BUYING A USED Ducati Streetfighter 848

Jon Urry tells us what we need to know…

Fancy a naked middleweight with a bit of attitude? Look no further than the Ducati Streetfighter 848

Ducati’s original Streetfighter model range was a bit of a flop for the firm, which, looking back, seems odd as on paper they had lots going for them. Powered by sportsbike-derived V-twin engines, the Streetfighter models were aggressive-looking nakeds that not only came with decent electronics packages but also a sorted chassis and bags of performance. 

So, what went wrong? It was a case of right bike, wrong time, and also with the Streetfighter 848, buyers’ reluctance to accept that for road riding, you don’t really need stratospheric power figures. An issue the current Streetfighter V2 is also facing.

Released in late 2011 as a 2012 model, the Streetfighter 848 was a smaller sibling of the Streetfighter and Streetfighter S models. Powered by the 848 Testastretta EVO engine from the 848 sportsbike (the bigger-capacity Streetfighter models used the 1198 engine), the Streetfighter 848 carried the same silhouette as well as the funky twin-stacked exhaust system and single-sided swingarm but wrapped it all in a bike that made a fairly respectable (claimed) 132bhp where the bigger bikes made a feisty 155bhp. 

On paper this was all very promising, and it has to be said (aside from in the hideous yellow colour) the Streetfighter 848 did look great. So, what went wrong and why was it only on sale for three short years? Ducati didn’t quite hit the mark in a few ways…

Costing £10,495, the Streetfighter was £3000 more than the superb Triumph Street Triple R, which was quite a bitter pill for buyers to swallow. Yes, the Ducati was more tech-heavy but still, £3000. And then there were the low speed issues.

Despite its middleweight billing, you have to remember that the Streetfighter 848 is powered by a motor that is usually found in a sportsbike. Yes, it has been retuned a bit to make it milder, but it is hard to completely mask its origins and at low speed the Streetfighter is a bit of a pig. Pulling away from traffic lights at low revs, the Streetfighter is jerky and clattery until the V-twin gets into its stride and you end up having to ride the clutch to keep everything smooth, which quite quickly gets tiresome. If you live in an urban environment, it is far from easy-going and you really don’t want to spend much time on one at low speed, especially in hot weather as the engine quite quickly starts to try and cook your inner thighs. But get it out of town and it’s a very different story…

Let off its leash, the Streetfighter 848 is superb. Once the initially grumpy motor is allowed to rev its whole attitude changes and it is transformed into a wonderfully spirited and fun V-twin that builds up speed remarkably briskly and feels engaging and thrilling to ride. It really is a cracking motor and matched to a slick gearbox and eight-stage traction control system (which is actually pretty good, aside from at low revs), feels like a proper sporty super-naked, just one that helps you keep the speedo the right side of lunacy thanks to its reduced capacity. And its chassis is a match for this sporty motor.

Pleasingly, Ducati didn’t cut corners with the Streetfighter 848’s chassis and you get fully-adjustable Marzocchi forks and a fully-adjustable Sachs shock matched to fierce Brembo four-piston radial brakes (with no ABS). As you would imagine, this is a formidable set up and given a smooth B-road or racetrack, the Streetfighter 848 is a joy.

Glued to the road and turning with pin-point precision, even in a modern context the Streetfighter 848 feels on the money in terms of its handling and it will happily keep up with any sporty middleweight currently on the UK’s roads. Naturally, if you introduce a few bumps into the equation it can all get a bit firm feeling but that’s kind of to be expected on a sporty naked Ducati. This is a bike that doesn’t like to leave anything on the table when it comes to going fast – which is why you can almost excuse its poor low speed manners. It is, after all, basically a naked 848 sportsbike.

In an age of amazing value middleweight nakeds, paying £6000 for a used Streetfighter 848 may seem a little steep, especially considering a brand-new Street Triple R is just shy of £10,000. But there again, a new Streetfighter V2 is £16,395 so in this context the Streetfighter 848 is great value for money, especially as it only gives away a claimed 20bhp to the newer model. Also, used naked middleweights tend to hold their value well and the Ducati is only about £2000 more than its lower-spec (and less sexy) rivals from the day such as the Street Triple 675 R and MT-09. 

Which is the better buy? If you want a bit of Italian flair and are prepared to put up with the occasional argument at low speed, the Streetfighter 848 is a great bike with a lovely dose of useable power and performance that feels built for brisk road riding. It’s certainly not as easy-going as an MT-09 or Street Triple R, but it looks amazing, is brilliant in bends, comes with traction control, and that V-twin motor takes some beating.

Price guide: £5000-£7500

Cheapest private: £5300

14,000 miles, red, 2012 model in good condition

Our choice private: £5899

21,098 miles, just serviced and very clean with Termi pipes

Cheapest dealer: £5200

18,999 miles, 2014 Streetfighter 848 in black. Standard.

Our choice dealer: £5999

9122 miles, lovely low mileage bike in red with lots of Rizoma extras.

Ex-demo: n/a

Other things to know…

Servicing

The Streetfighter uses the Testastretta EVO engine and that means 15,000-mile valve-clearance checks (the desmo service), which is great news. The cam belts also last five years (depending on spec of the belt, always check as some older belts are specified to just two years). As on all Ducati models, check the bike’s service history.

Rear hub

Ensure the hub moves freely and isn’t full of grit and grime (it should be stripped and regreased during the 15,000-mile service) and also inspect the pinch bolt area closely. Over-tightening the pinch bolts (they should be 30-35Nm, which is surprisingly low) can crack the swingarm and/or deform the hub.

Dash

A few Streetfighters have suffered from water finding its way into the dash. Check for any signs of misting as any liquid in there at all can lead to corrosion and then a whole host of electrical nightmares!

Tyres

Ducati chose to arm the Streetfighter with a slightly odd-sized 180/60-ZR17 rear tyre, which has a larger contact path than the more common 180/55-ZR17 size. Only Metzeler and Pirelli make sticky tyres in this specific size, but owners often just stick on a 180/55. Ideally, use the correct-sized tyre for the bike.

Clutch

Despite being a wet clutch (the bigger capacity Streetfighter runs a dry clutch) the 848’s unit is still a bit heavy and also prone to leaking seals on the slave cylinder. Replacement aftermarket units cost about £100 and not only reduce the lever effort but also contain more robust seals. Check for any leaks around this area on the engine case as clutch fluid is corrosive.

Exhaust

The OE exhaust can get in the way of your boots, sometimes resulting in scratches or even melted boot getting stuck to it. Check it for marks and also that the exhaust valve is working correctly.

Exhaust part two

Lots of owners upgrade the Streetfighter’s exhaust system to a fruitier item. Termignoni were Ducati’s favoured supplier but at over £700 new, they are far from a cheap option. If you want extra noise, look for a bike with them already fitted. Ideally it will have had its fuelling corrected to suit by a competent dyno house.

Exhaust part three!

The Streetfighter can run quite hot as standard and losing the heavy under-engine collector box through a de-cat link pipe (around £150) is a good idea. It doesn’t make the bike offensively loud but does help it run cooler and give it a deeper grumble.

High bars

A few companies sell bar risers for the Streetfighter, which aren’t a bad addition. If any are fitted (or the bars swapped from standard) check all the lines/cables, etc., aren’t compromised by turning the bars from lock to lock and also fully extending the forks.