Ducati Streetfighter V4 Review (2020)

Wings like a bi-plane from the 30s, a 2020 Panigale V4 engine and electronics suite, top spec components and 205bhp is a baffling set of numbers to digest as well as being a recipe not for the feint-hearted. The Ducati Streetfighter V4s unique and headline-grabbing assets raise it high above rivals yet it’s not ‘all mouth and no trousers’ because this new hypernaked contender proves to be an absolute Tinder match for the UKs roads. Agile and proficient in the corners, stable and strong on the brakes and a whole heap of power and torque from right down low to keep everybody’s heartrate skipping along to its tune.

Price

Power

Rivals

On Track

Drag Race - Panigale V4R vs Streetfighter V4S

On the Dyno and with McGuinness on track

Verdict

Specifications

Ducati has been making supernakeds since the turn of the century with Monsters and Streetfighters in various guises and sizes rattling, shaking and booming their way around but none can touch the latest version – the Ducati Streetfighter V4 – for lunacy. It’s been one of the most highly anticipated bikes since the Panigale V4 hit the headlines at the back end of 2017. There were cries for a naked version even before the fully faired sportsbike had turned a wheel.

Traditionally excellent at cooking, did the Italians find the right ingredients and deliver this time? Oh yes. In the fearsomely competitive arena of crazy nakeds, the mixture of taking a Panigale V4, whipping the fairings off, adding two more wings, lifting the handlebars and re-tuning the motor to boost the low-to-mid range torque is a sure-fire hit. Packing more heat than a vindaloo in a viper’s nest, the claimed power and weight ratio beats any other production naked, and that’s in stock form. Then add the official exhaust system and the figures are almost unbelievable.

Even the Project manager, Paulo Quattrinu, told us, “At the beginning, we decided to create something mad.”

Does that make for a suitable machine for the road? Well we’ve seen plenty of lairy wheelies, skids and knee-grazing from the Ducati test riders in the promotional material but how does it perform on the B664 to Uppingham? COVID-19 saw off the press launch due to take place in and around Ascari in Spain so out into the English sunshine I ventured before the lockdown.

2020 Ducati Streetfighter V4S Video Review

First impressions count and here’s how the hyper naked Ducati affected our very own Michael Mann when he spent his first 100 miles with 205bhp and no fairing.

2020 Ducati Streetfighter V4 Price

As with many bikes in the Ducati catalogue, the standard model is attractive enough but add some bling as there’s an ‘S’ version to drool over and then convince yourself it’s worth the extra few quid per month.

The so-called standard model comes with a £17,595 price tag whereas the ‘S’ is £19,795. But what do you get for your extra £2,200? Simple; suspension and wheels. The S is equipped with 3-spoke Marchesini forged aluminium alloy rims while the stocker has 5-spoke light alloy versions. The S has electronically adjustable Ohlins suspension, rear shock and steering damper as opposed to the Showa and Sachs mixture on the standard bike.

Both are available only in red – they must have run out of red paint when it came to the radiator surrounds – are in dealerships now and come fitted with BikeTrac security as standard.

Here’s an example PCP deal of what a Streetfighter V4S will set you back:

The standard model is achievable with a £500 lower deposit, £175 per month with a £9699 optional final payment.

Power and torque

All bikes have headlines, the reason why the manufacturer is selling them and the type of customer they’re trying to attract. So, when Ducati unveiled the naked version of their super brilliant Panigale V4 it was massive power figure and a twin set of wings that drew attention.

A peak power figure is there to compare and show off to your mates but the useable power -  and torque for that matter – remains as the holy grail of actual performance over facts. Nobody rides around at 12,750rpm in 5th or 6th gear unless they have access to a circuit with a very long straight. Remember, the Fireblade and Panigale V4 videos from earlier this year when 185mph (299kph was achieved in 5th gear alone! So, 205bhp (153kW) @ 12,750rpm is the claimed power figure while torque peaks at 123Nm (90.4 lb-ft) @ 11,500rpm.

The important measures here are the availability of the torque through the rev range. While it’s doesn’t hit its peak figure until 11,500rpm, you’ve still got 90% available from 9000rpm and 70% from 4000rpm – you know what that means? Massively impressive acceleration. Yes, it can be tamed with the raft of electronic aids but dial down the traction control and aim to familiarise the front wheel with tarmac and your senses won’t know what’s hit them. I’ll demonstrate further; in 3rd gear at 60mph the Streetfighter has 14% more torque than its Superbike sibling, the Panigale V4.

And if 205bhp / 123Nm isn’t enough then stump up an extra £4,300 and with a full racing exhaust not only will you even less popular with the neighbours but you’ll be able to escape from them faster with your extra 12bhp (up to 217bhp) and your weight saving of 5.5kg. Even the £3k ‘Racing Silencers’ will earn you 8 more bhp while shedding 4kg.

The throttle connection is so sweet, and only needs the gentlest caress to catapult you toward the speed limit as the revs bellow below and swallow the numbers on the TFT display quicker than you can read them. Throw another gear at it and hold on – it’s far more entertaining than the gym.

Engine, gearbox and exhaust

The very same 1103cc Desmosedici Stradale 90-degree V4 engine that powers the Panigale is practically unchanged with the exception of dedicated mapping and a shorter final ratio offering the get-up-and-go a mighty naked should have. Torque-laden and rich in swathes of luscious horses just galloping along letting you enjoy that neat throttle reaction. Other road users are bound to applaud your greatness and quality choice of motorcycle as you woosh by, while pedestrians in lower speed zones will just be deafened. The neighbours will be striking you off their Christmas card list too.

That final drive targets acceleration rather than top speed and the ways in which it takes off can be thoroughly mental or as calm as your right hand allows but what’s the point in having a cupboard full of biscuits if you’re not going to eat any? According to the Project Manager, the top speed is limited because of the lack of wind protection for the rider but also because of the final gear ratio, so it should max out at 180mph (290kph) – and you’d have a very strong neck to manage that.

I always imagine a Ducati engine to be clean, pristine and almost magical if dissected. The premium nature of the brand is, I’m sure, reflected in the purity of its cogs, wheels, valves and other spinny or pumpy things. And that feeling translates through to the quality of the ride from an engineering perspective with those four cylinders going about their business while I’m on top of them wide-eyed and grinning like a madman, momentarily grateful for their work while focusing on the next road-based conquest. The 0-90-290-380 degree firing order is distinctive in terms of sound but also the way in which is thrums beneath. Credit to those Ducati engineers, the engine, gearbox and throttle combination feels so much glossier than the commotion would have you believe. Yet it remains part of the character of this performance-laden street bike – so much more than an inline four or even an electric bike that could match the Ducati for instant pace.

What is interesting, just like the Panigale, to reduce the heat billowing into your inner thighs, the rear cylinder bank deactivates when at standstill, in neutral and the engine temperature is greater than 75C/167F.

A 6-speed quick-shifter enabled gearbox, that’s for both up and down shifts, is considered the norm these days, especially on a £19k model (ahem, CBR1000RR-R) and Ducati’s version has been updated for 2020 with this, their EVO2 which can also be found on the Panigale V4. It’s a smooth yet firm click and short-throw between gears although be positive or when you’re accelerating during an overtake and hit neutral instead of 5th, you’ll be glowing as red as the fuel tank.

Not only is the motor almost identical to the 2020 Panigale V4 model, it therefore ‘only’ meets Euro 4 emissions regulations. My guess is that they’ll be able to get that engine past Euro 5 fairly easily, so it could simply be a case that they haven’t tested it to Euro 5 levels and had it certified yet.

2020 Ducati Streetfighter V4 Economy

Blood thirsty street fighting animals aren’t designed for big distances on one tank. A brimmed 16 litres worth adds plenty of weight to a supple beast but ride it like its meant to be ridden and you’ll struggle to see more than 40mpg which is what the dashboard indicated after my 100 miles of mixed roads… and behaviour.

A lack of fuel gauge will have you frustrated and cut short any enjoyment when the orange light of doom shines. Reset the trip when you fill up and after the first few tank fulls, you’ll know when to pay a visit.

Handling, suspension, chassis and weight

With all that power, you need control. A cast aluminium front frame weighing just 4.2kg is bolted directly onto the engine which in turn is used as a structural element of the chassis. The underseat trellis-style subframe is then bolted directly onto both the front frame and to the head of the rear cylinder bank. Both formats have structural and weight-saving benefits and give the bike a more compact design. This design is supplemented further with a racing style fuel tank with capacity under the seat plus the silencer directly underneath the engine. All of which adds to the first-class handling of the Ducati.

The bi-place wings of the Streetfighter are narrower than the single wing of the Panigale and, if you believe the maths, they produce 28kg - just 2kg less than the Panigale - of downforce at 168mph. But they aren’t just there to carry loo rolls or as smart design appendages, they help the stability of the bike because a 205bhp naked bike needs a little assistance. Without the wings, the single-sided swingarm would have to be a lot longer which in turn would negatively affect the handling.

You can certainly feel how well behaved the bike is under braking, hard acceleration and during its fast tipping-in ability but I can’t necessarily put that down to just the wings. It’d be unfair on the suspension, chassis dynamics and electronics – after all it’s a team game to make a motorbike handle this well. I’m seriously impressed. Kerb weight-wise the claim is 199kg which feels about right – it has the solidity and predictability over bumps in corners for example, while manoeuvring it about requires little effort. At walking pace, the lock-to-lock steering angle isn’t great but on the flip side, at speed that aids stability. The Ohlins steering damper is a worthwhile addition here.

Onto suspension and the V4 S that I tested comes with those high spec electronically adjustable Ohlins front and rear. Easily manageable through the Ducati’s electronic brain of course. They soaked up everything I threw at them from the speed humps through Uppingham to the country lanes of Leicestershire and Rutland, offering a very comfortable ride throughout. They also manage to iron out any clumsy throttle and brake use courtesy of the Ohlins Smart EC2.0 cleverness which offers support under braking, maximises grip and weight transfer through the turn and accelerating away. Add all these individual components together and you begin to realise how much it costs to put a bike like this together.

Pegs are set lower and further forward than the Panigale and the riding position - incorporating the high, wide and adjustable (+/- 3 degrees) bars indicative of a powerful naked machine - is sporty enough to warrant its 205bhp while comfortable enough for a tank full of miles… with the occasional leg stretch. A special mention goes to the swanky saddle for its comfort - it looks neat, is narrow where it needs to be but supportive too. Two seat options are available that would take the 845mm seat height to either 825mm or 865mm.

The stylish tail section is also reminiscent of the Panigale but a word of warning; while men tend to like sticking things in holes, I went to poke my hand through the tail unit and cut my finger on the sharp plastic.

2020 Ducati Streetfighter V4 Brakes

Strong and reliable engine braking mixed with the latest Brembo Stylema monobloc calipers (M4.30) chomping down on a pair of massive 330mm discs on the front and the Streetfighter will almost stop on a sixpence. A host of electronics including Engine Brake Control, Slide Control and the latest gen ABS system (with a Cornering system for emergency braking at lean) combine to produce some excellent stopping skill. It’s all variable via the on-screen menu of course but under normal riding conditions then rolling off the throttle and some light two-digit use is all you’ll need. ABS kept a low-profile and it’ll be interesting to see how it copes with the rigours of the track. One for the to-do list later this year.

Pirelli’s Diablo Rosso Corsa II are the excellent choice of OE tyre. Reliable, versatile, quick to warm up and effective on the less grippy surfaces too, they held the road admirably during my test ride and proved to be an accomplished accompaniment to the Streetfighter’s divine handling.

Rider aids and extra equipment / accessories

Immediately after riding this 2020 Ducati, I hopped on a 2000 Honda VTR1000 SP1 (the Bennetts competition prize for this year) and the difference of a generation between bikes was on astonishing – not only with brakes, weight, power, comfort and throttle connection but the Honda was technologically speaking so far behind the Ducati it felt like 40 years not 20. Some prefer the old-fashioned feel of a bike and the more mechanical nature but if there are riders reading this who’ve never experienced Traction Control, ABS or ride-by-wire anything, then I urge you to get to your local dealer for a test ride on anything modern as soon as possible!

Back to the Streetfighter and a 6-axis IMU is busy detecting the bike’s movements across the three plains of roll, yaw and pitch which in turn offers control, depending on your personalised rider settings, over start, acceleration, braking, traction and cornering.

The 5” colour TFT display is the same as seen on the Panigale and is your window to the settings for Cornering ABS, the latest generation of Traction Control, Slide Control, Wheelie Control, Power Launch, Quickshift up/down and Engine Brake Control as well as the three pre-set rider modes – Street, Sport and Race, which can also be amended to your liking. It’s well worth playing around to find your preference and optimise the ride quality too. It’s all there to enhance safety, comfort and performance.

Plenty of official styling and performance accessories are on offer ranging from the aforementioned exhaust and seat options to light-weight magnesium rims and a dry clutch kit.

Rivals

Naked bikes are the fastest growing category and covers capacities from 125cc to this collection of shoulder shudderers below. MV Agusta’s new Brutale 1000 RR is the only other to top the double century in terms of power while others can beat the Ducati for torque but it’s the Streetfighter than comes out on top in the power:weight ratio. But as I always say, get yourself a test ride on as many as possible if this is your short-list: 

Update - 15/06/2020

Ducati Streetfighter V4S On track

With its power, poise and precise handling, plus it’s Panigale parenting, I knew the Ducati Streetfighter V4S would be a near-perfect performer on track. The global press launch was due to take place at Ascari, the private test track in Southern Spain, and its surrounding roads so Ducati clearly fancied demonstrating its prowess too. That was of course canned courtesy of Coronavirus and three months later instead of staring at the array of the Ascari owner’s favourite corners all moulded into one circuit, I’ve got the infamous Cadwell Park Mountain looming, “no problem, I’ve got twin bi-plane wings,” I thought.

I’d booked on an MSV track evening which is two groups swapping every 20-minutes for four sessions each, it’s a cheaper (£55) but more intense way of fulfilling your track day desires. Having ridden the 62-miles to the circuit, dropped the tyre pressures by 8psi in the front and 7 in the rear down to 32/31, sailed through the noise check (Cadwell is always 105dB static and they asked for 5k rpm which, for the clever V4 and its lower belly double exhausts, is barely noisier than tick-over), I threw my rucksack into a mate’s van and was good to go.

‘Race’ mode activated which by proxy disengages the rear ABS, and I started to tinker with the array of electronic safety options – how daring did I want to be? With four sessions at my disposal there was plenty of time to play with DWC, DSC, ABS, EBC and Dynamic/Semi-active Suspension. I left Wheelie Control, Traction Control and Slide Control on level 1 - the least intrusive without turning them off completely.

Session one was about getting over the rustiness and back into the swing of riding with meaning. At Cadwell, corners, undulations, crests and braking points are just part of an overwhelming sensory strain at this narrow 2.2-mile ribbon of reasonably well surfaced circuit. Let alone the curious extremes of riding ability on show. What was immediately impressive on the first run down Park Straight is the high-end performance from the V4 motor, it may bog a little when ripping the throttle back in the lower revs but from 7 – 12k rpm is a scream. Well, not a scream in the aural sense, that’s more like a demented techno grumble which doesn’t quite match the speed at which your peripheral vision is taking in the fast-moving scenery. There’s little doubt with a claimed 205bhp and 123Nm as peak power and torque, the ferociousness pace will match most track weaponry in a straight line. We’ll be checking those claims very soon.

Above: Mann with Ducati and Dainese luggage ready for home

While remaining controllably committed in the faster Cadwell corners and superbly stable at speed, both situations coming courtesy of those wings, there’s still a physically demanding side to holding onto this unfaired loony. The Streetfighter feels a little heavy in the flip-flops of the Gooseneck, chicane and Hall Bends and while it’s easy to say, ‘it’s a streetfighter, not a trackfighter’, its sporty credentials are evident with the classy semi-active suspension particularly. The superbike chassis on which it’s built has the accompanying quality, that of a race machine giving the ride a neat predictability at one of the toughest circuits to heave a larger bike around. Despite dialling down the clever electronics and having the Ducati set in Race mode, there’s still a thick electronic protective blanket that won’t allow too much trouble and this numbs the craziness somewhat. With the rear wheel sliding around Chris Curve, for example, making me feel like a pro (sort of, I’m not that good) I’d like to use the next track opportunity (if I’m feeling ballsy) to turn it, TC and WC off completely to evaluate if the protective blanket completely disappears.

The quality of this second-generation traction control system was easily demonstrated by the tyre wear on the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II’s – designed as a fast road-riding tyre which is more than capable with a track day or two. With gradual graining all the way over the shoulder to the edge of the tyre, the Pirelli’s under the control of the Ducati IMU are more than ready to fight another (track) day.

As we’ve already highlighted, the fuel economy from the Streetfighter V4S is particularly poor, and of course on track this is highlighted further. I filled up 10-miles from the circuit and by the end of the out lap in the third session, the light was on.

The Ducati Streetfighter V4 remains a thoroughbred supernaked with such an exquisitely high-end specification and an array of electronic goodness that Currys would die for though they remain simple to operate. There’s a premium feel about the ride quality and comfort as it glides over the lumps and bumps of B-roads and North Lincolnshire race tracks yet this is more of a mature, middle-aged man of a machine and not the sheer lunacy as you might expect with the spec sheet and gene pool from which it emerged.

PICS: MSV Photography / Lee Marshall

Ducati Streetfighter V4S | Cadwell Park on board lap

In his first session out of lockdown, BikeSocial's Michael Mann guides you around a lap of the fabulous Cadwell Park circuit

DUCATI DRAG RACE - Streetfighter V4S vs Panigale V4R

On paper, the Streetfighter V4S has 9% more peak torque than it’s £35,000 stablemate, the Panigale V4R, with 123NM at 11,500rpm vs. 112.4NM at 11,500rpm. Equally, Ducati engineers have spoken about the necessity to prioritise torque over outright top end power for the supernaked and, alongside the shorter final-drive gearing, in theory it should be demonly quick off the line.

But quicker than it’s race mate? The Panigale V4R has, after all, been blitzing World Superbike and British Superbike races since the start of the respective 2019 seasons and in its stock form dominates the unfaired version in terms of peak power by 221bhp vs 205bhp. So, I took them both to an airfield and invited Bennetts British Superbike rider Tommy Bridewell to come and practice his race starts. We each had a turn, over a ¼ mile on the Panigale V4R and the Streetfighter V4S, and here’s how it went:

Ducati Drag Race: Panigale V4R vs Streetfighter V4S

Tommy Bridewell and Michael Mann see how fast the 2020 Streetfighter is against its racing stablemate, the V4R.

For Race 1, I lined up on the V4R and professional Ducati racer, Bridewell, took the Streetfighter’s reins. I hadn’t expected such a walkover though. As soon as we launched, I had my nose ahead immediately such was the utter power of the V4R which firmly put my question about outright power vs low-down torque to bed.

As much as the 9% difference in torque appeared to favour the Streetfighter V4, the 14.5% difference in dry weight (172kg vs 199kg) made a significant influence, even though the gap between Bridwell’s fighting weight and mine offering a degree of balance. Over ¼ mile the V4R took the win by 0.283s.

While the result for Race 2 for a foregone conclusion before we’d even set off, with the man who finished third in the 2019 BSB championship now on board, the question was how quick could he get the power down. For both races, we kept both bikes in Race mode although had traction control and wheelie control on their least intrusive settings without turning them off. However, we only used Ducati’s built-in launch control system for the first race.

Bridewell smashed my V4R time by almost two-tenths of a second and I was way off the pace on the Streetfighter having fluffed the start by not having enough revs. 

And as the Oxford Products Ducati Racing man says in the video, “It’s called an ‘R’ for a reason.”

On the Dyno and with McGuinness on track

A claim of 205bhp is almighty. Even the most hardened of motorcycle journalists had to blink twice when Ducati’s spec sheet was unveiled with that almighty figure. And about two seconds later, they were all thinking, ‘I wonder what it really makes on the dyno’. So we took it to BSD Performance near Peterborough to find out.

How much power does the Ducati Streetfighter V4S make? Take a look at the video below to find out, although we’ve posted the dyno graph beneath so you’re able to cheat!

And if that wasn’t enough of a workout for the mighty Ducati, then what about encouraging 26-time Isle of Man TT winner, John McGuinness MBE, to put it through its paces at the Ducati Customer Track Day on the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit? Hear what ‘The Morecambe Missile’ thought of the naughty naked, as well as a couple of owners too:

On the Dyno and with McGuinness on track

How much power does the new Streetfighter V4 make at the rear wheel? We find out before handing it over to John McGuinness MBE for this thoughts at Donington Park

2020 Ducati Streetfighter V4 verdict

It was the one I was looking forward to; it promised plenty and still managed to over-deliver. Treat it mean and the naked V4 Ducati will keep you keen with an abundance of energy and character that’ll have you deliberately looking for the long way home every time.

The impressive compilation of high specification goodies impress as the tyres, brakes, suspension and electronic brain unite as harmoniously as The Three Tenors. The Ducati soundtrack is just as deep and moving too as the Streetfighter swallows up the miles with such assurance and composure. Turn-in is quick, predictive and feels safe while acceleration verges on being addictively sadistic. 48 hours after riding and my arms still ache – this is not for the feint-hearted.

It’s not without its niggles – I’d like to see a smarter design when incorporating the TFT display into the headlight surround, I think the radiator panels would look better in red, cruise control would be a very handy addition plus a better way to hide those cables and wires wouldn’t go amiss. I’d imagine another colour option would be well received too.

There’s no point me analysing the type of customer for whom the Streetfighter V4 is designed because it makes no sense when written down, it’s like saying 2+2 = 73. It’s not particularly practical, economical, cheap, yet you’ll have ridden nothing like it. The entertainment value is as immense as the riding pleasure. It’s aggressive, it’s fast, it handles and I want one.

Thankfully, Ducati UK are loaning me one for the remainder of the year so look out for updates. Will the novelty wear off? How will the chain and clutch cope with the torque? Can I get the mpg up? Let me know if you have any questions too.

2020 Ducati Streetfighter V4 spec

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars, based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

• A vehicle marking system

• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has, and compare it to other machines on your shortlist. 

Looking for bike insurance? Get a quote for this motorcycle with Bennetts motorbike insurance