Ducati Streetfighter V4 [2024]

When you’re an eight-year-old kid obsessed with motorcycles, all you dream of is owning a superbike one day. There are no in-betweens and nothing else will do – or so you tell yourself. However, once you become an adult and have enough cash in the coffers to buy a full-blown litre-class ballerina, you quickly come to realise that while you still have the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old, you might not necessarily have the body or flexibility to ride a fully-faired crotch rocket. And that, kids, is precisely why naked motorcycles exist – to keep your childlike excitement alive without crushing your spine into smithereens. More often than not, though, a naked version of a superbike doesn’t possess all the madness of its fully clothed sibling – the whole experience is dialled down to make it more friendly. That's not the case with the new Ducati Streetfighter V4 S, though, we're told. It is essentially a Panigale V4 minus the slippery bodywork and racy clip-ons, says its maker. It is the closest-to-Panigale version. And to prove their point, Ducati flew us to Andalucia Circuit in Spain, slapped some slick tyres on the new Streetfighter V4 S, and let us go full send for a whole day. Ducati Streetfighter V4 S Design: Dressed to the nines The 2025 Streetfighter V4 S doesn’t look all that 'new'. That's not necessarily a bad thing because it’s still very red, still very naked, and still very hot. That said, it does incorporate some visual refinements. The panels are now sharper; the front-end looks softer and curvier; the single-sided swingarm has been replaced by a hollow dual-side swingarm – something that the internet can’t stop raging about – but if you ask me, it’s not an eyesore. Plus, it has a functional purpose – it reduces the lateral stiffness by a whopping 43%. Benefits? More flex, more agility, better feedback, and superior mechanical grip (more on this later). Other small but significant changes include a handlebar that’s pulled back by 10mm without disturbing the rider’s triangle, a seat that’s two inches thicker than the Panigale’s, and footpegs that are now 10mm inwards on each side – not only do they allow for better clearance while leaning but also help you hold on to the bike tighter. There’s also a new 6.9-inch TFT display, which controls the updated suite of electronics packed into this beast. Ducati Streetfighter V4 S Engine: Gentle Juggernaut At its heart is the same 1,103cc Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine as earlier. But thanks to its Panigale-derived variable intake system, it now produces six more horses, taking the total power output to 211bhp. Couple this with a naked body that weighs 189kg (V4 S), and what you end up with is a hyper motorcycle, and then some. Thankfully, to rein in all that firepower, the Streetfighter is equipped with the latest and greatest electronics, some of which have come directly from Ducati Corse's MotoGP wing. There are four riding modes – Race, Sport, Road, and Wet – and four power modes – Full, High, Medium, and Low. So, you get all of the 211 horses in all modes except Low, which limits the power output to 158bhp. The main difference between the other three modes lies in the engine mapping and power delivery. To put it simply, Medium is mental; High is borderline bonkers, and Full is downright ballistic. On this occasion, we had access only to Sport and Race modes with Medium power mode – perhaps Ducati didn’t want a bunch of journalists to launch themselves into orbit while tackling the tight and super technical layout of the Andalucia circuit. Good call! On the track, even when the engine was not running at its full potential, the acceleration was simply brutal. It pulls harder and harder with each gear shift. The longer you hold off shifting, the blurrier your surroundings get. It’s ultimately a test of your courage because this engine simply refuses to let up, even on the longest of straights. The Streetfighter V4 S' appetite to eat straights is simply mind-blowing, and that’s putting it mildly. What's more, the initial burst of acceleration here is even stronger than the Panigale because the Streetfighter’s first and second gears are shorter. Plus, it also has a shorter final drive ratio (15/42 vs 16/41 on the Panigale). In other words, the Streetfighter V4 S devours straights with the same ferocity with which an Italian devours a Negroni. And the aftereffects are just as heady, if not more. It’s the kind of performance that can melt your grey matter. What stood out the most in terms of performance, though, was how crisp and progressive the throttle response has now become compared to the previous Streetfighter’s, which was snappy and violent on the slightest touch. Of course, that’s not to say this V4 has been neutered – it’s still a wild child. It’s just that it now unleashes its true nature only when you poke it. And when you do, trust me, you could end up wetting your leathers! The top end is gnarly, so much so that I often found myself short-shifting for the most part of the test ride. Your best friend in these circumstances is Ducati’s expansive electronics package, which now includes DVO (Ducati Vehicle Observer), which uses 70 sensors to measure 70 different physical parameters and alter the intervention levels of systems like traction control and wheelie control in real-time. Think of it as a fusion of black magic and engineering. The only place where the electronics aids don’t seem to work is when you’re hammering down a straight. At anything over 200km/h, the g-forces, along with the windblast that you’re subjected to during full-bore acceleration, can literally hurt your arms and chest. That said, the bike remains glued to the road even at these speeds, thanks to those new winglets, which provide up to 45kg of downforce until 280km/h. That said, on those long straights, you can’t help but miss the Panigale’s fairing and wind protection. On the upside, the Streetfighter gets the same Brembo Hypure brakes as the Panigale, so bringing it to a halt is a much tidier affair. On the handling front, the Streetfighter V4 S is as close to a Panigale as a naked bike can get. It features the same front aluminium frame and suspension hardware, which, on the V4 S we tested, comprises the top-of-the-shelf semi-electronic Ohlins NIX 30 (front) and TTX36 (rear) with Smart EC3 software. Now, while the suspension components are the same as that of the Panigale, the calibration is slightly different for obvious reasons. Other changes include a longer wheelbase (1,496mm vs 1,485mm), a half-a-degree steeper rake (24.5°), and a 1mm increase in trail (99mm). Now, while I still haven’t got my hands on the new Panigale V4, I can tell you with full conviction that the Streetfighter V4 S handles every bit as brilliantly as a superbike! But, unlike a superbike, it doesn’t leave you battered and bruised after a track day. Truth be told, it feels much easier to ride than its predecessor. Riding the old Streetfighter fast on the track felt like a cage fight, but this one feels more like a high-speed rollercoaster ride. It goes exactly where you want as if it can read your mind. To give you some perspective, I spent the first three sessions (out of six) just figuring out what is essentially a maze of a ciruit that's Andalucia. I couldn’t focus on the bike, but all I remember is that it was forgiving to my abrupt inputs and last-minute corrections. As I found out in the next three sessions, this thing isn’t just about being faster on paper – it’s about making that performance accessible to everyone, and not just to top-tier God-level riders. The handling? Let’s just say that it’s telepathic. The front end is taut and offers impressive feedback. Whether it’s mid-corner adjustments, tightening the line, and chucking it from one corner to another, you can do it all without breaking a sweat. It feels more like a middleweight than a hypernaked, to be honest. And the DVO, along with the raft of electronics, lets you do your own silly thing and mess around without letting things go south. If I have one criticism, it's that the quick-shifter wasn't seamless all the time, and that takes away some confidence, especially when you're travelling at warp-speed. Ducati Streetfighter V4 S: Verdict Regardless of how fast you think you are, a 200+bhp superbike will always be an overkill – even Marc Marquez uses a Panigale V2 these days for training, you know. So, you could say that having a street naked with almost identical power and zero wind protection is asking for even more trouble. Well, I'd say that was the case with the previous Streetfighter, but not for this one! And that’s because the new version is two bikes rolled into one – a docile middleweight and a fire-spitting hypernaked. Depending on your mood, it can change characters at just a flick of a button. Now that’s a winning combo! Sure, it’s expensive, and sure, you’ll run out of roads and even racetracks long before you ever reach its full potential. But even then, it’s well worth having one in your life – if for nothing else, then to keep that little child in you grinning from ear to ear. It’s a big boy toy in the truest sense – unapologetic, outrageous, and intoxicating. [tabs] [tab title="Ducati Streetfighter V4 S"] Engine: 1,103cc V4 Transmission: 6-Speed Power: 211bhp Torque: 120Nm Fuel: Petrol Price: ₹32.38 Lakh (Ex-showroom) X-Factor: A hyper-naked that can go from a middleweight roadster to a full-on race bike within a blink of an eye! Pros • Performance, Handling, Electronics Cons • Pricey! [/tab] [/tabs]