As soon as Bologna debuted the Ducati 1199 Panigale, the speculation was rife on if/when the Italian brand would bring streetfighter and supersport-class machines to market. We have already seen the Ducati 899 Panigale, which isn’t quite race-legal, though packs the superbike’s design philosophies into a more affordable package with a smaller engine displacement.
As for the Streetfighter, the debut of the Ducati Monster 1200 seems to confirm suspicions that Ducati has no plans to continue with a performance-based street naked. With the demise of the Streetfighter 1098, one can only wonder how much longer the Streetfighter 848 will remain in Ducati’s lineup. Surely when the smaller displacements of the Monster line move to water-cooled engine, the we will see the removal of the 848, much to our chagrin.
This still leaves us with some “what if’s” though, as some believe the monocoque “frameless” chassis design of the Panigale makes a streetfighter variant all but impossible. We would have to say that when the fairingless photos of the Ducati 1199 Superleggera that came out this year, our eyes searched for ways to tailor the Panigale’s naked body into some sort of Streetfighter, though it looks like some Germans have gone a step further.
The folks at Motorrad Hertrampf have built their own version of a Panigale Streetfighter, calling their work a 1199 S Fighter. The German Ducati dealer sees other models, both in 1199 and 899 form, being possible for customers who are so inclined. The styling is a mix of old-school European streetfightering, the genre that began the trend, and Italian design.
We imagine that tastes will vary, and you will either love or hate what Hertrampf has done here with the Panigale S. However we think the design proves one thing that those who said that Ducati’s new chassis and Superquadro motor were unsuitable for a naked bike are clearly mistaken in their belief. Thanks for the tip Thomas!
Source: Motorrad Hertrampf
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