2012 Ducati Streetfighter 848 spied

One of the most popular Ducati models in the Italian motorcycle maker's range is the Monster, a V-twin naked bike that is usually the first port of call for new Ducati customers.

But what happens when more and more Ducatisti are looking for a naked bike that's a little sharper, a bit edgier than the bare-bones Monster package?

The hard charging Ducati Streetfighter is the next port of call, ostensibly a naked version of the Bologna company's range-topping superbike. But it costs around $25k on the road for the bog standard model, so what's a motorcyclist to do?

Wait for the Ducati Streetfighter 848 perhaps.

The paparazzi (possibly tipped off by Ducati) have managed to snap a photo of what appears to be the 2012 Ducati Streetfighter 848 undergoing testing in Italy, wearing little to no disguise.

Powered by the same engine as the Ducati 848 superbike, the Testastretta Evoluzione V-twin, the new middleweight Streetfighter should be good for between 130 and 140 ponies (95 to 103kW) and is likely to be tuned more for mid-range punch than top end verve.

It will also need to be less powerful than the 155hp (114kW) Streetfighter S.

From what we can tell from the spy photo, the new model will keep the current design intact, complete with colour matched belly pan. The paint job is also new, perhaps taking a leaf out of the new Aprilia Tuono's book with a bold new splash of canary yellow pigment.

Some of the up-spec 848 Evo's gear is expected to make the journey to nudist town, the naked Ducati Streetfighter 848 fitted with radial mount Brembo calipers and what appear to be Marzocchi upside down forks.

The end result of these components should be a relatively agile motorcycle that sounds and looks exotic. We're now expecting it to be launched at the end of September, which means it will definitely make its public debut at EICMA in November.

And for the record, yes, the pedestrian in the photo is wearing a very trendy bum bag.