We know that a Ducati Streetfighter V4 is coming as a 2020 model year machine. We have heard rumors of the Streetfighter V4 for quite some time now, and even Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali has given a wink or two that we should expect the model soon.
Now today, we get our first glimpse of the bike at work, as some of the worst “spy photos” ever show the model making laps at an undisclosed race course.
Our confidence level was already quite high that we would be seeing a streetfighter version of the Panigale V4 later this year at the EICMA show in Milan.
Our Bothan spies have been telling us that a new Streetfighter was in the works for some time now, and then there is this very suspicious race entry by Ducati for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. But above all else, a Ducati Streetfighter V4 just makes sense on so many levels.
Now, we see that the Swiss lads at AcidMoto have had a chance to talk to Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali about the debut of a such a machine, and the Italian is a bit coy in his response.
Naturally, Domenicali doesn’t come right out and say that a Streetfighter V4 is coming…but he doesn’t reject the thought like he has with other V4 projects (sorry, no V4 supersport machines are in the works).
Here’s an excerpt from AcidMoto’s interview with the Ducati CEO, gorilla translated from French to English by Google:
AcidMoto.ch: Okay. Let’s talk about the V4. The Panigale V4R wins all the votes, although we have not yet had the honor to test it. Can we hope that this engine is found on other motorcycles, a Streetfighter V4 for example?
Claudio Domenicali: Do you think that Ducati should produce such a motorcycle?
AcidMoto.ch: Yes, there is a big demand, it’s a question that often comes back to our readers.
Claudio Domenicali: Then she will be there as soon as possible!
Source: AcidMoto
We have got Ducati streetfighters on the brain, ever since we saw the entry list for the 2019 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which has record-setter Carlin Dunne entered mysteriously into the exhibition class with an unnamed Ducati motorcycle.
We are speculating that such a machine will be a stripped down Ducati Panigale V4 R, or an early Ducati Streetfigther V4 prototype, which should make for an exciting debut at the “Race to the Clouds” event.
While we expect the Streetfighter V4 to debut later this year, likely at the EICMA show in November, we do have an example of such a machine to drool over, thanks to the folks at Officine GP Design.
Building their “V4 Penta” motorcycle, the Italian outfit has created what many have been waiting for: a stripped down version of the Ducati Panigale V4 superbike.
We still have over a month before Zero Motorcycles is going to take the wraps off its latest motorcycle, but the teaser is out, and our Bothan spy insiders have been hard at work uncovering more information about the machine.
As such, we have a bevy of details that have leaked out from the Californian electric motorcycle company, and so far, we like what we hear.
This because if our sources are correct, the Zero SR/F is set to be quite the looker, and it will have the technical specifications to back it up.
Another model that we expected to see debut at the 2018 EICMA show, the Kawasaki Z400 is a logical evolution of the small-displacement lineup that Team Green is creating.
Built in conjunction with the Kawasaki Ninja 400 sport bike, the Z400 is the naked option for the street for new riders, short riders, and riders that want to do more with less.
This means that the 2019 Kawasaki Z400 has a 399cc parallel-twin engine, that produces 45hp (33.4 kW), which is a 6hp increase over the 300cc model that it replaces.
It’s here. The next generation of four-cylinder sport bike from MV Agusta just broke cover at this year’s EICMA show in Milan. As such, say hello to the 2019 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro. This is likely as close as you will ever get to one, as only 300 will be built.
An evolution of Massimo Tamburini’s original Brutale design, the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro does not disappoint, especially with its 205hp (152 kW) peak power figure – the highest performance figure of any production streetfighter.
With the special race kit installed, power on the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro increases to 209hp (156 kW), with the 4-1-4 titanium exhaust from SC Project highlighting the change in peak horsepower.
Nestled deep in the announcement that MV Agusta has raised €40 million and has a new CEO is a slightly less business-focused news item, one which concerns the soon-to-be-released MV Agusta Brutale 1000.
The new streetfighter will make 212cv – making it the most powerful production naked bike on the market, with a top speed of 193 mph. Do we have your attention? Good.
Hello from sunny SoCal, where we are about to go ride the new KTM 790 Duke, which is finally coming to the United States as an early 2019 model.
The first of KTM’s parallel-twin middleweights, the new Duke packs a lot of features into an affordable body, with promises of being a potent streetfighter.
To test that theory, the Austrian brand has brought us near its base of operations in the United States, and today we will tackle the roads along the Oceanside coast, and then head up to the famous Palomar mountain for some twisty fun.
The KTM 790 Duke has been on our short-list of bikes we have wanted to swing a leg over, ever since we saw the concept for the machine debut two years ago at EICMA.
Kawasaki has two new motorcycles for young riders in Europe, the Kawasaki Ninja 125 and the Kawasaki Z125. We have already shown you the fully faired Ninja 125, and now here is the naked version of that platform, the Z125.
As you would expect then, this A1/A2 license compliant machine features a 125cc, water-cooled, single-cylinder engine that makes 15hp and 8 lbs•ft of torque. Wrapped in a steel trellis frame, the 2019 Kawasak Z125 tips that scales at 323 lbs at the curb, fueled and ready to go.
Debuting at INTERMOT, the Kawasaki Z125 represents Team Green’s commitment to new two-wheeled enthusiasts, and the motorcycle looks like a solid choice for beginners, as well as veteran riders who are looking for something smaller in their garage.
Harley-Davidson has ambitious plans for the 2020 model year, releasing a number of concept teasers today for new motorcycles. These plans include an adventure-touring model, some electric models including e-bikes, a new roadster “custom”, and perhaps our favorite, a streetfighter model.
Based around the same modular engine design, which will have a variety of displacements (500cc to 1,250cc), the Harley-Davidson Streetfighter will get the 975cc version of the liquid-cooled v-twin engine.
Perhaps the most lithe machine we have seen from the Bar & Shield brand, the Harley-Davidson Streetfighter looks the part, albeit in a very Harley-Davidson way.
It is not a matter of if, but when Ducati makes a streetfighter version of the new Panigale V4 – this much my sources in Bologna have assured me.
This news makes sense for the Italian brand, as the sport-naked segment is heating up, and there are plenty of offerings from other brands that make the Ducati Monster 1200 R look like a toy in comparison.
In fact, just about every major brand has a bike in this space, except for Ducati.
We are not hopeful that a Streetfighter V4 will debut at the INTERMOT & EICMA trade shows later this year, but we do see such a model as being a reality for around the 2020 model year.
Helping us visualize such a machine, this render from Kardesign does an excellent job of taking the lines from the original Ducati Streetfighter 1098 (a bike near and dear to this author’s heart), and applying them to the V4 rolling chassis.