The Ducati Sreetfighter S, Ride It Like a Maniac
The Ducati Streetfighter S is a truly special motorcycle, it could well become our favorite ever Ducati. The riding position takes some getting used to, as does the exhaust gigging into your right heel, similar as you'd on the original Monster.The Ducati Streetfighter S broad range of torque seamlessly melts into 140 horsepower of peak power, with linear yet bulging delivery. Still, not everything can be perfect. That's what I have to tell myself most mornings. The Streetfighter's powerplant isn't far from perfect though. It's how we'd expect a booming V-twin to behave, rather than the Ducati 11198's narrow powerband and shoulder-dislocating savage power deliverance.
The narrow-valve Testastretta engine with the Ducati 1098's capacity is a hybrid of the 1098 and Ducati 1198. The big bore, short stroke unit allegedly gives the best performance compared to its direct competition. Finishing on engine the cases has changed and tidied. The crankcases are now made using a vacuum die-cast procedure, saving 3kg over the Ducati 1198's similar engine. The throttle bodies the Ducati Streetfighter S breaths from are elliptical and come straight from MotoGP technology. The side-mounted exhausts system is an 2-1-2.
Eperienced riders won't need the Ducati traction control. The throttle connection and fueling are sublime, and the power delivery is versatile enough to cope with differing tasters and environments. The Ducati Traction Control (DTC) will help in the damp, but for real sporty riders its not really necessary.
The Ducati Streetfighter S has a small issue of ground clearance. The belly pan has a tendency to touch-down when I went over some bumpy bridges in my mooban (neighborhood). Also the nose-heavy posture and pointed front-end gives a bit instability.
The Trellis chassis is unique to the Ducati Streetfighter with a rake of 25.6 degree compared to the Ducati 1098's 24.5 degree angle. The seat unit and fuel tank are also shorter and not hand-me-downs. The 35mm longer alloy single-sided swingarm aids stability but kills a bit the fun. New gull-wing shaped triple clamps grip the Öhlins forks, increasing rigidity, and aiding direction changes. The dash is all new, as are the tapered alloy handlebars. The compact switchgear is also fresh, and quite different to what we see before.
The Ducati Streetfighter S is one of those motorcycles you have to ride before you buy it. You will love it or it will scare you deeply. Anyway, the Ducati Streetfighter S is not perfect, but the riding sensation is a rush.
