The engine was running and sounding so sweet but I wasn’t really hearing it. I was balancing on tiptoes and concentrating hard on finding the clutch grip, opening the throttle slowly to move forwards. My thighs were gripping hard at the £18k machine as I pulled away gingerly from the forecourt at Ducati Manchester. Only a few hundred meters down the road I stopped at the petrol station to fuel up. I was forcing myself to breathe slowly as I dismounted the fierce-looking brand new Ducati Streetfighter V4 on patches of spilt fuel all over the ground.
Finally, I was riding free on a motorway and getting used to the bike. My breathing had settled and my mind no longer screamed at me to be careful. I’d started to settle into the bike, keeping it in ‘street mode’ as it was raining and paying attention to the average speed cameras and 50 mph speed limit. Eventually, I got bored and felt comfortable enough with the bike to travel home on the A Roads.
The second thing I noticed was how good the mirrors are. No vibrating or shaking, which I am used to on my Supersport. They are big enough to see what is behind you and that gave me extra confidence that I was really aware of my surroundings.
It has a clever feature of the self-cancelling indicators that took me a while to ‘get’. Instinctively I cancelled them each time I took a turn then remembered I didn’t have to. After a few days of using the bike I got used to it and I must say, it’s a great feature. Never carry on riding down the road with the indicator still flashing and confusing the other road users.
The model I rode had the standard seat with room for a (very small) pillion. You can, of course, add the pillion seat cover in matching paintwork, which I think looks much better. You can remove the pillion seat with a key where you will find one allen key and a strap to go over the seat and acts as a pillion grab handle. Not much storage so don’t count on keeping your tools there. There is the trickle charger point built in under the seat, though.
I found the bike surprisingly high. Being 5’6” and a regular leg inseam of 30” I was on my tiptoes. There isn’t a ‘lowering kit’ available but you could change the rear shock with a shorter one if this is an issue.
The wings are a bit of a talking point amongst the bike enthusiasts and I must admit, they look better ‘in flesh’ than they do in the photos. They can’t be removed but trust me, once you see the bike you will grow to love them.
At the same time the Streetfighter is very smooth and in no rush at slow speed, bumbling along in slow traffic effortlessly. Although this is not its happy place!
I spent a couple of days riding different roads in Wales and each time I had a huge grin on my face. It doesn’t matter what surface or type of road I took the Streetfighter on, the ride always delivered fun, effortless riding and that feeling of confidence whilst at the same time making you very aware that if you get too cocky it’ll bite you in the arse.
Is it as good an allrounder as my Supersport? Close! If you travel light you can absolutely go on longer journeys if you don’t mind the regular fuel stops and you travel light. There is no petrol gauge more of a ‘panic light’ because when it comes on, you need the fuel pronto. It seems a bit extravagant to use it for commuting and whilst I haven’t tried it on a track, I suspect this is where it excels in ‘race mode’ and freedom to really use all of its power. For me? I would really, really, really like to have one for days out in Wales on those smooth roads, hugging the sweeping bends, flicking through the twisties and explore the ‘sport mode’ on the settings.
Review and photos by Maja Kenny of Maja’s Motorcycle Adventures
For more reviews check out our dedicated Reviews page
Whilst on the test Maja wore Keis Heated Body Warmer – Ladies B501WRP which was kindly supplied by Keis, for more info on this product and to purchase click here
Ducati Streetfighter V4 loaned with thanks to Ducati Manchester
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