Ducati Streetfighter V4 (2025) – Technical Review

Think of the term ‘streetfighter’ and the image it conjures is a superbike that’s been stripped of its fairing and fitted with wide bars while retaining all the power and performance of the machine it’s based on. Ducati takes the same literal interpretation of the idea for its Streetfighter-with-a-capital-S model and the debut of an all-new Panigale V4 superbike for 2025 inevitably means the spin-off Streetfighter V4 range has also been completely overhauled for the coming year.

Just like the brutal 80s and 90s streetfighters that brought the term to prominence, the Streetfighter V4 isn’t for the lily-livered. For 2025 it has 214hp on tap from the latest generation Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine, combined with a lighter chassis than before to create a contender to be the fastest unfaired production bike on the planet.

Pros & Cons

2025 Ducati Streetfighter V4 - Price & PCP

Despite the improvements for 2025 the Streetfighter V4’s prices haven’t gone through the roof, with an increase of roughly six percent over the previous versions. That means the base Streetfighter V4 now starts at £22,895, a £1300 hike on the old price of £21,595, and the better-equipped V4 S version comes in at £24,995, a £1500 increase on the previous model’s £23,495. For a brand-new model with more performance and technology than the old one, those increases don’t seem unreasonable and shouldn’t equate to substantially higher monthly payments for those buying on PCP or HP.

While customers get the choice between the V4 and V4 S versions, they don’t have any say in the colour schemes: for 2025 both Streetfighter V4 models will be offered only in Ducati’s signature red.

Bikes are due in dealers in March 2025 and come as standard in single-seat form, with a passenger kit of pillion seat and pegs available as an optional extra.

2025 Ducati Streetfighter V4 - Engine & Performance

The Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine in the 2025 Streetfighter V4 models is mechanically identical to the one offered in the latest Panigale V4, dropping just 2hp from the superbike’s 216hp to 214hp in the naked model thanks to the changes in intake ducting required thanks to the removal of the fairing.

The basics are familiar: a 90-degree V4 with a reverse-rotating crankshaft to counter wheelies and increase manoeuvrability, Ducati’s ‘Twin Pulse’ firing intervals, borrowed from the Desmosedici GP bikes, and a belly-mounted exhaust that keeps the mass centralised and the styling clean. But inside there are changes matching those made to the 2025 Panigale V4. The 1103cc capacity is retained, but the cam profiles are revised with more lift, the alternator and oil pump are borrowed from the homologation-spec Panigale V4 R and the gear drum is taken from the uber-exotic Superleggera V4. On the intake side, the bike gets variable-length trumpets that automatically adjust between 25mm and 80mm in length – shorter equating to more top-end power, longer helping boost low-end torque and rideability.

While the engine’s sheer capacity means there’s no paucity of low-down grunt, it’s unusually rev-happy at the top end, with max power coming at 13,500rpm, 500rpm higher than the previous model. The peak torque of 88.24 lb-ft is actually down a fraction on the previous model’s 90.4 lb-ft, and comes at a lofty 11,250rpm where the old model’s torque maxed out at 9500rpm.

In the unlikely scenario that you find 214hp simple isn’t enough to keep you entertained, the fact that the engine is identical to the Panigale V4’s means that it’s also compatible with that bike’s track-only Akrapovič exhaust, boosting the peak power to a frankly ridiculous 226hp.

2025 Ducati Streetfighter V4 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

The chassis, like the engine, is borrowed from the latest Panigale V4 but Ducati has made a couple of small concessions to the Streetfighter’s naked nature and the way the bikes are likely to be used.

As in the past, the engine is a fully structural component, with just a monocoque upper/front frame made of cast aluminium to connect it to the steering head. Like the latest Panigale, the new Streetfighter V4’s front frame is redesigned and lighter than before, weighing in at 3.47kg compared to the previous design’s 4.42kg. It also breaks with the usual ‘stiffer-is-better’ mantra to have a 39% reduction in lateral rigidity in pursuit of better grip at extreme lean angles. However, it’s not identical to the Panigale V4’s frame, as for the Streetfighter V4 Ducati has added half a degree to the rake and 1mm of trail, giving the naked bike a fraction more stability than the race rep.

At the back, the same – slightly controversial – dual-sided swingarm that debuted on the latest Panigale V4 makes the transition to the Streetfighter V4 with no alterations. It’s had some forum commenters up in arms, of course, as the bemoan the disappearance of the old single-sider, but it’s a logical step. Like the front frame, it has less lateral rigidity than the previous design, down 43%, introducing an element of flex to help keep the tyre in contact with the road over bumps when the bike is at full lean. As an assembly, complete with the new rear wheel design needed to accommodate the twin-sided arm, there’s a 2.9kg weight saving over the old version.

The suspension, as usual, differs between the base and ‘S’ versions of the Streetfighter. The standard bike gets Showa BPF forks, fully adjustable of course, and a similarly-tweakable Sachs monoshock at the back. But it’s the S model that has the really trick kit in the form of third-generation Öhlins semi-active, electronically-adjustable suspension front and rear. Again, it’s identical to the stuff used on the latest Panigale V4 S, with a broader range of adjustment than the previous, second-gen electronic Öhlins suspension, plus faster responses. At the back there’s a new linkage design, and the latest electronic suspension adds a ‘Cruise Detection’ feature that recognises when the bike’s travelling at a constant speed, as on a motorway, and softens the ride automatically.

You’ve probably spotted the theme already, but the brakes are, once again, straight from the latest Panigale V4. They’re the new Brembo Hypure calipers at the front, fractionally lighter than the Stylema design of the previous model and promising improved heat dispersion.

The rider aids are typically extensive and include Race eCBS, which automatically adds a dab of rear brake when it’s needed and has five settings (up from three in the old model). Ducati has also introduced its new ‘Ducati Vehicle Observer’ algorithm to the electronics, simulating the input of over 70 sensors and feeding that information to the onboard computer. That’s used to help all the rider assist systems, which include cornering traction control, cornering ABS, wheelie control, launch control, engine brake control and slide control.

Aerodynamics also play a role in the handling, and the Streetfighter V4 has more efficient biplane winglets than its predecessor, offering a claimed 17kg of downforce at 168mph.

2025 Ducati Streetfighter V4 - Comfort & Economy

While superbike riders are expected to make compromises in terms of comfort in pursuit of outright performance, streetfighters have to walk a trickier path. After all, the term ‘street’ is in the name, so a slightly higher level of comfort is expected.

Ducati says the new seat unit, longer than the old one, and the 16-litre aluminium tank give more room than the previous design, accommodating larger riders better and allowing more freedom to move around. Compared to the previous Streetfighter V4, the 2025 version’s bars are 10mm further back and the pegs are moved down and forward, making for a more comfortable riding position. Meanwhile, the footpegs are also moved closer together so despite being lower, the bike’s cornering clearance isn’t reduced.

On the comfort front, Ducati has put effort into the bodywork design, with side panels that are shaped to direct hot air away from the rider’s legs.

2025 Ducati Streetfighter V4 - Equipment

Big TFT dashboards are something of a trend at the moment and the Streetfighter V4, like the 2025 Panigale V4, gets Ducati’s new 6.9-inch design with optically-bonded glass and multiple display layouts that shift elements around to prioritise whatever function is being used at the time.

There’s a mind-boggling amount of information that can be displayed, right down to real-time lean angle readouts, instantaneous power and torque, and lateral and longitudinal acceleration figures, as well as throttle and brake position. Whether you really need to know that stuff (after all, you already know how much throttle or brake you’ve applied and a glance at the horizon gives a pretty clear indication of lean angle) is beside the point.

Of more use on a day-to-day basis is the TPMS readout and the smartphone connectivity with all the usual navigation and media functions it brings.

Options include heated grips, but the fact that the pillion seat and pegs are also optional extras rather than included as part of the standard package feels a little mean, given that the Streetfighter is a more road-oriented bike than the Panigale V4.

Serious track riders can also option a datalogger and a GPS module that gives lap times and sector splits.

2025 Ducati Streetfighter V4- Rivals

Given the incredible power of the Streetfighter V4 you might think would be operating in a rarified class with few rivals – but in reality there are several alternatives worth considering. Also updated for 2025 are the BMW M1000 R and Aprilia’s Tuono V4, and KTM’s 1390 Super Duke R was only introduced 12 months ago, so all the main players in the arena are still fresh. Most are cheaper than the Ducati, too, even though they can’t quite match it in terms of outright performance.

BMW M1000 R, 2025 | Price: £19,990

Read more

Power/Torque

206.5bhp / 83.3lb-ft

Weight

199kg

Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory, 2025 | Price: £TBA

Read more

Power/Torque

177.6bhp / 89.2lb-ft

Weight

211kg

KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo, 2025 | Price: £19,599

Read more

Power/Torque

187.7bhp / 107-lb-ft

Weight

212kg

2025 Ducati Streetfighter V4 - Verdict

We’ll give a verdict when we’ve ridden the bike

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2025 Ducati Streetfighter V4 - Technical Specification

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