for optimum performance and engineering beauty. The upper radiator is assisted by lightweight, high flow electric fan assemblies while the lower sits in the front of the belly pan, which also houses a highly efficient oil heat exchanger.

Naked detail
More attention to detail than ever before has gone into creating the Ducati Streetfighter. Repositioning many of the components usually hidden by bodywork and continuing to keep them out of sight was a major challenge for the design and engineering teams, but they’Äôve pulled it off with impressive results. Add to this details such as the perfectly formed passenger seat cover, a rear hugger fitted as standard equipment and the pre-minimalised licence plate holder, and it’Äôs plain to see that Ducati have gone that extra step to achieve the highest level of finish.

Streetfighter S
Ducati’Äôs ’ÄòS’Äô treatment of the Streetfighter pushes its tech spec to the red line. ˆñhlins suspension front and rear and lightweight Marchesini forged wheels stack up serious credibility, while the front fender and cambelt covers in super-light carbon fibre help reduce the dry weight to an extreme 368lb.

But the ’ÄòS’Äô sophistication doesn’Äôt end there. Awesome street-going Ducati Traction Control and Ducati Data Analysis are standard issue, making it clear that the Streetfighter S is not all muscle ’Äì it’Äôs intelligent too.