VOLUME ISSUE APRIL , P97
boost power to a claimed 220
horsepower while dropping weight
down a claimed 12 pounds. Read
that again—220 horsepower out of
a naked bike. Good grief. See what I
mean about naked superbike?
However, in practice, the Street
-
fighter V4 S's Desmodromic motor
pulls a similar trick to that of the
Ducati's much, much smaller Mon
-
ster. It's quite the pussycat at low
rpm—you can cruise around below
4000 rpm all day and never need
to see north of 5000 rpm, because
even at its base, before you worry
about which riding mode you're in,
this is one of the finest big-bore
motors ever created, with a split
personality that can do slow just as
easily as it can do fast.
For 2023, Ducati has played
around with two key areas. The first
is the one we'll all notice more than
not, in the new power modes for the
ECU. At one end is a new Wet mode
which restricts power to 165 horses
with a softer throttle response; the
second is the new Full power mode,
which is even more chunky than the
previously top level of High mode.
This gives you the full whack of the
V4 S's might in every gear except
first, which leads me into the sec
-
ond area of improvement.
The engine may
be a star, but the
Streetfighter will corner
with incredible speed.
Plus, the electronic
suspension means you
can tailor the ride
how you like.
