Ducati Streetfighter 1098: Official pictures

• Read the world first ride of the Ducati Streetfighter!

Ducati has revealed the Ducati Streetfighter at the Milan show today, a new super naked bike based on the 1098.

The engine and chassis of the Ducati Streetfighter is almost identical to the 1098 superbike – peak power is only slightly less at 155bhp (compared to 160bhp for the 1098) and torque is down to 85lb-ft, compared to 90lb-ft on the 1098. But the rest is identical – the steel trellis frame, Showa suspension (Ohlins on the more expensive Ducati Streetfighter S), Brembo monobloc calipers and even most of the bodywork is taken straight from the 1098.

• Ducati Streetfighter teaser video

The Ducati Streetfighter is also the first Ducati ever to come with traction control fitted and active straight out of the box – even the £24,000 1098R requires a race ECU and exhaust cans for its traction control to function.

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The system has seven levels of intrusion – the lowest setting is for fast trackday riders who want to get the power down as hard as possible, ranging to a more restrictive setting which cuts in early for less experienced riders or in slippery conditions.

The Ducati Streetfighter S also retains the 1098’s datalogging system – owners just need to plug a USB memory stick in to a socket under the seat to download up to 3.5 hours of riding data from the bike’s memory.

Price is expected to be slightly less than the 1098 at around £11,000 with the first bikes arriving in the early part of 2009.

• For more information get the November 5 edition of Motorcycle News