Launch: 2012 Ducati Streetfighter 848

The easiest thing for Ducati to do once it was decided to create a middleweight version of the Streetfighter would be to replace the 1098 engine with the 848 Evo one.

The engine slots straight in, everything else works the same and it’s job done, a new bike for minimal development costs.

Ducati though is on a roll right now with bikes like the Multistrada and Diavel driving a major sales expansion even in the recession, and neither happened through taking the easy option. The Streetfighter meanwhile hasn’t sold as well as Ducati had hoped, so the Bologna factory has taken a close look at why this is and attempted to address the reasons with the new 848 version.

There were two main issues: price and rideability, pretty fundamental really. The 1098 Streetfighter cost as much as or more than some full-on superbikes, yet at best it could offer a little less performance with no bodywork.

It’s also a hardcore machine, with an aggressive throttle response and committed ergonomics that are biased a little too strongly towards sport rather than comfort. Throw in the imperfect fuelling, in particular a tendency to surge when trying to maintain a steady speed, and it’s easy to see why sales haven’t impressed.

The aim with the 848 Streetfighter then has been to offer a friendlier bike at a more acceptable price, the danger being a dilution of the Streetfighter’s core values. So the engine is not the 848 Evo unit but a new, smaller capacity version of the Testastretta 11 Degree used in the Multi and Diavel (to deserved acclaim).

The 11 refers to the degrees of valve overlap, or how far the crankshaft rotates while the inlet and exhaust valves are open at the same time – this is a major factor in determining the character of an engine, with greater overlap like a Ducati superbike’s 37 degrees resulting in high power and high revs but less torque low down in the scale.

The ergonomics have been changed by raising the handlebars 20mm and spacing the footrests 12mm further apart to try and tame the 1098’s problem of the rider’s right heel fouling on the exhaust heat shield.

The steering geometry has been sharpened to lend the bike more agility – with a lower top speed than the 1098, Ducati doesn’t have to compromise this so much to maintain flat out stability. At the same time the suspension has been made more compliant with a softer rear spring and gentler damping at both ends.

Meanwhile the price, $18,990 when it goes on sale in Australia in December, pitches the bike much more directly into rivals’ territory, including the definitive Triumph Speed Triple, which is slightly cheaper but which packs an extra 200cc and additional cylinder, a tough spec to beat.

The new Streetfighter has a damn good go though. We rode it at the new Modena circuit, a very tight layout that doesn’t let a bike flow, but which is a severe test of direction changes, followed by a real world ride up the fabulous Montagnana road climbing 800m through Italian mountains past the Ferrari factory.

The handling is sublime, combining a natural and neutral feel with a sharp response to bar pressure and very rapid direction changes – the bike is 14kg lighter than a Speed Triple and it really shows in these circumstances.

Your right foot is still kicked out by the exhaust and after an hour or so the ache in your wrists says if the height of the bars is okay, the angle isn’t quite right. Otherwise the excellent ride quality of the softer suspension improves comfort as well as helping the wheels stay in contact with the road when the surface is bumpy or broken.

You notice this driving out of corners, where you might expect a bad surface to have the standard equipment traction control light flickering it stays quiet instead, as the rear Pirelli Diablo Corsa digs in and grips. It’s not as if there’s a power deficit either, the 130hp (97kW) engine is only 8hp shy of the 848 Evo, and not only does it have more torque at low and medium revs, the gearing is lower too, so there’s plenty of drive available without having to work the gearbox to find it.

It’s not Speed Triple grunty, there are too many cc’s short for that, and the Triumph engine is a great one anyway, but nor does the 848 Streetfighter feel wanting. The throttle response is crisp and urgent and the reward includes a compelling purr from the engine along with the kind of communicative shuddering and shakes that’s so distinctively V-twin.

Shedding the easy-won speed is not the fearsome experience of calling on the 1098’s Monoblocs either, the Brembos on the 848 are standard radially mounted items that are altogether easier and more gently progressive, which is just as well when there’s no ABS fitted.

With Ducati declaring a new focus on safety and fitting the ‘Safety Pack’ to the Monster 1100 Evo, this is a glaring omission, so project leader Giuseppe Caprara explains why:

“We would very much like to fit ABS to the Streetfighter 848 but the bike was designed before we were doing this to many of our bikes and there simply isn’t any room to fit the hydraulic pump and valve system. Incorporating them from the design stage is easy, but not retro-fitting ABS later. So regretfully we haven’t been able to do it.”

So if you must have it you’ll need to wait for the next generation Streetfighter.

This aside, riding the bike is easier then, yet it’s still exciting and very sports biased, and as with all modern Ducatis, owning it should be less demanding than a few years ago.

Reliability generally is now close to Suzuki levels, according to warranty return figures (and better than BMW’s), while the major service intervals are 24,000km apart. With the minor ones at 12,000km, these are the longest intervals in the bike industry, and the services themselves aren’t especially demanding either.

The fuel range might be a stain on the experience for some owners though. We didn’t get a chance to evaluate this on the test but Ducati engines can get thirsty when used hard, in which case the 16.5-litre tank might only be good for 200km or so, although gentler use should improve on that.

Overall though the objectives have been achieved. The price is well down on the 1098 and in the right zone, build quality is exceptionally good, and while the performance is very good, especially the handling, it’s the feel and sound of the bike which will really endear it to its riders. But now you can use it around town or on easy-going trips and it’ll act all benign and helpful. Job done.