Come watch Ducati's online launch of the insane 2020 Streetfighter V4 live
We've been waiting to see a production version of Ducati's Streetfighter V4 since it debuted under camouflage for Pikes Peak last year, and now we're finally laying eyes on it.
Ducati's Panigale V4 is a no-holds-barred, absolutely maniacal motorcycle. It produces more than 200 horsepower and brooks no attempts at compromise from its rider. It's a brutal machine, and I love it -- but here's the thing: What if Ducati made it a little more upright and took away a bit of its bodywork? You know, "civilized" it?
Well, that's precisely what it did with the Streetfighter V4, which made its (admittedly camouflaged) debut at the 2019 running of the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb. While that debut ultimately ended in tragedy, the motorcycle's development continued, and now, finally, almost a year later, Ducati is ready to show off the production version.
The bike's launch was initially scheduled to occur in Spain, but with the global COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc in both Ducati's home country of Italy and in Spain (and everywhere else, frankly), the brand wisely decided to shift the debut to an online event. While that's a bummer for those journalists who were set to ride the bike, it's excellent news for all you bike fans because Ducati's going to livestream the whole thing and you can watch it here with us on Roadshow!
Cool, right?
So, just in case you forgot, we don't have a ton of official details on the Streetfighter, but we do know a few things. It's going to use the same engine as its fully faired brethren, though it's likely that the engineers in Bologna will have adjusted the tune to favor torque over horsepower. It'll get all of Ducati's excellent electronics, including ABS, traction control and wheelie control, and the systems will be lean-sensitive.
Other than that, it's anyone's guess, but we'll know for sure on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. PT when the sheet comes off.
