2012 Ducati Motorcycle
It was only a matter of time before Ducati began offering a younger sibling to the 1099cc Streetfighter.
And that time has come; for 2012, Ducati is offering a Streetfighter 848, one of the most anticipated motorcycles in next year’s lineup. It may be smaller, but it has all the tasty bits of its brother: L-Twin torque, savvy chassis technology, a single-sided swingarm, and monobloc brakes.
Just because it’s a younger brother to the 155-horspower Streetfighter, though, doesn’t mean it’s a slouch. The 2012 Streetfighter 848 arrives with the Testastretta 11° engine that pushes 132-horspower at 10,000 rpm.
The Desmo is the same motor offered in the 848 EVO sportbike, but with some fine tuning for a wider torque curve, allowing the Streetfighter 848 to be more compatible in real-world situations, especially at lower revs.
Technically speaking, the Streetfighter 848’s overlap has been reduced from the EVO’s 37-degrees to 11 degrees for “fluid power delivery, a much wider power band and reduced consumption and emissions.” And with the more street-tamed motor arrives an easier maintenance schedule; the Streetfighter 848 requires valve checks once every 15,000 miles.
All this power is laid to the ground through a light, 378-lbs. (dry) chassis, giving it the best power-to-weight ratio in the streetfighter category.
The 2012 Ducati 848 Streetfighter features the signature Trellis frame with rake angle of 24.5 degrees, which is the same as the 848 EVO Sportbike, providing maximum response for the rider.
And of course out back is a single-sided swingarm, but with a new longer design. The black swingarm is constructed of high-grade aluminum, and has been stretched, helping to create a 57-inch wheelbase.
The forks on the Streetfighter 848 are fully-adjustable, 43mm Marzocchi units that feature a “natural chrome slider finish and radial mounts for the brake calipers and are fully adjustable in spring preload as well as compression and rebound damping.” Out back, the 848 Street Fighter receives a Sachs monoshock that is also fully adjustable, both in compression and rebound.
Stopping this machine are four-piston, radially-mounted Brembo calipers with dual 320mm discs up front, and a two-piston caliper with single 245mm disc out back.
The 2012 Ducati Streetfighter 848 uses lightweight, 10-spoke aluminum wheels, 5.5-inches wide out back, 3.5-inches wide up front. Mounted on these wheels are Pirelli Diablo Rossi Corsa tires designed from World Superbike Championship technology. The front features a 120/70/ZR17, and out back a 180/60/ZR17 for a wider contact area, which equals additional traction.
When it comes to advanced technology, Ducati didn’t skimp on the Streetfighter 848. It features Ducati Traction Control (DTC) with eight profiles, or “sensitivity levels, each one programmed with a wheel-spin tolerance matched to progressive riding levels of skill, graded from one to eight.”
Ducati says: “While level eight administers a confidence-building, high level of interaction from the system by activating upon the slightest amount of wheel-spin, level one offers a much higher tolerance, resulting in less intervention for highly competent riders.”
And of course, all the styling is tied directly to the Streetfighter’s roots: upright riding position combined with true-naked sportbike styling, and of course that aggressive headlight.
Following are the highlights, specs, color options and MSRP for the 2012 Ducati Streetfighter 848.
2012 Ducati Streetfighter 848 Highlights:
Engine:
- The Testastretta 11° engine transmits drive to a sophisticated wet clutch that is a full kilo lighter than the corresponding dry version; it is also characterized by enhanced durability, improved ‘feel’ and lower noise levels, making riding a real pleasure whatever the circumstances.
- The Testastretta 11° engine on the Streetfighter 848 features a crankcase produced by pressure die casting under vacuum using Vacural technology: this gives significant weight savings and ensures constant wall thickness and greater strength.
- Attention to weight reduction is further underlined with both cam covers and clutch outer cover cast in magnesium alloy.
- The massive 2-1-2 exhaust system is made from weight-saving 1mm thick steel and flows from 58mm to 63.5mm diameter pipes. The system uses two lambda probes to ensure precise fuel mapping for optimum performance and an electronic valve in the mid-section to achieve a wide spread of power.
- The cannon-style, vertically stacked, brushed steel mufflers deliver the famous Ducati L-Twin sound synonymous with raw, Desmo power.
Chassis:
- The new Trellis frame, characterised by a rake angle of 24.5° and a fork yoke offset of 103 mm, has the same geometry as that on the Superbike 848, ensuring maximum responsiveness to rider control.
- The riding position on the Streetfighter 848 gives maximum control thanks to a dominant stance achieved through in-depth study of seat-footpegs-handlebar distances, providing maximum comfort without changing the unique ‘feel’ that only a Ducati-designed naked can offer its rider.
Equipment:
- DDA: The instrument display also doubles as a control panel for the activation of the Ducati Data Analyzer (DDA) system, which is available as an accessory from Ducati Performance. The bike has been built ‘system-ready’ for the data acquisition kit, which consists of special DDA software and a memory key that slots into a plug under the seat. The same plug also doubles as the connection for a handy new battery charger available as an accessory from Ducati Performance.
- Instrumentation: The Streetfighter’s instrumentation blends into the aggressive line of the headlight. Information additional to the default read-outs is managed from the left-hand handlebar-mounted switch gear, allowing the rider to scroll through and select from various menus.
- Handlebars: The handlebars are gripped by beautifully shaped clamps that flow sleekly into the bar-risers. Symmetrically mounted, remote brake and clutch reservoirs are small, low and compact and feed slim, radial master-cylinders by Brembo to complete the clean and uncluttered controls arrangement.
- Lights: The aggressive looking headlight is the ‘face’ of the Streetfighter and it leaves little doubt as to its character. While the main lighting source and multi-reflector design provides powerful illumination to cut through the night, its two evil eye strips of LED positioning lights give a striking and unmistakable identity to the bike.
- Stopwatch: The digital display is programmed with a stopwatch function that, when enabled, can be triggered by using the high-beam flash button and each recorded time stored in a memory. After your journey or track session, the times or lap times can be recalled from the memory and scrolled through by using the instrumentation buttons on the left-hand switchgear.
2012 Ducati Streetfighter 848 Specs:
Engine
- Type: L-Twin cylinder, 4 valve per cylinder Desmodromic, liquid cooled
- Displacement: 849cc
- Bore x Stroke: “over-square” 94 x 61.2mm
- Compression ratio: 13.2:1
- Power: 132hp (97kW) @ 10.000rpm
- Torque: 69lb-ft – 93.5Nm @ 9500rpm
- Fuel injection: Marelli electronic fuel injection, elliptical throttle bodies
- Exhaust: Lightweight 2-1-2 system with catalytic converter and two lambda probes. Twin stainless steel mufflers
Transmission
- Gearbox: 6 speed
- Ratio: 1=37/15 2=30/17 3=28/20 4=26/22 5=24/23 6=23/24
- Primary drive: Straight cut gears, Ratio 1.84:1
- Final drive: Chain; Front sprocket 15; Rear sprocket 42
- Clutch: Wet multiplate with hydraulic control
Chassis:
- Frame: Tubular steel Trellis frame in ALS 450
- Wheelbase: 1475mm (58.1 in)
- Rake: 24.5°
- Seat height: 840mm (33in)
- Front suspension: Marzocchi 43mm fully adjustable usd forks
- Front wheel travel: 127mm (5in)
- Front wheel: 10-spoke in light alloy 3.50 x 17
- Front Tire: Pirelli Diablo Corsa 120/70 ZR17
- Rear suspension: Progressive linkage with fully adjustable Sachs monoshock. Aluminium single-sided swingarm
- Rear wheel travel: 127mm (5in)
- Rear wheel: 10-spoke light alloy 5.50 x 17
- Rear Tire: Pirelli Diablo Corsa 180/60 ZR17
- Front brake: 2 x 320mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo callipers 4-piston, 2-pad
- Rear brake: 245mm disc, 2-piston calliper
- Fuel tank capacity: 16.5l – 4.4 gallon (US)
- Wet weight: 199kg (439lb)
- Dry weight: 169kg (373lb)
Instruments:
- Digital unit with displays for: Speedometer, rev counter, lap times, time, air temp, coolant temp, battery voltage, A & B trips, fuel reserve trip, DTC status and level selected (if activated) scheduled maintenance. Warning lights for: Neutral, turn signals, high-beam, rev-limit, DTC intervention, oil pressure, fuel reserve. Plus: Immobilizer system and management of DTC and DDA
Warranty:
- 2 years unlimited mileage
2012 Ducati Streetfighter 848 Color Options/MSRP (Body color, frame/wheel):
- Red (red / black)/ $12,995
- Dark Stealth (racing black / black) / $12,995
- Fighter Yellow (racing black / black) / $12,995
