Most Powerful and Advanced Machine

Ducati's Streetfighter V4 S gets even more horsepower and hi-tech goodies, making it the most powerful and advanced naked so far

- Story: Adam Child 'Chad' Photography: Ducati and Alex Photo

BACK IN THE SPORTS BIKE-MAD 1990S, WHEN we were all a bit younger and still learning the ropes, the odd crash was regarded as little more than part of the learning process. Trouble was, a replacement fairing for a binned Suzuki GSX-R750 or Honda CBR600 was hugely expensive for under-insured idiots like me and my mates. Instead, we did what thousands of others did: fitted higher and wider 'bars, longer brake lines, and, maybe, "treated" the tank and tail unit to a rattle-can paint job to hide the scratches. We did not know it then, but this was the origin of the streetfighter class.

Over the decades, manufacturers picked up on and followed this trend by producing naked versions of their sports bikes. But instead of simply removing the fairing, adding one-piece 'bars, and tidying things up a bit, as happened on the street, a vast majority were watered-down versions of the originals, with fewer horsepower and lower-spec suspension and brakes, as well as more weight and a longer wheelbase to aid stability.

Thankfully, this trend has certainly slowed in recent times. Aprilia's Tuono V4 and BMW's M 1000 R are formidable naked versions of their sports bike siblings. But for 2025 Ducati has done something rather remarkable, as the new Ducati Streetfighter V4 S is a direct, one-to-one naked version of their formidable Panigale V4 S. The Desmosedici Stradale engine is taken directly from the Panigale and it produces 214 hp, up six hp on the previous model, at 13,500 rpm. The new aluminium front frame, which is now lighter with more flex, is from the Panigale, so, too, the new double-sided swing-arm, the advanced electronics, including the race eCBS braking and Ducati Vehicle Observer (DVO). Even the very latest Hypure callipers are, you guessed it, directly from the Panigale along with the very smart Öhlins EC3 suspension, albeit with slightly different settings.