First Impression: Ducati's Streetfighter S - Motorcycle Consumer News

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22 Jun 2009 ... the launch of Ducati's new Streetfighter. ... beating superbikes into a dramatic naked bike, including traction control on the S. T. H. E. S. O. L. D.
First Impression

1098 but at about one-third scale. Tiny Euromandated running lights reside where the 1098’s air ducts would be placed, and the same broad shape as the Supersport’s upper fairing becomes the Streetfighter’s headlight The World’s Most Advanced Naked Bike glass. All the machine’s bodywork lines point steeply downward, making the forks, which have been given 25.6° of rake (just 1.1° more than the 1098) look very laid back. The seat is tall, 33.0" off the ground, and the tail rises even higher, so I mount the inside footpeg to throw my leg over. Holding the handlebars, I can almost look over the front of the fork legs, I’m so far forward. The handlebar is a tapered tubular unit attached to the top of the triple clamp, actually isolated with rubber mounts, but I can’t feel any give. The bars are fairly narrow and the footpegs feel high, although they are actually lower than the older 996 powered S4RS Monster’s. Obviously, Ducati has worked to get as much weight forward as possible, and the by Dave Searle swingarm is actually 35mm longer than the 1098’s, while dual coolant radiators, one above and the other below the forward-most The latest addition to Ducati’s model line puts all the power and handling of its worldcam cover, enable the front tire the bare beating superbikes into a dramatic naked bike, including traction control on the S. minimum of clearance. The engine fires up with a thunderous Ascari Race Resort; Ronda, Spain— sound, pure superbike. Although initial reports were that the Streetfighter’s engine was detuned from 1098 spec, that’s not the HIRTY MOTOJOURNALISTS ASSEMBLED from the US, Canada, case. Only the fact that its ram-air intake ducts couldn’t be as Spain, Germany and Japan are on hand. Two riders will long as on the fully faired 1098 has changed the power. The cams, share each bike, alternating in 15- minute sessions. MCN valve sizes and compression ratio are the same. Fuel injection is part of the first wave to arrive at the private racetrack hosting with secondary “showerhead” injectors over the intake trumpets the launch of Ducati’s new Streetfighter. are still standard. To harmonize with the Streetfighter’s shorter The Ascari track is a fantasy land for the wealthy enthusiast. intake length, it also wears a special new exhaust system featurFrom the main road, a discreet entrance appears to lead to a ing enormous headers that are bigger than what the Ducati Corse country estate, but at the end of the long driveway a broad plaza racebikes once used, now 58 to 63mm in diameter. To maintain is bordered by beautiful stone garages, a clubhouse on a hill and optimum backpressure at low rpm, a butterfly type variable various administrative offices. A full stable of pedigreed racing exhaust valve is positioned in the collector, which does wonders cars is available for club members’ enjoyment but, of course, to broaden the powerband available. Power is rated at 155 hp, just one’s personal exotics can also be boarded, so that the experience five less than the 1098. of driving them at their limits can be savored to the fullest. Everywhere I look, my eyes take in a level of exquisite detailLocated at the top of a coastal mountain range, the track is ing that raises the stakes in an unspoken design contest between almost 3.4 miles long, smooth and complex, with 26 corners in its Ducati and MV Agusta, both previous beneficiaries of Massimo longest configuration (which we will be riding), some banked, some slow, some quite fast. A handful of this group experienced Ducati’s Monster S4S Testastretta here a couple of years ago and have regaled the rest of us with praise for the layout. After a brief technical presentation we change into our leathers and locate our assigned machines. Mine is number nine, my lucky number, as was my hotel room. Fortune appears to be smiling, I think to myself, but I never throw caution to the winds. And the winds, unfortunately, are formidable, although all other weather conditions are ideal. The tall Ducati flags lining the pit roads are snapping so loudly we wonder if they will shred before the day is over. Gusts are said to be 35 knots, but most of us would guess closer to 50 mph. The bikes are gorgeous beasts, all red and all business, with enormous exhaust pipes leading to stacked upswept canisters on the right side. The fuel tank and seat are very reminiscent of the 1098 Supersport, the organ donor for the Streetfighter, but both are slightly shorter so the pilot can be placed even further forward. The trick has been to create a chassis that will allow a naked bike to use all the the power and speed of the 1098. The bike’s nose is its cleverest styling touch, shaped like the upper fairing of the One finger is all you need—or want—on the front brake lever. THE SOLDANO GROUP

Ducati’s Streetfighter S

THE SOLDANO GROUP

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Elliptical intake ports maintain high velocities for efficiency while Vacural vacuum-casting is now used to produce the Streetfighter’s crankcases, saving 6.6 lbs. vs. the 1098’s gravity cast designs and giving an even finer surface finish, here painted a frosty silver gray.

DAVE SEARLE

DAVE SEARLE

DAVE SEARLE

First Impression

Ducati claims the Streetfighter weighs just 372 lbs. dry and has the best powerto-weight ratio of any bike over 800cc.

oped from the current WSB-spec race tires. These use a new triple-compound construction, softest at the edges and hardest at the center, with an intermediate band between. Like the latest Metzeler Sportec Z6 rubber reviewed last month, it also uses the variable belt tensioning scheme to give a bigger footprint at steep lean angles. Although other brands of tires may be used, we are told, the traction control may not give the same response. As it is, the traction control has eight variations, and our bikes are initially set on number six, preventing all but the least wheelspin. Given the abundance of torque available, I have no objection to the electronic assistance.

On Track Engaging first gear, I notice the shift lever seems a bit short for my size 12 boot, but all the other controls are well placed. Accelerating toward the first tight turn, a slow left-hander, I’m shocked at the power of the front brakes; two giant 330mm discs held in the vise-like grip of radially mounted Brembo calipers. Two fin-

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MOTORCYCLE CONSUMER NEWS

DAVE SEARLE

A tapered alloy handlebar rides in rubber isolated mounts. The Sachs steering damper is not adjustable but works well. The steering lock is very restricted (not unusual for a Ducati), shown here at full left—requiring caution at low speeds.

DAVE SEARLE

DAVE SEARLE

Tamburini’s genius. Also unmentioned is the Italian Naked Bike Championship, a racing series of great interest in Europe, and one that’s long been the exclusive property of the Aprilia Tuono. If you wondered why Ducati would build such a serious naked bike, we’d refer you to that contest. And it’s hard not to feel the undercurrent of Ducati’s racing success, both in MotoGP and World Superbike, the two most important bike racing series on the planet. Our Italian hosts are charming and helpful, but above all confident in their engineering abilities—as well they should be. The Streetfighter model we will be riding is the higher-spec Smodel, priced at $18,995, just $1500 less than the current 1198. A princely $4000 more than the standard Streetfighter, it comes with Öhlins suspension (vs. Showa), ultra-lightweight forged aluminum Marchesini wheels, carbon fiber cam belt covers and front fender, a Ducati Data Analyzer (DDA) and Ducati electronic Traction Control (DTC). We’re told the traction control is specifically designed to work with the machine’s standard Pirelli Diablo Corsa III tires, devel-

Unlike the 1098, the Streetfighter does not use four individual brake pads in each caliper, but two pads on a single backing plate on each side.

There were complaints that the die cast footpegs were too smooth—easily cured. Note the heat guard’s bulge. The close-up on the right reveals a gap of nearly 3/4" to the pipes, which could probably be reduced for a better boot fit.

THE SOLDANO GROUP

gers on the brake lever, my usual grip, easily overpowers the light touch they demand, and I quickly learn to use just one. Fighting the strong winds makes that first session a struggle, as the front end feels easily deflected, making any cornering lines that might approach the edges of the track unwise. Just learning the sequence of 26 corners takes most of my concentration. As the bike wears a non-adjustable Sachs steering damper as standard equipment and the resistance it offers seems near perfect, there is no actual instability, but if I can’t do something to cure my tenuous directional control in the gusting winds, this will be a very long day. In some sections, 50 mph is added to my straightaway speeds, and without a fairing, this can be a fearsome blast. And when the wind is at my back, I’m careful not to leave my braking too late, to prevent overshooting the turn. And when it hits from the sides, like it does on the very fastest portions of the track, I am blown off-line by four feet or more on occasion. An extra 15 minutes is provided between riding sessions for the mechanics to work on the bikes. The rear suspension feels extremely firm relative to the front, but the track is also very smooth, so such a firm setup is not inappropriate. I ask my mechanic Vittorio if the rear could be softened, but if I understand him correctly, he says the rear is stock and will stay that way. So I ask for an extra turn of front preload, suggesting that if it doesn’t work, it’s easy enough to remove, and he agrees to the change. This transforms the bike’s behavior in the next session. It’s roughly 300% better by my enthusiastic calculations, much easier to control, with no loss of corner entry flickability. I spend my concentration on improving my line choices and raising my entry speeds. After another rotation, we have a third session before lunch, when I finally have time to analyze the bike’s behavior more carefully, deciding that another turn of preload is worth trying. After a typically long and relaxing two and a half hour Latin lunch at the resort’s clubhouse, with lots of time for food and animated conversation, much of it about why we weren’t getting back on the bikes, we finally return to the pits and pull on our gear. Armed with a second round of fork preload and a further click of rebound damping to control it, I find that the tasty siesta has set back my developing track knowledge and the bike now feels too stiff in front and less eager to enter turns. I pull into the pits immediately to have a half turn removed. This quickly accomplished and back on track, I am satisfied to have found a further improvement and get to work increasing my speeds. My erstwhile Spanish teammate, a fellow perhaps 30 lbs. heavier, will also surely benefit from the change. As I wait for my final session, I ask around to see if others have tried these same changes and some have. A few of the faster and/or heavier riders have touched down not only the footpegs but the lower edges of the chin fairing, something I’m sure can be cured with a minor adjustment of preload and/or ride height. The suspension is fully adjustable, both the rear ride height as well as spring preload, rebound and compression damping front and rear.

The clutch is very powerful, as it needs to be, but operates with great feel as it has a radial pump master cylinder. It doesn’t have a slipper function, which you might imagine this bike would need, but even our fastest compatriots have no complaints. The engine makes massive power low in its rev range, but breathes so easily and revs so freely that it is possible to hit the rev limiter at 10,700 rpm thinking there are several thousand revs still available. Its acceleration is deceptive, as it never sounds frantic but has a way of inhaling the straights very quickly. The traction control is so transparent in operation, it is easy to forget it’s there. In fact, I confess that I never grabbed a handful of throttle out of the turns just to see what would happen—too many other things on my mind, apparently, but I’ll bet I could have gotten away with it safely. Our fastest riders find that setting the traction control on four or even three is possible, allowing controlled powersliding, but I’m occasionally surprised to see its indicators light momentarily when exiting corners even with my relatively conservative approach. In my final session, I use everything I’ve learned and try to go as fast as possible, obviously taking seconds off my gap to riders ahead and allowing a clean last lap pass before returning to the pits for the final time—a satisfying conclusion. Later, studying the wonderful photos taken by Gigi Soldano and his group, I like what I see. The Streetfighter is virtually art in motion and its riding position looks very sensible for canyon roads. And although the 1098/1198 model’s full fairing will undoubtedly be much better at the highest racetrack speeds, on the street, unless you flatten yourself against its gastank, its’ low windshield profile will present similar problems. Notably, the Streetfighter carries exactly the same gearing as the 1098, likewise very tall and good for a theoretical top speed of 182 mph. It could easily be given much shorter gearing for even more dramatic performance, but we were told that meeting emissions targets is the main reason why it comes geared the way it does. Only two issues stood out as possible complaints and both have their reasons. One is that the steering lock available is also just like the 1098, very abbreviated, so that pulling into a tight pit garage space almost caught me out. The reason, of course, is that the Streetfighter’s steering head must also be very strongly triangulated for stability, just like the Supersports’. It also wears massive triple clamps with triple pinch bolts on each lower side for the same reason. The other is that the exhaust heat guard adjacent to the right footpeg forces a rider’s heel outward perhaps a bit more than necessary, making the rider turn his foot inward to keep contact with the brake pedal or to keep his toes off the deck in hard right-hand cornering. However, radiant heat was not a problem anywhere on the bike, although our moderate testing temperatures and high track speeds minimized any possible issues. In short, the new Streetfighter will surely stand apart as the world’s most advanced naked bike. It is beautiful, exotic and a feast for all the senses. And priced as it is, particularly the Smodel, it should also be quite exclusive, another desirable trait for the lucky few who will own one. Visit us at WWW.MCNEWS.COM



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