Cycle News

2020 DUCATI STREETFIGHTER V4 S vs KAWASAKI Z H2 COMPARISON P66 Mazda rotary, always hunting, al- ways wanting the go pedal to be pushed. The Ducati on the other hand is more a worked Corvette V8, using good ol' cubes to launch you forward. Both bikes come with variable riding modes (four for the Kawa- saki including the variable Rider mode and three for the Ducati), so you can vary the power output as much as you like. The electronics on the Ducati take weeks to fully explore—you've got everything from a Bosch IMU, riding modes, nine level traction control, Corner- ing ABS, wheelie control, launch control, engine brake control, slide control, rear cylinder de- activation to stop excessive heat getting to the rider in traffic, and, importantly, the Ohlins Smart EC electronics metering the NIX30 fork and TTX36 shock. For the Kawasaki, you get an IMU, three-stage traction control, launch control, the Kawasaki Cornering Management Func- tion, which helps to maintain chassis balance while leaned over when you grab a handful of brake, preventing the chas- sis from standing up mid-corner, engine brake control, and the Kawasaki Intelligent Brake Control, a system that works by combining ABS and rear-wheel lift control under heavy braking. The electronics on both machines are superb at street speeds, although I suspect we'll see a bigger difference at the racetrack. Ducati has this game pretty well licked, but there's just so much to adjust and play with you'll want to book out a week- end just to try them all. Kawasaki's electronics are a little more rudimentary, but the application of traction control in the first setting is very smooth considering there's just so much grunt on offer. One thing the Kawasaki ups the Ducati on big time in the electron- ics department is the fitment of cruise control. For Ducati, this is a major omission, especially consid- ering the $24K price tag and the fact this is supposed to be the 'real world' version of the Pani- gale that people will use to ride to work on freeways. Cruise control should be standard fitment on the Ducati, full stop. The major area of separa- tion between the Kawasaki and the Ducati comes down to the twisty bits. The Kawasaki weighs a claimed 527 pounds of curb weight (full tank) and the Ducati measures in at 458 pounds with a tank of gas, and you for sure feel the Kawasaki's girth when the road gets twisty. It's a three-point factor with the Ka- wasaki—the extra overall weight and the softer suspension of the conventionally operated and adjusted Showa Big Piston Fork and Showa shock over Ducati's electronic Ohlins, and the bulki- ness of the Kawasaki's front end. The Kawasaki has a lot of weight up high with the intake for the supercharger on the left and the mass of headlight and bodywork giving the chassis a top-heavy feel when you begin to turn in. The Ducati, on the other hand, has very little bodywork in front of the fork and above the rear wheel, giving the chassis a lovely light feeling at the bars. You need to pick your lines and stick with them on the Kawasaki, (Left) The Kawasaki dash is not the fanciest out there, but still easy to use and adjust. A face only a mother could love?

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