The Ducati Street Fighter Is Making a Comeback In a Big Way

Ducati just confirmed the 2020 Street Fighter will get power from the new 1,100cc V4 from the MotoGP-inspired Panigale.

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If there’s one modern Ducati that needs updating — or at this point, reviving — it’s the Street Fighter. The last time Ducati built a new version of the naked superbike was back in 2015.

Well, not only is it returning, but Ducati just confirmed at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb an additional piece iof good news: the new Street Fighter will get power from the mind-bending 1,100cc V4 engine found in the MotoGP-derived Ducati Panigale.

When manufacturers build naked, un-faired versions of their superbikes, they tend to detune the engine as part of changing their character for a more “casual” riding experience. There’s no telling if Ducati will do the same for the 2020 Street Fighter; but if it’s any help, Ducati’s press release said “the Streetfighter V4 derives directly from the sporty Panigale V4 stripped of its fairings, and fitted with high and wide handlebars. The high performance of the 1100cc Desmosedici Stradale is kept in hand by aerodynamic profiles specifically designed for this model.”

So there’s no way of knowing at this point what the straight-line performance will be. However, even if the 214-horsepower figure drops a fraction, the stripped-down superbike will likely still warp your idea of what “acceleration” really means. And seeing that Ducati is using Pikes Peak as a proving ground, you needn’t worry about the Street Fighter V4 as far as performance in the curves is concerned, either.

There’s no word on price or the exact figures for the Street Fighter V4, but the bike will make its first official appearance at EICMA later this fall in Milan then hit dealership floors next spring, so details shouldn’t be far away.

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