Do not think of the Ducati Streetfighter as a 1098 with high bars and no fairing. This is not the case. This is an all new bike that shares few parts with the 1098. Even switch gear has been restyled to echo the minimalistic design of the front end of this bike.
As would be expected, both rake and wheelbase of the Ducati Streetfighter are somewhat more relaxed than the 1098 Superbike in order to give this more upright 155 horsepower machine the straight line stability that we have grown to expect from any Ducati motorcycle.
There are 2 models available, the standard Ducati Streetfighter and the Streetfighter S. Not only does the "S" come with Ohlins suspension, lighter weight wheels and carbon fibre cam belt covers and front mudguard but it also has the new 8 way adjustable Ducati Traction Control System which is identical to that of the new Ducati 1198S.
The Ducati Streetfighter is equipped with everything that made the Superbike a legend: Awesome L-Twin muscle with brutal, big-bore torque, thoroughbred chassis technology featuring Ducati’s famous Trellis frame, beautiful single-sided swingarm and planet-stopping Monobloc brakes.
Here's a bit of what Kevin Ash thought about DTC on the test of the Ducati 1198S:-
"Lay the bike on its ear in a turn then crack the throttle wide open. Yes, against the stop if you dare. Then, instead of being fired into a low earth orbit you're driven out of the corner with a thrust so ferocious you'd think twice about unleashing it with the bike bolt upright, let alone like this. In the lower gears your biggest problem is entirely new on a road bike: the 1198 S will actually wheelie while cranked right over. DTC will elevate most road riders and plenty of pretty reasonable racers to a whole new level of performance, up there with names you've heard of, in how fast you can charge out of a turn."
This new version of DTC works by manipulating fuel rather than ignition thus offering a much smoother retardation of power delivery that is really only noticeable by the red flashing light that appears on the dash.
The Ducati Streetfighter...........................The Ultimate Streetfighter................................
