2021 Ducati Streetfighter V4 S Review | MC Commute - video Dailymotion

Motorcyclist

Ducati’s Streetfighter V4 is easily one of the most—if not the most—aggressive high-performance naked bikes the world has seen. And it gets even more rowdy when bathed in accessories from the Ducati Performance catalog. Dripping in carbon fiber, magnesium, and titanium this $47,787.43 (as tested) V4 S is as wild as an accessorized production bike gets.  --  As usual, the highlight of this Ducati is the insane performance of its 1,103cc V-4 engine. From bottom to top, this engine has a powerband that feels like it came straight from satan’s workshop (good thing). And it’s even more vicious with the $5,541.15 handmade titanium Akrapovič exhaust and $3,548.65 dry clutch. If you’re a die-hard motorsport enthusiast, this is music to your ears.  There are a lot of neat-sounding and high-performance two- and four-wheeled vehicles out there, but nothing sounds as mean, nor accelerates as quickly as this Streetfighter—especially when you’re giving it the beans near its 15,000 rpm redline.  Yet, if you lug the engine at lower revs and short-shift it through the six-speed gearbox, the Streetfighter happily complies offering quasi-civilized manners. Miles per gallon figures in the high 30s are also possible if you stay off the pipe. Realistically however, expect around 30 mpg if you ride it like you’re supposed to.  The Öhlins semi-active suspension performs well and filters out the effects of worn pavement yet provides suitable road holding at lean with generous servings of throttle. We preferred the dynamic setting in its most aggressive suspension program.  A high-end electronics package allows for plenty of adjustability. The electronics have a wide range of adjustment allowing the rider to tweak the engine, traction control, and ABS character to their skill set. Advanced riders will especially appreciate the lofty performance barrier the electronics allow. For instance, the ABS programming in Level 3 (most restrictive) is at a higher level than some manufacturers’ setups on modern liter-class superbikes. Well done, Ducati.  A 5-inch color TFT display keeps tabs on it all. It’s a reasonably sharp-looking display, but it should be larger and the user interface remains well behind the competition. The menu navigation and switch gear are clunky and Ducati could learn a thing or two from Apple, BMW, and Yamaha...  Find out more: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/2021-ducati-streetfighter-v4-s-mc-commute-review/   Photography: Joseph Agustin Photo  Video/edit:  @AdamWaheed    Motorcycle Riding Gear  Helmet: Shoei RF-SR Jacket: REV’IT! Hudson Gloves: REV’IT! Chevron 2 Pant: REV’IT Austin Boots: TCX X-Vibe EVO Air  Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist Shop Products We Use: https://www.amazon.com/shop/motorcyclistmagazine   See more from us: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/

Transcript

00:00 Hey folks good morning and welcome to another episode of Motorcyclist MC

00:04 Commute. Today we're gonna be riding Ducati's 2021 Streetfighter V4S but

00:10 this isn't any ordinary Streetfighter V4S if that you can even say that. This

00:15 is a fully decked out Streetfighter with Ducati performance accessories to the

00:21 tune of almost $48,000. Whoa! Let's swing a leg over it and tell you what it's

00:26 like to ride. Alright folks here it is Ducati's 2021 Streetfighter V4 Dark

00:34 Stealth Project bike. This is Ducati's premier naked class bike. It came out as

00:44 an all-new model based on the Panigale V4 for the 2020 model year. Look at those

00:51 carbon fiber winglets. That's a $1,500 accessory. Look at those awesome folding

00:59 levers right there. That's another $1,500 for that lever, that lever, these turn

01:04 signals, and that awesome Rizoma twist-off fuel camp. Draped in carbon

01:11 fiber and magnesium. Yes those are forged magnesium wheels from Marchesini. Forged

01:18 magnesium wheels they weigh about one and a half pounds less than the forged

01:24 alloy wheels on the Streetfighter V4S. We also have the Akrapovic titanium

01:34 exhaust that drops eleven and a half pounds off the weight of this motorcycle.

01:38 Adds around 10 horsepower and wait till you guys hear the sound of this thing. It

01:44 is unbelievable. There's also a dry clutch conversion kit on the other side

01:50 of the bike. Yes Ducati was renowned for doing dry clutches in their old super

01:54 bikes and this thing has a dry clutch and oh my god is it totally awesome. We

02:00 also have this premium accessory seat. Ducati Performance. This bike is $47,000

02:09 nearly $48,000 when you add up the cost of the vehicle which is around

02:14 $25,000 and all the accessories. $48,000 for this bike. Is it worth it? Let's find

02:22 out. Alright folks a good old-fashioned mechanical key. Are you guys ready for

02:29 this? Listen to that dry clutch and Akrapovic titanium racing exhaust. Now

02:37 this is what a motorcycle is supposed to sound like.

02:44 Now the ergonomics package on the Streetfighter V4. Now that I've spent

02:51 some time on it I really like and appreciate this ergonomics package. These

02:57 motorcycles are good for older guys like myself who like to wail but kind of be

03:04 comfortable too and that's what the ergos on the Streetfighter V4 are all

03:10 about. The handlebar has a nice bend to it. It's not too narrow. It doesn't have too

03:19 much rearward sweep. The rise isn't too much. It's a very well engineered

03:25 handlebar. The rider's seat is about 0.7 inch taller than a standard

03:34 Streetfighter with this Ducati performance accessory seat. I love this

03:41 seat. It has a lot of padding. It is manufactured from a nice fabric. It has

03:48 a very nice appearance on it. The only maybe bad thing is this seat has got a

03:53 lot of grip to it so it's hard for me to move my my posterior around the cockpit

04:00 in the corners. You know if you're someone who likes to have a high grip

04:04 seat you're gonna like it but it's got a little bit too much grip. But I like how

04:09 tall it is. I like how thick and supportive and it's aesthetic. I'm also

04:14 big fan of these Ducati accessory rear sets that they've manufactured in

04:22 partnership with Rizoma. These foot controls allow for position adjustment.

04:29 Right now they are in the lowest setting which I like. This bike gives me a high

04:35 degree of comfort yet still has enough cornering clearance when I'm getting

04:41 some in on my favorite back road. Very comfortable ergonomics package on this

04:50 Streetfighter V4 S project bike. The only knock is if you're not a taller person

04:56 you might have a hard time touching the ground. The seat height on this bike is

05:01 right around 33 inches so it is a pretty tall motorcycle. But I'm tall I'm six

05:07 foot tall so I love it.

05:10 Now despite this motorcycle employing a dry clutch

05:18 clutch mechanism is actually very easy to use. This hydraulic assist makes it

05:25 easy to pull in the lever with two fingers. I like the clutch response. Now

05:31 back in the day when Ducati was using dry clutches on its super bikes the

05:36 clutch mechanism was, god they were just so, they were so vague feeling and had

05:43 such heavy clutch lever pull. This this dry clutch conversion is just it works

05:51 very well. I almost wonder why you'd ever want a wet clutch with based on just how

05:59 good this thing operates. Obviously the noise of this dry clutch you could never

06:04 pass sound and emission testing with this dry clutch just because it's so

06:12 loud. It's crazy loud but who cares I like the sound of it.

06:18 Now this Streetfighter V4 S is powered by Ducati's what's soon becoming

06:26 legendary 1103cc V4 engine. This is the engine they debuted debuted for the

06:33 2018 model year with the Panigale super bike. Now I love this engine I loved it

06:41 from the moment I twisted the throttle on it at Valencia. This thing is just

06:47 it's classic Ducati. It's got loads of character, loads of sound, and loads of

06:56 power. Basically what Ducati did is they took their L twin V twin concept and

07:04 multiplied it by two. So twice the power, twice the performance, twice the

07:10 character, and I really like this engine. Now that I've been starting to spend

07:16 some serious time on it what I really appreciate the most is how civilized

07:21 this engine can be. It's so civilized at lower RPMs it's just very impressive

07:28 how easy and mild-mannered the engine can be.

07:34 Of course when you're whaling on it near its 15,000 RPM redline that's when

07:41 things get really exciting but to have an engine to have a powertrain that's so

07:47 versatile that can give just an insane amount of power yet still have good

07:57 street manners and still be usable and still be relatively easy to ride that is

08:03 what's really impressive about this powertrain. Power is put back to the rear

08:12 tire via a six-speed transmission with up and down quick shifter and a chain

08:21 final drive. I love the electronic programming on this quick shifter. It

08:27 changes between each of the cogs very quickly. You just press on the lever you

08:32 don't have to use the clutch. Other electronic quick shifters sometimes have

08:39 delayed programming. This one's very immediate. It feels very racy

08:45 and the entire electronics package on this Ducati Streetfighter V4 is pretty

08:51 racy but we'll get to that in a minute.

08:57 Now this particular Streetfighter V4 S is rolling on Ducati's Marchesini forged

09:08 magnesium wheels. So the standard Streetfighter V4 comes with cast alloy

09:16 wheels. The V4 S comes with forged alloy wheels and this bike has forged

09:25 magnesium wheels and the wheels on this bike they're about one almost two pounds

09:33 lighter than the forged alloy wheels. And even though it's only two pounds it makes a big

09:40 difference. Now the standard V4 S weighs right around 439 pounds with a full 4.2

09:48 gallons of fuel. This Streetfighter V4 S project bike weighs right around 425

09:55 pounds. It's about 14 pounds less than the standard V4 S. And the way

10:05 Ducati got the weight savings on this bike is the active pocket exhaust that sheds

10:10 around 11 pounds. These wheels are another almost two pounds and then some

10:17 of the carbon fiber goodies. And this bike is crazy maneuverable, crazy

10:23 maneuverable for a 425 pound bike.

10:27 We spent some time riding this motorcycle on my favorite back road and

10:34 it's just insane how good this bike handles.

10:39 It turns quickly, it's relatively stable. The Ducati electronic suspension,

10:48 Ohlins semi-active suspension, it works really well.

10:55 Some of the funky mid-stroke weirdness I experienced with the 2020 V4 S, I don't

11:04 feel that with this setup. To be fair, this bike is rolling on Pirelli's

11:11 Diablo Supercorsa SPV3 tires versus the Diablo Rosso Corso 2 tires that the

11:21 standard Streetfighter V4 S rolls on.

11:26 But I'm really impressed with the suspension on this motorcycle.

11:32 Now the semi-active suspension automatically adjusts damping in real time

11:39 based on rider control input, i.e. brakes and throttle, and the dynamic of the

11:47 vehicle measured by the IMU. And what I like about this bike is it actually has

11:55 good compliance over bumps and over broken pavement. Ducati motorcycles,

12:03 sport motorcycles, have historically always had terrible ride quality over

12:08 bumps and terrible comfort in terms of suspension action on the street. But with

12:14 this DES, they are able to get these bikes to ride so well on the street yet

12:20 still give a very good level of road holding on the road.

12:25 The track and when you're riding in the canyons.

12:30 Now, we have this vehicle set up in dynamic mode, so the suspension is

12:36 altering the compression and the rebound damping in real time. But I have set it

12:44 up so the brake support, the fork support, the shock, all of these settings are

12:51 maxed out. So it's on the most aggressive, slowest setting that it can have in

12:59 dynamic mode. Now, I like to have it on the maximum setting because when it's in

13:08 a lower setting, the bike is just a little bit too soft and fast for me. I

13:13 like bikes that have good support, nice slow action in terms of compression and

13:19 especially rebound. And when I put it in that maximum setting, I wouldn't say that

13:25 the bike is still totally calm, but it is definitely more toward suspension

13:33 calibration spectrum that I value when I'm riding these motorcycles. Of

13:38 course, this bike also offers fixed damping, so you can set up fixed damping

13:45 settings if you like to. But honestly, this semi-active setup, once I put it in

13:51 the most aggressive setting, it works really well for me. Now, these Street

13:57 Fighter V4s are awesome because they have Ducati's tour de force in the

14:02 electronics department. There's an extreme level of adjustability in these

14:07 motorcycles. I'm running the highest power setting with the most aggressive

14:13 throttle response. Ducati's done a really good job evolving their throttle

14:17 response. The throttle response on these Panigale V4s and Street Fighter V4s,

14:21 and even the Multistrada V4 now, is downright excellent. Now, with this

14:28 $5,500 Acroponic titanium exhaust, a custom fuel ignition ECU map that

14:38 includes parameters specifically for DWC, DTC, all of those, that mapping applies

14:45 with this exhaust. And the mapping on this engine is just excellent!

14:53 Now, Panigales that roll off the showroom floor, anything out of the

14:58 Borgo Panigale factory in Italy, always kind of has rough fuel mapping. But the

15:04 mapping on this Street Fighter V4s is downright excellent. Very responsive

15:11 engine tuning and throttle response on this bike.

15:17 Yeah! Love this thing! God, this thing is so fun to accelerate on. Now, if Lucifer was

15:28 alive, this is the motorcycle he would ride. It is just so extreme, so wild, so

15:36 fast, so powerful, so charismatic. There are a lot of great naked bikes out there,

15:44 but none of them ride like this thing.

15:48 We rode this motorcycle after dark, and I really like the LED headlights on this

15:56 bike. They throw out a good spread of light,

16:01 it really allows you to ride this bike hard at night. But I do have a gripe. This

16:05 bike needs cornering head beams. For $25,000, it should have cornering head

16:12 beams, especially considering insane handling performance of this bike. Ducati,

16:20 for the love of God, add cornering headlights. Now, keeping tabs on

16:25 everything is this 5-inch color TFT screen. This screen, the size is decent,

16:32 but it could be a little bit larger. There are competitors out there that

16:37 offer larger, crisper, more functional dash displays. Now, I like that this thing

16:44 is loaded with settings information, but the switch gear, the tactile

16:50 function of the switch gear could be improved. When you're wearing gloves, it's

16:53 hard to know if you depressed something, and just the menu system and the amount

16:59 of doodads and displays is a little bit clunky. Ducati could definitely spend

17:05 some time improving the user interface. Now, to be fair, they have made great

17:10 strides, and this UI is better than previous

17:16 editions, but still, they could do some improvement in the UI. Now, right now, we

17:24 have black fonts over white background, but at night, this screen will

17:29 automatically turn over and be like our iPhone, where it's dark background with

17:36 white numbers, which I really like. Riding around in top gear at 672 miles

17:43 per hour, we're pulling right around 5,500 RPMs, which is crazy. We still have

17:48 another 9,000 RPMs left to go before this thing hits redline. Just crazy

17:54 power band on this motorcycle, but in top gear, engine doesn't vibrate

18:01 excessively. Engine has a real pleasing demeanor. It doesn't vibrate

18:06 excessively. The view from the rear view mirrors is pretty good.

18:12 Excuse me. Now, engine heat. We haven't ridden this motorcycle in dense traffic

18:21 or in stop-and-go traffic, but based on my experience with the Panigale before,

18:28 this engine throws off some serious heat. This isn't a motorcycle you're gonna be

18:35 riding on a hot summer day through LA traffic.

18:41 To be fair, Ducati has added cylinder deactivation. When the

18:50 engine coolant is over 160 Fahrenheit, the rear two cylinders deactivate when

18:57 the motorcycle stopped. That helps eliminate some engine heat at a stop. It

19:05 also decreases engine noise, so allows you to ride a little bit more

19:12 inconspicuously. Yes! Yes! I love this thing.

19:19 Now, California has a noise law. Vehicles are not allowed to emit over 95

19:28 decibels of sound. This Streetfighter V4S with the $5,500

19:36 Akrapovic titanium exhaust definitely exceeds 95 decibels, but I'm not

19:42 telling anyone. I love the sound of this motorcycle.

19:51 Brakes. This Streetfighter V4S rolls on radial mount Brembo's with a radial mount

20:00 Brembo master cylinder. It also has these cool accessory levers. These levers are

20:09 foldable. They have nice big adjustment. I love these levers. They have a

20:14 ton of adjustability. They feel really nice.

20:18 The brakes on this motorcycle are downright... they're unbelievable. They are

20:23 so good, especially when you max out the brake support setting with the Olean

20:31 semi-active suspension. It really allows you to use these brakes aggressively.

20:37 Now, not only is the actual braking hardware of this bike awesome, but I got

20:43 to hand it to Ducati and their ABS programming. Ducati has really led the

20:49 charge in advanced and aggressive ABS programming.

20:54 Now, even in its most restrictive setting, ABS 3, you have to be a very, very

21:03 experienced rider to even have an ABS intervene at a level where that's

21:09 actually going to hold you back. The ABS programming on this motorcycle is

21:15 quasi-race ABS programming. If you're a B or a C level racer, the ABS programming

21:22 on this bike will be good enough for you to compete on. It's that good. Other major

21:28 motorcycle manufacturers, even sport bike manufacturers, even superbike

21:32 manufacturers, don't have as good of ABS programming out of the box as Ducati.

21:39 Good job, Ducati. Don't think we're not paying attention.

21:44 Other electronic goodies, we've got DTC, Ducati Traction Control, Ducati

21:49 Heely Control, Engine Brake Control. We have it in Engine Brake Control mode 1,

21:57 which is the most amount of engine braking. I like the most amount of engine

22:02 braking when I ride these bikes on the street. Now, this dry clutch, this $3,500

22:10 dry clutch conversion also allows you to fit different diaphragm springs. You can

22:16 even have more or less engine braking. This is mechanical engine braking, not

22:20 the electronic engine braking that EVC controls by adding fuel to the engine

22:28 during deceleration.

22:32 Now, the electronics on this motorcycle, what I like about it the most is

22:38 just how much versatility you have. If you're a very high-level rider, you can

22:44 really pull back the electronics and that allows this motorcycle to be ridden

22:48 unencumbered. Conversely, if you're someone who's new to riding, even though

22:53 you really shouldn't be new to riding, if you're riding the Streetfighter V4 S,

22:56 just because it's such a high-performance naked bike, you can

23:00 still dial back the power, dial on the traction control, and put in a

23:07 setting that can allow you to ride this motorcycle relatively safely. And that's

23:12 what I like about this bike so much.

23:19 Now, we've got to hand it to Ducati. They've made great strides in the fit and

23:27 finish department. The fit and finish of this motorcycle is definitely improving.

23:34 I love the machining on the frame headstock, the handlebar, these fasteners

23:39 Ducati uses, the switchgear, everything is improving and Ducati is definitely

23:45 making great strides in the fit and finish. Now, for many years,

23:52 we're very far behind a lot of the big Japanese OEs, but it's good to see Ducati

24:00 closing that gap and making higher quality vehicles for us to ride.

24:09 Now, this Streetfighter V4 S has Ducati's accessory heated grips right here. You

24:17 push this button and the heated grips are on. It's around $350 for that feature,

24:24 and I like these heated grips because they get hot. In the hottest, highest

24:29 setting, these heated grips really pump out some heat. A lot of other motorcycle

24:35 manufacturers, they do heated grips, but the heated grips don't pump out the heat

24:40 like the set on this Streetfighter V4 S. It really makes riding in cooler weather

24:48 that much more comfortable.

24:52 Love the brakes, love the power, love the everything on this bike. This bike just

25:00 kicks butt.

25:03 [Music]

25:06 Yes, yes! I love running this thing through the

25:18 gearbox.

25:21 Now, this thing's obviously surprisingly civilized

25:28 here in the city, but God, when you ride this thing on your favorite back road,

25:34 this bike is just exhilarating to ride. It is absolutely exhilarating to ride.

25:42 This Streetfighter V4 makes me remember why I liked old-school Ducati

25:50 superbikes so much, because they just were so insanely fun to ride. They had good

25:58 power, good character, a charisma that other vehicles just don't have, and this

26:07 Streetfighter V4 S brings us back to Ducati's core roots, and then some.

26:16 Not only does it have Ducati's core fundamentals and roots, but it's got just

26:21 an insane amount of performance, an insane amount of of electronic

26:27 adjustability, and I just really like this bike. Fuel mileage we forgot to

26:34 touch on the MPGs. Now, if you can just plug this engine and not really get on

26:42 the pipe, this thing will get pretty decent fuel mileage right around the

26:48 high 30s, but realistically when you're riding this bike like it's meant to be

26:53 ridden in the canyons, you're gonna get fuel mileage in the high 20s,

26:58 low 30s. So if you can just short shift it, lug the engine, not rev her out, you're

27:04 gonna get high 30s. For everyone else, you're gonna get high 20s to low 30s, but

27:11 still, it's nice that you have the choice, aka your right wrist. Well folks, there it

27:19 is. Ducati's totally awesome 2021 Street Fighter V4S project bike deck to the

27:27 moon with Ducati performance accessories. Now, in the bike world, this thing is a

27:36 big deal. We get to ride a lot of cool bikes all the time, but this thing really

27:42 leaves its mark on me. I like riding this thing a lot. Let's do some Q&A real

27:50 quick for the fans. All right, let's do some Q&A real quick. Straight to the top

27:59 here. How is there over $20,000 invested in this other than the exhaust and clutch

28:05 bike looks stocked? That's a great point. Well, we've got the $5,000 magnesium

28:11 forged wheels. We have the $1,500 carbon fiber wings that generate 60-some pounds

28:20 of downforce at 160-some miles per hour. We have the awesome levers, the carbon

28:29 fiber everywhere, the seat, those awesome rear sets. There is a lot of stuff on

28:36 this motorcycle. Some of it's kind of silly, like the carbon fiber on the

28:43 instrument panel. Some of it's kind of not, like those awesome precision machined

28:49 rear sets, but the great thing about Ducati performance accessories is you

28:56 pick your poison. You pick whatever you want in the catalog. You put it on, you

28:59 don't put it on. Everything has Ducati's manufacturer warranty behind it. Other

29:07 than looks, how does this machine compare with the KTM 1290 Duke R or R when it

29:14 comes to riding on the street? Well, I haven't ridden the RR 1290, but I've

29:19 ridden the current modern 1290, and that bike's really nice, but this bike, no bike

29:25 accelerates like this bike. There is no other naked bike made in any displacement

29:31 category that accelerates like this vehicle you're looking at it, and that's

29:36 all you need to know. Are super nakeds a paradox because to actually use them that

29:42 that much HP you need a fairing? Well, kind of. That's what I always thought, but

29:48 now that I'm old and my body doesn't bend like it does on a sport bike, these

29:53 motorcycles are really awesome because they're just more comfortable. They're

29:57 more comfortable, and you can still wail, and maybe not wailing quite to sport

30:02 bike level, but 94% there, and you're comfortable, and that's why these naked

30:09 bikes are cool. They also look awesome. I mean, just like imagine pulling up at the

30:15 spot on this motorcycle like this thing is a looker. Alright folks, one more

30:21 question, Monster 1200S or Street Fighter? That is a no-brainer. This bike, I'm not

30:28 a big Monster 1200 guy, but a Street Fighter guy, V4 Street Fighter guy, I

30:33 definitely am. Alright folks, that wraps up today's MC Commute review on the 2021

30:39 Street Fighter V4S project bike. What I spend my $47,000, almost $48,000

30:46 as tested money on this bike, I wouldn't spend that, but I definitely would buy a

30:53 Street Fighter V4. I'd probably even get a V4S. I'm really feeling this

30:59 Ohlins semi-active suspension, and you know what? I would absolutely spring $3,500

31:05 for that dry clutch. You know what? I absolutely would spend $1,300 on those

31:12 rear sets. Now that Akrapovic pipe is totally awesome, but $5,500 is a little

31:20 bit steep for it, and it's just so loud. I feel like if I owned this motorcycle, I

31:26 would get arrested, or I'd be running from cops on a weekly basis, one of the

31:30 two. So I probably wouldn't do that, but I definitely would pony up money for the

31:35 dry clutch and those rear sets, and the heated grips, and the seat. There's a lot

31:41 of things on this bike that I would plop down my cash for because these

31:46 components just work really well. Alright folks, make sure to log on to

31:51 MotorcyclistsOnline.com. That's where all of my reviews and content in the

31:56 written form goes. Give this video a thumbs up if you liked it. Please thumbs

32:01 it down if you didn't, and we'll see you next time. Thanks for watching!

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2021 Ducati Streetfighter V4 S Review | MC Commute

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