Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1264829
2020 DUCATI STREETFIGHTER V4 S vs KAWASAKI Z H2 COMPARISON P70 erable $7995 more to get the Ducati in your shed and the fact it offers no cruise control, I'd still take the Ducati over the Kawasaki. The ride on the red bike is just superb, and it trumps the Kawasaki in overall handling. The Kawasaki is an excellent highway bike for ENGINE: ..... Liquid-cooled, supercharged, 4-stroke inline 4, foreward-rotating crankshaft 4 valves per cylinder / Liquid-cooled, Desmosedici Stradale 90° 4-stroke V4, rearward-rotating crankshaft, 4 valves per cylinder DISPLACEMENT: .............. 998cc / 1103cc BORE X STROKE: ................. 76 x 55mm / 81 x 53.3mm COMPRESSION RATIO: ............. 11.2:1 / NA FUELING: ...................................... EFI / EFI POWER (CLAIMED): ........ 197 hp / 208 hp TORQUE: ....................101 lb-ft. / 90.4 lb-ft ELECTRONICS: ...... 6-axis IMU, Kawasaki Cornering Management Function (KCMF), Kawasaki Launch Control Mode (KLCM), Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC) 3 power modes (Low Middle, Full), 4 ECU riding modes (Sport, Road, Rain, Rider) / 6-axis IMU, 3 Riding Modes, Power Modes, Corner- ing ABS EVO, Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 2, Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) EVO, Ducati Slide Control (DSC), Engine Brake Control (EBC) EVO, auto tire calibration, Ducati Power Launch (DPL), Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) up/down EVO 2, Full LED lighting with Daytime Running Light (DRL), Ducati Electronic Suspension (DES) EVO with Ohlins suspension and steering damper, Quick adjustment but- tons, Auto-off indicators TRANSMISSION: ......... 6-speed / 6-speed CLUTCH: .... Wet multi-disc / Wet multi-disc CHASSIS: ........ Trellis, high-tensile steel / "Front Frame" aluminum alloy FRONT SUSPENSION: ....... Showa SFF-BP fork fully adjustable / Ohlins NIX30 fork fully adjustable with TiN treatment, Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 event-based mode REAR SUSPENSION: .......Uni-Trak, Showa gas-charged shock fully adjustable / Ohlins TTX36 shock fully adjustable with Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 event-based mode FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: .....4.7 in. / 4.7 in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: .......5.3 in. / 5.1 in. FRONT BRAKE: ............. Dual semi-floating 320mm discs w/radial-mount Brembo M4.32 4-piston calipers / Dual 330mm semi-floating discs w/radial-mounted Brembo Monobloc Stylema (M4.30) 4-piston calipers REAR BRAKE: ........ 260mm disc, 2-piston caliper / 245mm disc, 2-piston caliper FRONT TIRE: ........ Pirelli Diablo Rosso III, 120/70 R17 / Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II 120/70 ZR17 REAR TIRE: ........... Pirelli Diablo Rosso III, 190/55 R17 / Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II 200/60 ZR17 RAKE: ..................................... 65.1° / 24.5° WHEELBASE: ................. 57.3 in. / 58.6 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ............... 32.7 in. / 33.3 in. FUEL CAPACITY: ........... 5.0 gal. / 4.2 gal. WEIGHT (CURB, CLAIMED): .......527 lbs. / 458 lbs. COLOR: .... Metallic Diablo black/Metallic Graphite gray/Mirror Coated Spark black / Ducati red Incredibly, Ducati has made something as mechanical as a V4 producing over 200 horsepower look like a metallic work of art. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S 2020 KAWASAKI Z H2 ($17,000) / DUCATI STREETFIGHTER ($23,995) shorter riders, but it feels bulky in comparison to the svelte Ducati. Both bikes are the very best each manufacturer can throw out in the high perfor- mance naked-bike game, however, there needs to be a winner, and in this test, that bike is painted red. CN