Mostly Feral, Somewhat Urbane

The Ducati Streetfighter V2 promises to be brutal but as a street motorcycle, it must also be at home on the road. We find out how it fares in town

- Joshua Varghese

THE EMOTIONS THAT A BRIGHT RED DUCATI evoke are something that every motorcyclist can relate to but even at standstill, the Streetfighter triggers an area of the human brain so violently that it becomes indelible in one's memory. To make that experience more accessible to their ever-growing clientele, Ducati launched the Streetfighter V2. Smaller, but no less brutal than the mental V4.

One of the design challenges with this V2 would have been to make it as similar as possible to the V4 with enough elements to tell them apart. A tough task that, but it was well managed because the V2 has all the familiarity one expects of its larger sibling. Furthermore, it also sports enough unique traits to create its own identity. This Streetfighter has a different exhaust, is more coy about displaying its engine and is without doubt slimmer than the V4. However, its fuel-tank volume is 17 litres, one litre more than the V4's. Yes, winglets are available but they are not a standard kit and that brings us to the end of the V2's connection with the Streetfighter family.

The Superquadro V2 is generous with the torque supply

The instrument console is clearly from the Panigale V2-a 4.3-inch colour TFT unit-and it displays the essentials in a neat layout but there is one important item missing here. Considering this is a motorcycle that prioritises road use over track-days, the lack of a fuel-gauge is irksome. Why would a manufacturer with the latest technology not provide that simple feature on a motorcycle made for the road?