LUIGI MAURO – DUCATI’S CHIEF TESTER
Armed with a pen, paper, and a room-temperature glass of water, I threw a few questions at the mastermind behind this masterpiece. A man they call Luigi…
Why no more power or less weight?
Of course, we can increase the power, but maybe we would have lost some torque at low rpm and we didn’t want to do that. We think that the maximum power is already enough. Being honest, I think we are already the reference for power in the market. And regarding the weight, the bike is light... it’s really light. At Ducati, we have a rule – ‘never forget to reduce weight’. Of course, we could have done something more. Take the Superlegerra, for example; it is superbly light, but it is also very expensive. I think that people would not appreciate the cost of the bike for a few extra kilos saved. But for those who want to make their Streetfighter even lighter, we have a range of accessories that can reduce the mass. For example, we have carbon fibre wheels for this model that will really change the characteristics and behaviour of the bike. Reducing weight is always possible and we are looking for new technologies and materials to help us do so, but for now, this is the state-of-the-art for us.
How long did it take to develop? Roughly one year. We have a standard process for development at Ducati. What’s hugely important for all models is ensuring the reliability of the machines, as well as the performance. This bike had more than 8,000km of testing on track and 100,000km on the road before it was signed off. It’s a huge investment. We spent a lot of time at a test facility in the south of Italy, called Nardo. It allows for all conditions, from high speed straights to bumpy roads. This is the place where we always work on our new models. We must be very thorough and make sure the package is performing.
Luckily, we weren’t starting from scratch because we had the foundations for the package already sat ready and waiting, thanks to the 2022-spec Panigale V4. Of course, having the software and hardware is one thing, but it still needed to be optimised for this machine. In the case of this bike, we really tested every part, step by step. I remember when we were evaluating the swingarm pivot position, for example. We arranged two identical bikes with the swingarm height being the only difference. We did so many laps, building data and feeling the differences it made. It is the only way to be certain of the changes we make. That was a good development, but frankly speaking, we tested lots of things that didn’t work, and they were not introduced. We weren’t going to change something just to make it different. It had to make the bike better.
Road or track – what’s the bias?
We know that people who buy this bike want the best of both worlds, so it’s pitched equally in both areas. Yes, we wanted to make it more useable and faster on the track, but also better on the road. For example, the new systems and software allow you get more from this bike on the circuit. We put in a lot of time mapping the individual torque curves for each gear, whereas on the old bike they were grouped and the performance was restricted. The swingarm position also makes the bike better on track, but in contrast, we wanted to make it more comfortable on the road, too. We understand that the typical buyer of this bike has a performance focus, but they are also maybe wanting a bit more comfort. We had to fight really hard to make the seat on this bike 60mm (twice as thick as the Panigale’s) without making it look wrong. It has made a big difference to the riding experience, and so has the way we’ve helped to cool the bike so it’s not as warm for the rider. We’re proud of the gains we’ve made in both directions.
No change to the looks or aero?
We didn’t modify the aero because we really think that this package is the best one you can have. Of course, we tested many other aero packages, but none of them worked as well.
This aero package is not a traditional choice. Usually, the goal of the wings is to achieve greater stability at higher speeds. With the bi-plane wings, they are designed to work in different ways at different speeds. It allows for more stability at fast speeds but also lots of front wheel load at about 140km/h, which allows for more feel and better agility, too. This set-up really delivers.
As for the looks, the Streetfighter is already very distinctive. We didn’t want to change its face for the sake of it. The changes we’ve made to the tank profile and the shoulders around it make a genuine difference to the riding experience, as well as to the image.
my happy place, but race mode was needed to truly extract the bike’s best. Because the bike was stiffer, I had to work the suspension harder to engage the travel and access more feel. Within a session, I’d got my head around the changes and there was no way in this world I was tempted to dial down the focus the bike now had. I was impressed by how quickly it turned, but more so by the level of feel the front end offered. The focus was simply awesome, and that translated into its stability mid-corner, too – it felt a hard machine to upset, despite several lumps and bumps in the track. In all honesty, the scariest thing was the Ducati’s tendency to kick when landing an unintended wheelie out of a corner, but that’s something I got used to and learned to power through. Corner exits were perhaps the most fun. Because I had so much faith in the front, and truly trusted the tech, I just wound the throttle open and knew not to worry about any slides or lack of traction from the rear. The track was destroying tyres, to the extent that the rears were changed twice during the day, but it was when the tyres were at their worst that the Ducati became the most fun of all, sliding progressively and leaving dark lines everywhere.
Arguably, most people who buy one of these bikes are likely to use them on the road more so than on track, but our day in the saddle hammered home just how brilliant it was on a circuit. I’m writing this feeling a little sick at how positive I’ve been, but it’s genuinely a hard bike to fault. Even the brakes were amazing, aided by non-existent ABS.
Admittedly, a full day on track felt pretty physical owning to the nature of exposure to the elements, but that’s what you get from riding big, powerful nakeds. This is not a toy. It’s not meant to give you cuddles every four minutes, let alone a back massage. It’s supposed to terrify you, in a good way, giving you entry to a world of mayhem that you never knew was so accessible. That kind of notion typifies the Streetfighter experience. It should be sold with a caution sign around its handlebars, warning you that you will be made to do things that are ludicrous. In a world so sedate and risk averse, you need bikes like this to remember what we are here for. In my book, this thing is exceptional.
On a last note – it wouldn’t be right to tap out without covering the old bike versus new debate. Being frank, I don’t expect that many existing Streetfighter owners to trade in their current bikes to upgrade for the sake of it… but what do I know? The differences between the two are good, but unless you’ve got a penchant for grey paint, it’s maybe a purchase for the sake of a purchase. I see this revision as a chance for non-Streetfighter owners to step into the bull ring and try one out for size. On a track, you will not be disappointed, and I’m sure I’ll be saying the same thing in a few weeks when we’ve got one in the UK and have given the thing a thorough road test.
It might not be perfect, it might not suit everyone, but there’s no doubt whatsoever that what Ducati has crafted is pretty exceptional and brimming with performance, smart tech, but best of all, it’s a class above when it comes down to utter lunacy. This thing never gets boring.