Streetfighter V4S test: the Ducati roadster ready for take off
We are in the year 2020 and the flying motorcycles still do not circulate by the thousands over our helmets, but some motorcycles are similar to fighter planes … This is the case of the Ducati Streetfighter V4S equipped with small fins. MNC takes control: test !
Streetfighter V4S test page 1: The Ducati of the year 2020
The year 2000. Before we panic unnecessarily for its cataclysmic "bug", this year was widely fantasized: when the new millennium came, it was certain: we will travel aboard flying cars and motorcycles of the future would fly too, of course !
Ultimately, the systemic design error of computer programs did not deflect the earth from its orbit. As for cars and motorcycles, closely, they wisely remained nailed to the ground. Finally "wisely", so to speak because some models really did not lack air…
- MNC Ducati Streetfighter test :
- MNC special file :
Most Site readers – who, as everyone knows, had a life before the internet – know without a doubt that it was in the year 2000 that Ducati presented an extraordinary motorcycle: between its roadsters and its sports cars, the brand from Bologna placed a 4-valve "Super Naked", the S4.
For the record – the failing one of the very old, but for the young too – this ultimate Monster was equipped with the fabulous Desmoquattro of the legendary 916 Superbike barely deflated: the 101 horses reached at 8750 rpm were responsible for catapulting the machine from 193 kg dry and its pilot.
After the S4R (996) in 2003, the S4Rs launched in 2006 was the last Monster under testosterone – or under "Testastretta" rather, named after the 998 cc L-Twin that appeared on the 998 996R then used on the 998 (ah anyway) and on the 999, this Superbike with such a … daring design !
Back in 2020
Back in the year 2020. Motorcycles still do not fly, or not very high or very long: must be able to reach 50 meters in altitude and fly for ten minutes. We are therefore still far, very far from a combat aircraft. And yet…
For five years in Grand Prix and for several months in the trade, motorcycles are equipped with fins or ailerons. Ducati is precisely one of the pioneers in this area, even if other manufacturers have already tried it, such as Suzuki on its .
It is therefore perfectly logical that the first maxisportif maxiroadster equipped with aerodynamic appendages comes from the factory in Bologna. This is the Streetfighter V4, a somewhat late part of the "short" Streetfighter which appeared in the Ducati catalog between 2009 and 2015.
A little over ten years ago, Site had been charmed by the roadster derived from the Ducati Superbike of the time, the 1098. In the conclusion of his test, MNC compared this first Streetfighter to "a real" diva ": tiring in the city, divine on the road, tiring on the highway and not really a fan of threesomes! "
Today, the Motorcycle Journal of the Net is testing the second generation of Streetfighter, equipped with the V4 at 90 ° ("L4" tilted 42 ° towards the rear which therefore forms a V) installed in the heart of the current "road" Panigales. . Respecting the 81 mm bore allowed in MotoGP, this version of the Desmosedici Stradale has a 53.5 mm stroke and therefore a displacement of 1103 cc.
With its timing "Twin Pulse" rather than "Screamer", the V4 is as close as possible to its two-cylinder brothers. It must thus perpetuate the strong character – it is liquid cooled, huhuhu – and so appreciated by Ducati motorcycles..
In this roadster configuration, the V4 offers above all a staggering power of 208 horsepower at 12,750 rpm. But facing the journalists, the Italian engineers put more emphasis on the torque values: 123 Nm at most, of which 70% are available from 4000 rpm and 90% are maintained between 9000 and 13000 rpm.
The 4-cylinder can turn up to 14,500 rpm in the first five gears and benefits from an additional 500 rpm in the sixth. A useful little bonus in the Mugello straight line, but much less in the 17T of the Chevreuse valley where the press presentation of this new Italian top model is being held….
Second Generation Streetfighter
It is in front of the offices of Ducati West Europe, in the Paris region, that Site discovers its companion of the day: a brand new Streetfighter V4S with a little less than 700 km on the clock. Counter which, as on the older generation, is still very low behind the handlebars.
The new Ducati roadster steals from the Superbike its 5-inch color TFT screen, large and very well arranged. The left-hand controls allow you to quickly tour the astronomical amount of information that can be consulted and configurable settings.
Le Journal moto du Net notes only one absence: the fuel gauge! This lack is all the more regrettable as the capacity of the tank is low: 16 liters to supply the large engine … However, "the reserve of 4 liters of reserve offers enough to cover 50 km without worry", tries to reassure us the press manager, giving us the keys for our test.
On the practical side, the Streetfighter V4 is equipped with a tiny housing under the passenger folding seat, but it is not easy to accommodate the motorcycle’s papers! Yellow vest – compulsory in the event of a problem -, anti-theft device and other accessories must be stored in a backpack. Ok.
The Streetfighter V4 saddle rises 845mm above the ground – 10mm higher than the Superbike. Motorcyclists of 1.70m and more will therefore have no trouble getting on this bike, while the shortest on legs can opt for the low saddle (-20 mm).
On a slight slope, the saddle inevitably directs the pilot towards its thinnest part, against the tank. For the little ones, access to the ground is therefore easier. For older children like MNC, this means that you have to step back frequently to get a better seat..
The legs are well received thanks to footrests low enough not to bend the knees excessively, and a tank so unusually thin that it spreads to the bare minimum. You would think you were settling aboard an average displacement. A shame for a maxiroadster ?!
The 16 liters of gasoline are mostly located under the rider seat, freeing up room for the large airbox and, just in front of it, the electronics and the battery. A good point to keep the good load of the machine during a long confinement…
Much higher than on the half-handlebars of the Panigale, the handlebars of the Streetfighter V4 are also more accessible than that of the previous Streetfighter "V2", at the position judged – by MNC but also by the new director of Ducati France, ! – too brittle in town.
The new handlebar can also be raised or lowered (+ or – 3 ° on its axis) and its two levers can be adjusted. The retro rockets mirrors still offer a very good view and this time do not shake when driving.
Inaugurated on the first Streetfighter, the starter still takes on the appearance of a "missile launcher" contactor. A short press is enough to launch the V4 whose sound is extremely high-sounding. Even before worrying about speeding, the owner knows that he exceeds the "limits" in terms of sound volume !
The din is amplified by the orientation of the pots: their vocalizations tap and resonate against the tarmac! Ducatistis will be happily intoxicated, MNC is more drunk: our ears will buzz for part of the evening, despite the good soundproofing of our Shoei NXR (Zork color, for fans of pink).
The Streetfighter V4 will not appeal to the neighborhood at all, especially after the two months of great silence due to the anti-Covid-19 containment. The recovery promises to be particularly hard for those whose balcony – the bedroom ?! – overlooks the Ducati West Europe workshop … It’s time to go: in the saddle on the next page !
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