Back-road burner is budget-friendly
Toned-down Italian bike still packs plenty of power
PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.— Ducati has a knack for designing stunningly styled motorcycles that work quite well, and later introducing smaller-displacement versions that work even better.
The Italian bike maker has done this in the past with the Monster series and just a couple of years ago with the Hypermotard 1100. Later it introduced the 796 version, which was a better-balanced package with a greater appeal for a wider range of riders.
The folks in Bologna did it again with the Streetfighter. The roadster, introduced in 2009, is basically a stripped version of the firm’s1198 supersport machine.
The original bike features a 155-horsepower,1,099 cc liquid-cooled Testastretta V-twin and is a ripsnorting beast of a naked bike.
For 2012, Ducati has toned down some of that ferocity by introducing the Streetfighter 848. The company has also broadened the machine’s appeal by offering it at a substantially lower price than its bigger brother. The 848 version is listed at $13,995, a whopping $8,500 less than the larger Streetfighter S.
The Streetfighter 848 uses an 849 cc Testastretta V-twin, and even though the bike has been toned down with a smaller-displacement engine, it still produces a very satisfying 132 hp. Torque peaks at 69 lbs.-ft., and a bunch of that twisting power is available from right off idle.
Out of his Bologna studio, Frenchman Damien Basset designed the Streetfighter in the mould of what he considers to be a bike he’d want to ride: naked, sporty and built with mountain roads in mind.
The 848 has a slightly more relaxed riding position than the original Streetfighter, with a 20-millimetre taller handlebar and footpegs placed 10 millimetre wider on each side.
When seated, the bike feels narrow and compact and with a fullface helmet on, the tiny instrument panel and headlight nacelle disappear below the chin piece with only the tops of the mirrors poking into your field of vision. It also feels light on its feet. Consider that it tips the scales at 198 kilograms (437 lbs.) wet.
The riding position is still on the sporty side, with your torso leaning more forward that it would on a sport-touring bike. The absence of a fairing also means you’re exposed to the windblast. Despite the lack of weather protection, you’re still way more comfy on the Streetfighter than you’d be on any supersport.
The 848 isn’t just a Streetfighter with a smaller engine dropped into the frame. Steering geometry has been altered for more responsive handling, with the rake steepened from 25.6 degrees to 24.5 degrees and less trail dialled into the front end compared to the Streetfighter S. Suspension at both ends is firm and fully adjustable and the swingarm is a new design, now a complete aluminum casting as opposed to the bigger Streetfighter’s partially cast and sheet-aluminum piece.
The bike accelerates quite forcefully from a stop and when passing in the higher gears. Taking off from a stop takes a fair amount of clutch slippage though, as first gear is quite tall and easily capable of getting the machine up to 50 km/h without excessively revving the engine.
At speed, the engine shudders a bit if it is only slightly lugged but this is never intrusive; getting the revs up a bit by dropping a gear makes the bike shudder-free. The machine cruises along quite contently at 110 km/h with the engine spinning at about 4,000 rpm in top gear.
Steering is very light but is refreshingly absent of the nervousness that sometimes accompanies motorcycles with wide handlebars and aggressive steering geometry. On the highway, the 848 exhibits confidence-inspiring stability. But this bike belongs on twisty roads and the changes to the chassis make the smaller Streetfighter very nimble.
It handles mountain roads with a poise usually found on bikes donning number plates and race slicks. The lack of a fairing and the wide handlebar make it considerably more flickable than any supersport I’ve ridden. It actually had me wondering why anybody would consider a supersport machine if their weekend riding doesn’t include entry fees and potential podiums.
Closed-course competition notwithstanding, this Streetfighter should be quite competent on a racetrack during track days and the ride there would be more comfortable than on a supersport to boot.
The Streetfighter 848 is a wellbalanced bike. best of all, you’ll be pocketing a serious amount of cash. That makes it a seriously enticing back-road burner. Travel for freelance writer Costa Mouzouris was provided by the manufacturer. wheels@thestar.ca