4/9/23
Streetfigher motorcycles first appeared when riders with crashed sportbikes didn’t have the cash to fix expensive bodywork. So they just left it off. Broken clip-ons were replaced by tubular handlebar, and naked superbikes with more comfortable riding positions were born. This new style of machine emerged from necessity, but soon became cool. So cool that manufacturers started building their own. But more often than not, companies didn’t just strip their superbikes and let these new nakeds fly. More typically, they were previous-generation parts-bin builds with the sometimes dreaded “retuned” (read: detuned) engine. But things have recently changed. Enter hyper-nakeds like the 2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 S.
Easiest way to describe the latest Streetfighter V4 S? An unwrapped Panigale superbike. You might expect a 208-hp motorcycle powered by Ducati’s potent Desmosedici Stradale V-4 to be a handful, but thanks to updated electronic rider aids and a knockout chassis, the Streetfighter V4 S gives us face-melting performance more people can access. In fact, Cycle World In-Market Editor Bradley Adams found it easier to ride than ever before. Check out his review here.
So how did we get here? Check out some of the naked machines that have pushed the segment forward below.
As always, there’s more than we can fit into this email. Check out cycleworld.com for additional tests, reviews, and news.
Ride on,
Justin Dawes
Executive Editor
