(Above) If you
want to transform
a motorcycle, start
with the bones. The
new swingarm makes
the Streetfighter
both easier to ride
and even more
aggressive, if that
were possible.
(Above right) Brembo
Hypure four-piston
calipers offer
prodigious stopping
power.
(Above left) The
Ohlins Smart
EC3.0 electronics
suspension is quite
remarkable in how
good it is. Shame
you can't change
the preload with a
knob and must use
the old locking nut
technique.
racing with it. In contrast, previously I'd only dare
wait for the green light with conventionally ad-
justed suspension.
The Ohlins system adjusts compression and
rebound on the fly via the Objective-Based Tuning
Interface (OBTi). You can adjust the suspension
manually if you like—preload adjustment is sadly
still the old collar and lock nut job rather than
a simple remote adjuster like on the R9, which
costs two-thirds less—but there are four preset
modes already in the ECU.
There is a slight change to the Streetfighter over
the Panigale in that you've got a more progressive
rear suspension link, which makes the first part of
the stroke a little more comfortable. This will un
-
doubtedly smooth out low-speed handling on the
street (although seeing as we were only on track
in Spain, I can't comment on that here).
Combine all that with new Ducati-made forged
alloy wheels that offer a claimed 22 percent front
and 23.5 percent rear reduction in the moment of
inertia, and that monstrous 214 hp Desmosedici
P88
RIDE REVIEW I 2025 DUCATI STREETFIGHTER V4 S
