Ducati has dropped the revised 848 Testastretta 11-degree engine into an uprated Streetfighter chassis to create a seriously attitudinous, midweight V-twin naked bike.
Those 11 degrees have nothing to do with temperature, by the way - they refer to the included angle between the valve stems. When you compare that to a classic American “hemi” engine, which has hemispherical combustion chambers and an included angle of 90 degrees, you'll understand that engine design has come a long way since Fabio Taglioni perfected the Desmodromic valve system in the 1960s.
The Streetfighter 848's power delivery has been smoothed out, ergonomics revised and traction control is standard.
The Ducati Streetfighter took the 'Most Beautiful Bike' award on its world debut at the Milan show in November 2008, and Ducati says the Streetfighter 848 is intended to widen that appeal to the midweight naked segment.
It'll be available in South Africa from November 2011 in traditional Ducati red, yellow for mid-range purists, and matt black to enhance the bike's aggressive image, at an indicated retail price of R145 000.