Ducati Streetfighter V2 Review: 'Just Right' For UK Roads?

153bhp is a lot of power for an un-faired motorcycle. In most instances, we’d label such a beast a ‘super naked’, but in Ducati land, that’s how much the lower-tier option in the Streetfighter range develops from its angry ‘Superquadro’ V-twin. The Streetfighter V4, meanwhile, punts out a mighty 205bhp. Lordy.

Even the ‘baby’ V2 looks like it might be a bit much for the roads, though, so with Visordown editor at large Toad Handcocks having thoroughly spanked the bike a few years ago on Spain’s Monteblanco circuit and the silky smooth surrounding mountain roads, we thought we’d revisit the bike with two weeks of riding on our crumbling, speed camera littered British road network to see if it makes any sense, with group editor Matt Robinson doing the riding.

Ducati Streetfighter V2 price and colours

The new V2 is £16,395 in the UK on the road making it £5,200 less than the V4. That puts it right in the mix with things like the Yamaha MT-10 and Suzuki GSX-S1000, while it could also potentially steal some sales from the smaller crop of middleweight nakeds in the process.

Originally only available in Ducati Red, the Streetfighter V2 colour palette has expanded...to two hues. If you don't fancy red, your only other option is Storm Green.

Ducati Streetfighter V2 equipment

As standard, the V2 gets an up-and-down shifter and blipper, and the standard rubber is from Pirelli in the form of Diablo Rosso IV hoops. The electronics set-up is basically lifted from the V4, meaning you have all the road and track riding bells and whistles you’ll ever need.

It has cornering ABS, traction control (lean-sensitive), wheelie control, slide control, rear lift detection… the list is seemingly endless. It’s all incorporated in neat little TFT, and like most modern, high-tech Ducatis, a series of pictures on the dash helps you to understand how the change will affect the bike.

For the road ride, I kept the bike in the dedicated road setting, meaning ABS and traction control that aired on the side of caution rather than performance. For the track riding on the Monteblanco circuit, I was running Sport mode – the spiciest of the three riding modes.

Ducati Streetfighter V2 engine and gearbox

The 955cc Superquadro engine in the V2 is the very same unit that's found in the Panigale V2 (as is much of the bike) although it is down on power slightly when compared to that model – lack of frontal air scoops being pointed at as the reason.

With 153bhp on tap and 75lb ft of torque though, you are right in the fun zone of road riding, and even on the wide expanses of the Monteblanco circuit the bike still felt good.

For this year the Superquadro engine is refined at speed although it still has that clatter-and-bang character around town as it grumbles from A to B.

Pointing its joker-face towards the hills north of Seville though and the little Ducati begins to make much more sense. It feels eager and rev-hungry, with more than enough grunt down low to let you get away with shoddy downshifts - and it has a beautifully tuned exhaust note. I’m not sure how Ducati have got this thing through Euro5, as even on the standard exhaust, get it above 6,000rpm it just sings.

The higher we go, the more twisty it becomes, and the one fly in the ointment of the road ride appears. The initial throttle movement, just in the first half a degree or so feels clumsy. It has me introducing some back brake during hairpins to help smooth out the experience. It’s not a massive problem, and I’m sure you’d learn to live with it over time.

One very positive point of note on the road ride was the gearbox. Not only can you find neutral – It's only taken Ducati 95 years to nail it! – the quickshifter is a dream to use. Up and downshifts are met by nicely matched revs regardless of road speed, and even with a trailing throttle, you can shift up and down smoothly. It really worked very well. On the road at least.

When we took to the circuit in the afternoon, I started to have some problems. In Sport mode, the shifter setting is obviously more aggressive, forgoing comfort in the pursuit of outright performance. This made the lever feel a bit more belligerent, and on a couple of occasions, my tiddly size 7.5 feet would need two bites of the cherry to get the gear to stick. It wasn’t happening every corner of every lap, but once or twice a session I’d be swearing inside my helmet.

Ducati Streetfighter V2 Suspension, brakes and handling.

One of the most notable points of the new Streetfighter it in the way the bike handles. With Panigale-derived chassis components, it’d be easy to assume that the V2 would handle just like its faired sibling. That’s not the case though. Bespoke settings for the Show Big Piston Forks and Sachs shock make the bike much more compliant, easy-going, and (dare I say it) enjoyable to ride.

Add into the mix wide bars, a relaxed riding position, and ample seat and you have a motorcycle that’ll make many a 1,000cc ‘super naked’ look rather cumbersome.

The morning of the press test was chilly for the first 40 minutes or so, and the V2s agility combined with cold tyres nearly caught me out on a couple of occasions. After about an hour of twisties though and with temperature in the high teens, it all begins to click into place.

The Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV hoops don’t heat up as quickly as some other rubber on the market, but they have been chosen to perform a task for a wide variety of riders. You sometimes ride on a press launch and advise people to ditch the stock rubber before they’ve left the dealership – that’s not the case here.

Out on the track, the same tyre performed very well, with stability under braking being a strong point. You could hammer on the Brembo M4 calipers with all your might, ABS lights flashing like mad, and still sweep to the apex with ease. Ducati’s engineers had made some sensible tweaks for the track riding – suspension and tyre pressures only – although you get the feeling the story wouldn’t have been much different had they left it on the stock road adjustment.

Ducati Streetfighter V2 comfort

The V2 is in some ways a weird bike. It looks fairly diminutive in the flesh, without looking any less muscular than the V4. But despite its small silhouette it still feels roomy, with space on the seat for you to move about whether you’re looking for cornering performance or simply for relaxation.

The overall comfort of the bike didn’t jump out as being unfavourable in any way. The seat could be softer – couldn’t they all?! – but the small tweaks made to the lower body ergonomics and those new handlebars make enough of a difference to ensure you feel at home.

Does the Ducati Streetfighter V2 make sense on UK roads?

It’s difficult to fully wind on the throttle in the Streetfighter V2 on crap UK roads without swearing a bit. It may be the entry point of the Streetfighter range, but good lord, is it quick, especially if compared to an inline-four super naked with similar power which needs to be spinning up to a high RPM to feel truly rambunctuous.

With so much mid-range clout from the Superquadro V-twin, it doesn’t matter where the digital rev counter needle is sitting - the Streetfighter V2 is always ready to up its speed at an alarming rate. Which is a bit of an issue for road riding. 

Except it isn’t - this is one of those engine’s that’s a joy to experience whether you’re at part throttle and short-shifting, or flat out and changing up at the redline. The low-end rumble, the mid-range airbox growl and the top-end shoutiness - it makes a good noise everywhere. Even at idle, it’s surprisingly vocal for a bike that has to comply with stringent modern regulations. I’m really not sure how Ducati has managed it.

The electronics package meanwhile ensures that the Streetfighter V2 doesn’t feel excessive on bumpy roads. At road speeds the traction control isn’t obtrusive when triggering over dodgy surfaces, and the anti-wheelie setup is inconspicuous in its operation at full chat.

The ride seems very firm at low speeds when going over speed bumps and those potholes you can’t miss as much as you try, which initially is a worry. Go quicker, though, and the ride settles, such is the quality of the damping. The Streetfighter doesn’t just blow through all its travel when going over a hefty bump. It’s still firm and supportive, making for fast, direct steering and a notable absence of significant brake dive or pitching under acceleration.

Over the two weeks I spent with the bike, irritations were few and far between. As found on the international launch, the throttle is a bit snatchy at low speeds, but we’ve experienced worse. A bigger display might be nice considering how much this bike costs, but all the key information is displayed clearly enough. Save for the fuel level, that is - there’s no gauge, as per the Panigale models, because the tank shape makes it tricky to get a sensor in there.

The only other problem that cropped up was getting used to the Streetfighter’s beautifully sculpted tail appearing every time I opened the garage. It was a problem as I sorely missed that view once the bike went back…

Should you buy a Ducati Streetfighter V2?

The Streetfighter V2 might be a bike built around the age-old supersport to naked bike concept, but it delivers a very different riding experience. With 153bhp on tap and a £14,995 price tag, it’s easy to bundle this in the less premium of the 1,000cc super naked pack. I’m pretty sure if you were to back-to-back test it against them though, and it will likely eat them for breakfast.

It’s got very good hardware in the form of suspension and brakes from some of the best in the business. Add to that an electronics system that is usually kept busy taming the 200+ bhp Streetfighter V4 and you have one seriously potent machine to throw into your garage. What's more, it doesn't feel too stiff or too excessive for UK roads.

It might not be as playful as something like an MT-10, or offer the value for money that comes from owning a GSX-S1000. But if you can get over that, and the inevitable ‘oh, but it’s only the V2 not the V4’ snipes at the local bike meet, there’s very little to dislike about Bologna’s latest offering.

Ducati Streetfighter V2 specs