Source: Cycle World
Although it slays the track, the Streetfighter V4 SP2 is also great for daily commutes. (Jeff Allen/)You might think the Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP2 looks like a naked MotoGP bike as it flashes by. And you wouldn’t be completely wrong. No, it’s not the GP23 that Francesco Bagnaia raced every Saturday and Sunday in 2023. But some of the technology developed in grand prix racing has trickled down into Ducati’s production lineup. At the heart of this Bologna bullet is a 1,103cc liquid-cooled Desmosedici Stradale 90-degree V-4 engine. Ducati rotates the engine rearward 42 degrees for chassis balance just like it does in its MotoGP bikes. Along with a comprehensive electronics suite, the V4 SP2 also receives carbon fiber wheels, winglets, Öhlins suspension, and Brembo Stylema R brake calipers. Are you sure this isn’t a racebike? Well, it’s both. Ducatis “enhanced Fight Formula” is to deliver an easy, comfortable ride with Panigale V4 performance.Just to set the scene of how potent the Streetfight V4 SP2 is in comparison to its Panigale sibling: Leading up to our 2022 Superbike Shootout, we measured the Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 on the Cycle World dyno. As the shootout winner and 2022 Cycle World Best Superbike, it produced 182.2 hp at 12,890 rpm and 79.2 lb.-ft. of torque at 9,340 rpm. For reference, the 2022 BMW M 1000 RR produced 179.2 hp and 76.3 lb.-ft. of torque and the 2022 Aprilia RSV4 Factory produced 189.7 hp and 84.9 lb-ft of torque.A year later, we stacked the Ducati streetfighter V4 SP2 up against the same manufacturers represented in our superbike shootout to compete in a hyper-naked comparison. Again, the Ducati won with flying colors earning it the title of Cycle World’s Best Open-Class Streetbike for 2023. 2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP2 Dyno Chart. (Robert Martin/)Before measuring for max power output, the 2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP2 weighed 451 pounds on our automotive scales. On our in-house Dynojet 250i dynamometer, the Streetfighter V4 SP2 produced 172.8 hp at 13,490 rpm and 75.2 lb.-ft. of torque at 9,280 rpm. That’s less than the 2023 BMW M 1000 R with a Cycle World–measured 185 hp and 76.2 lb.-ft. of torque. But the Ducati’s nearly flawless power curves are picturesque. I mean seriously, if an emoji of a dyno chart existed, it would look like the Streetfighter’s. Cycle World In-Market Editor Bradley Adams may have said it best, “It has tons of low-end grunt, pulls hard through the midrange, and is still wickedly strong on top. Ducati’s Desmosedici Stradale V-4 has earned a spot in any conversation about the best engines in motorcycling.”
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Although it slays the track, the Streetfighter V4 SP2 is also great for daily commutes. (Jeff Allen/)
You might think the Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP2 looks like a naked MotoGP bike as it flashes by. And you wouldn’t be completely wrong. No, it’s not the GP23 that Francesco Bagnaia raced every Saturday and Sunday in 2023. But some of the technology developed in grand prix racing has trickled down into Ducati’s production lineup. At the heart of this Bologna bullet is a 1,103cc liquid-cooled Desmosedici Stradale 90-degree V-4 engine. Ducati rotates the engine rearward 42 degrees for chassis balance just like it does in its MotoGP bikes. Along with a comprehensive electronics suite, the V4 SP2 also receives carbon fiber wheels, winglets, Öhlins suspension, and Brembo Stylema R brake calipers. Are you sure this isn’t a racebike? Well, it’s both. Ducatis “enhanced Fight Formula” is to deliver an easy, comfortable ride with Panigale V4 performance.
Just to set the scene of how potent the Streetfight V4 SP2 is in comparison to its Panigale sibling: Leading up to our 2022 Superbike Shootout, we measured the Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 on the Cycle World dyno. As the shootout winner and 2022 Cycle World Best Superbike, it produced 182.2 hp at 12,890 rpm and 79.2 lb.-ft. of torque at 9,340 rpm. For reference, the 2022 BMW M 1000 RR produced 179.2 hp and 76.3 lb.-ft. of torque and the 2022 Aprilia RSV4 Factory produced 189.7 hp and 84.9 lb-ft of torque.
A year later, we stacked the Ducati streetfighter V4 SP2 up against the same manufacturers represented in our superbike shootout to compete in a hyper-naked comparison. Again, the Ducati won with flying colors earning it the title of Cycle World’s Best Open-Class Streetbike for 2023.
2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP2 Dyno Chart. (Robert Martin/)
Before measuring for max power output, the 2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP2 weighed 451 pounds on our automotive scales. On our in-house Dynojet 250i dynamometer, the Streetfighter V4 SP2 produced 172.8 hp at 13,490 rpm and 75.2 lb.-ft. of torque at 9,280 rpm. That’s less than the 2023 BMW M 1000 R with a Cycle World–measured 185 hp and 76.2 lb.-ft. of torque. But the Ducati’s nearly flawless power curves are picturesque. I mean seriously, if an emoji of a dyno chart existed, it would look like the Streetfighter’s. Cycle World In-Market Editor Bradley Adams may have said it best, “It has tons of low-end grunt, pulls hard through the midrange, and is still wickedly strong on top. Ducati’s Desmosedici Stradale V-4 has earned a spot in any conversation about the best engines in motorcycling.”
