Power from the immense V4 Desmosedici Stradale remains at a claimed 205bhp (or 208hp in the Ducati brochure). So hardly an issue there. Peak torque also remains capped at 90.4lb-ft (123Nm), and we can't see any sane human being complaining about that either. Top-spec Brembo Stylema brakes remain, as does the main chassis and its superbike-inspired geometry.
Ducati has, however, tweaked the ergonomics and electronics, a similar trick as performed last year to the Panigale V4, to make the Streetfighter V4 faster, madder and, believe it or not, easier than ever.
To test the new 2023 updates, we headed to the tricky and challenging Circuito de Andalucía in Spain, to see if we could feel the differences and experience one of the most demanding naked bikes on the market. Normally when we attend a world press launch and arrive to find the new model is ostensibly like the old, we'd be a tiny bit disappointed. But in this case, I for one was not complaining. In fact, the Streetfighter V4S could even have been tamed a little - had a few horses shaved from its brutally potent motor - and I'd have still been happy, because every time you ride one on track you know you are in for a serious full-body-and-brain workout. It's a beast like no other.
Before we get to the relative subtlety of the 2023 updates, it's worth refamiliarising with the sledgehammer itself. I spent the early sessions of this test using the Sport mode: short-shifting on the new super-smooth up-and-down quickshifter, trying to relearn the race track. But despite not pushing for a fast lap and barely bothering the business end of the rev range in each gear, the V4 felt utterly up for the fight. Like barely-contained fury.
Fast and focused
Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
