When a manufacturer stumbles upon a winning formula, it tends to milk it for all it’s worth. A perfect example can be found under the Ducati umbrella. The Panigale V4S has been one of the company’s best-selling models, and when Ducati decided to give it the SP treatment and fit it with carbon fiber wheels, a dry clutch, and some other premium parts, all of them sold out within a week.
Understandably, seeing that kind of success, the decision was made to apply the same SP touches to the Streetfighter V4S, another hit for Ducati. The same carbon wheels, dry clutch, and visual package on the Panigale transferred over to the Streetfighter, but the Streetfighter V4 SP also received stiffer springs and revised valving at both ends for a more track-focused ride. Of course, if you’ve already read my written review of the 2022 Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP, you’d know that. And more.
Considering the instant success of the Panigale V4 SP, it should come as no surprise that when the Streetfighter V4 SP was announced it, too, sold out super fast. Despite all the bikes being spoken for, Ducati still felt the need for a select group of motorcycle journos to try the bike and tell the rest of the world what it’s like. I, my friends, was the only North American invited for this task.
It’s a high honor indeed, especially since the entire Motorcycle.com staff have loved the Streetfighter V4S so much, rating it at or near the top of every test we’ve put it in. So to experience what a heightened version could pull off would be something special.
The venue? The Cremona Circuit in Northern Italy. While it may not have the cache of so many other Italian racetracks, it’s still a great and challenging layout, with smooth pavement and a nice flow that’s easy to learn but incredibly hard to master. It’s probably why Ducati uses it for their own internal testing.
Curious to see and hear the Streetfighter V4 SP in action? Of course you are. Go click on the video link above and enjoy.
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