2020-01-01_Motorcycle_Trader

brakewasa calipers. Wherethemodels
divergedwasinwheelsandelectronics.
TheS versionscoredlighterwheelsand,
moreimportantly,Ducati’ssophisticated
tractioncontrolsystemthatfirstappeared
ontheexotic1098R.
Howmuch?Ah,thatmightbewhatkept
salesdowntojustaboveflatlining.As
muchaseveryonelikedthemachine,the
$26,000(ontheroad)forthestandardwas
a bigask,andthe$32,000fortheS was
downrightdaunting.Inbothcases,it wasa
lotofmoneyfora nakedbike.
Intheend,the 1099 wasproducedfor
justfouryears– 2009to2012.However,
thewholeconceptgota majorboostwith
the 2011 launchoftheStreetfighter 848
(actually849).Verysimilarindesignto
itsbiggerbrother,thisbikegota very
differentresponse.It wasenthusiastically
describedbyonereviewerasbeinga baby
Streetfighterthatcould“smilelikeyour
nanandpuncheslikea pubdoorman”.
Oneofthebigwinsforthismodelwas
thestockerscoredthehigh-endtraction
control,thenpromotedasbeingexactlythe
sameaswhatyougotwiththe1198SP.
Whilemuchoftheenginewaslifted
straightfromthe 848 EVO,there
weresomesubtletuningalterations,
effectivelyusingthesameset-upasforthe
MultistradaandDiavel.
Pricingpulledbacksignificantly.On
theroad,youwerelookingat morelike

$20,500.Thatmadeit farbettervaluethan

thebigboys,sinceinreal-worldtermsit

wasjustasquick– youreallyneededa

racetracktostretchthelegsofthe1098.

Sowhataretheylikeasa second-hand

proposition?Servicingis everythingon

thesethings,sosomeevidenceofregular

careandfeedingis important.

Whereyougofromtherewilldepend

onwhatyou’retryingtoachieve.If your

priorityis nailinga futurecollectable,your

firstchoiceshouldbethe 1098 Streetfighter

S.I reckonallthesethingswill,eventually,

gaincollectablestatus.So,howmuch?

OwnersofgoodStreetfighterS models

areaskingmid-teensthroughto$20,000.

Standardmodelsand848s(whichare

plentiful)startataround$10,000.

Forme,if I wasgoingtoallthattrouble,I

reckonit wouldbetheS,eventhoughthe

middleweightis a betterride.Inanycase,

if thewholeideaofa sharpandthoroughly

entertainingnakedbikeappeals,and

youlikeyourratbagtospeakItalian,the

Streetfightertwinsarethego.

ThenewV4Streetfighterretains
muchofthisarchitecture,butthe
absenceofa trellisframechanges
thepackageimmeasurably.

SPECS

DUCATI 1198

STREETFIGHTER S

ENGINE

TYPE: Liquid-cooled, four-valves-

per-cylinder, 90-degree V-twin

CAPACITY: 1099cc

BORE & STROKE: 104 x 64.7mm

COMPRESSION RATIO: 12.4:1

FUEL SYSTEM:  Marelli EFI

PERFORMANCE

POWER: 98kW (131hp)

at 10,000rpm

TORQUE: 100Nm at 9000rpm

TRANSMISSION

TYPE: Six-speed, constant-mesh

FINAL DRIVE: Chain

CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR

FRAME TYPE: Steel trellis

FRONT SUSPENSION:

USD Ohlins telescopic fork,

43mm, full adjustment

REAR SUSPENSION: Monoshock,

Ohlins, full adjustment

FRONT BRAKE: 330mm discs

with four-piston Brembo

monobloc

REAR BRAKE: 245mm disc with

two-piston caliper

DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES

WEIGHT: 167kg dry (197kg wet)

SEAT HEIGHT: 840mm

WHEELBASE: 1475mm

FUEL CAPACITY: 16.5L

TYRES

FRONT: 130/70-18

REAR: 240/40-18

OTHER STUFF

PRICE $18,990 rideaway

WARRANTY Two years unlimited km

Great fun

Light

Feisty

Maintenance

bills

Future

Classic

88 MOTORCYCLE TRADER