Ducati expands the Streetfighter family with 2022 V2 and V4 SP models
The Streetfighter V4 SP loses weight and gains a dry clutch, while the Streetfighter V2 makes the model more accessible for more riders.
Ducati's Streetfighter V4 S is an almost unbelievable machine. It somehow manages to make over 200 horsepower at the crank and yet is as docile and easy to ride as a bike with one-third of the power. It's got hyper-aggressive styling but is surprisingly comfortable, even for slightly longer rides.
Now, according to an announcement made on Thursday, Ducati is not only ramping up the Streetfighter V4's performance with a new SP version, but it's also taking its "Fight Formula" and applying it, once again, to a twin-cylinder motorcycle. Folks, this is an excellent time to be a motorcycle enthusiast.
The Streetfighter V4 SP is sort of meant to be the final form, power level over 9,000 version of the Streetfighter. It takes the original's excellent looks and killer engine and takes away a bunch of weight through the use of carbon fiber in places like the wheels as well as by using some bits borrowed from the hyper-limited, outrageously expensive Panigale Superleggera, like its dry clutch. The SP is 6.6 pounds lighter than the V4 S, for a wet running weight of just 432 pounds.
Now, make no mistake, the V4 SP will be a perfectly rude motorcycle -- and mean that in the best way possible -- and, as such, it will have a wince-inducing price tag. The V4 S retails for an eye-watering $25,195 base price, but the SP takes that to a whole new level with a starting price of $35,500. Luckily that's where the Streetfighter V2 comes in, with its still-a-little-silly 955cc Superquadro twin-cylinder engine that pumps out 153 horsepower, all for a much more palatable $16,995, which will put it on par with the way-more-radical Aprilia Tuono V4.
Now, those Ducati fans among you likely remember the previous Streetfighter models with 1,099cc and 848cc engines. These had a reputation for being a little hairy to ride, but we suspect that this new Streetfighter V2 will be a little friendlier toward its riders, thanks to the addition of Ducati's six-axis inertial measurement unit-powered suite of electronic rider aids. These include all the goodies we've come to know and love on modern Ducs, like cornering ABS and traction control, wheelie control and a quickshifter that works both up and down the gears.
The V2 promises to be a relative featherweight, too, with a claimed 392-pound dry weight. Ducati doesn't give us a wet weight, but we can make an educated guess based on the weight of the Panigale V2 on which the Streetfighter is based. That bike tips the scales at 440 pounds, ready to ride, so with less bodywork, we'd bet it will come in somewhere in the mid-430-pound range.
Both the Streetfighter V2 and the V4 SP are slated to hit Ducati dealers in February of 2022.
