2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 strips the Panigale naked
If you’ve been drooling over the Ducati Panigale V4 but prefer riding a naked bike, there’s some good news. The Bologna-based manufacturer has just revealed the 2023 Streetfighter V4. It’s a Panigale without all the fairings and, as the name implies, looks like a mean little pugilist.
Powered by the company’s 1,103cc Desmosedici Stradale motor, the bike makes 208 horsepower and 90 pound-feet of torque. Four drive modes — Full, High, Medium and Low — determine just how much of that output is turning the rear wheel. There’s even a Wet Riding mode that helps maintain grip in inclement weather. Similarly, programming for the cooling fan and Engine Brake Control software — which dispenses engine braking depending on the rear tire’s load to help prevent lockup — have also been revised.
The Streetfighter V4 uses a single-sided aluminum swingarm that, like on the Panigale, is positioned 4mm higher than before. The new geometry should help increase anti-squat and move weight distribution toward the front. A redesigned fuel tank, which debuted on the updated Panigale V4, should fit riders better in a crouch while providing more capacity at 4.5 gallons. The front end features a mechanically adjustable shock absorber and upside-down fork for hardcore riding.
The Streetfighter comes as a single-rider bike, but Ducati supplies a passenger seat and footpegs as well. An updated instrument display is shared with the Panigale. Overall weight comes in between 392 and 435 pounds depending on the options and trim level.
If all that isn’t enough, the mid-level Streetfighter V4 S adds a semi-active Öhlins suspension and lightweight Marchesini aluminum forged rims. The S can be further distinguished by an exclusive Grey Nero colorway that will set the bike apart from the standard Ducati Rosso.
The range-topping Streetfighter V4 SP2 model drops the weight even further with split-spoke carbon rims. The reduction in unsprung weight makes the bike dramatically more nimble, Ducati says. The SP2 also features a dry clutch and machined adjustable foot pegs.
SP2 models are denoted by an exclusive Winter Test livery inspired by the pre-season colors of the Ducati MotoGP and WorldSBK race bikes. It’s a confluence of matte black, exposed carbon fiber, brushed aluminum, and splashed of Ducati Red. Each one will have a serial number laser-etched onto the handlebars, but the company didn’t say how many would be built.
The Streetfighter family is scheduled to arrive in U.S. and Canadian showrooms in spring 2023.
