Ducati Street Fighter

[Dockstrada]

Was talking to a NFI guy yesterday,in our conversation the topic of the monster forum and the monster enthusiast comunity came up.The question was by him ,Is the Street fighter going to be looked at as a replacement for the S4RS and will it be considered a super monster or will it be seen as the beginning of the end of the monster style range 

[mattyvas]

My thoughts are that it is going to be a bit like the HM.
An individual model, not really Monster and not really naked 1098.
It certainly spells the end of a 4V Monster but I'm not sure if the SF will continue beyond one or two life cycles.

[Super T.I.B]

My thoughts are that it is going to be a bit like the HM.
An individual model, not really Monster and not really naked 1098.
It certainly spells the end of a 4V Monster but I'm not sure if the SF will continue beyond one or two life cycles.

I concur. 

[loony888]

yep same here,
for ducati to go down the "fashionable" road they have set in motion events that will spell their doom.
ducati have always done their own thing and others have emulated them, i hope their stocks of t-shirts and caps are ok cause monsters made up two thirds of bike sales, now with only the two monsters in the range relying on the rest to sell like the monster has will be a difficult ask.

[Dockstrada]

Don't know if i agree totally  Ducatisti have evolved some what since the release of the first monster into more sophisticated buyer's now wanting the latest in technology and styling, as per the 696 where us old school monster owners snubbed our noses at first it has now got our attention fitted with the larger donk  

Any change that is going to make our current rides look out dated is going to rub us the wrong way at first, but in time our logic and eye for style will prevail [moto]

In any case the monster still lives on less the S4RS, which in reality where could Ducati go with it  Financial the 2 valve monster was the winner for Ducati ,They just superceded the lesser of and replaced with an avenue for the S4Rs up graders

[Big T]

It shall indeed be interesting to see the evolution of the Monster over the next few years. I do like that "Older" Monster style but also open to change..... 

Yea I will have a look at the Street Fighter when it comes out.... 

Will the SF evolve? I think it will as we do (some of us) like "the latest technology and styling".

I believe that Ducati are aiming at "newer" Ducatists with the new Monster & SF range....

The rest of the traditional Ducati owners will still run their older models and love them regardless (EG: ST owners)......

[loony888]

i've owned dukes since before the monster was first released and i don't know that i've evolved far enough to like the street fighter, looks too much like an aprilia tuono to me. i love the 1098 i loved the 998 and i still own my 888 but there is no way i could warm to the 999, even now i'm used to the shape, ugly is ugly, fullstop. but, at least they weren't copying anybody. I'm going to sound like a real snob here, some might call me a wanker but i'm glad i ride my 888 and even my 5 year old S4R, at least i'm not being confused with the new breed of "sophisticated" ducatisti who look at them as a fashion item, to be seen arriving at a coffee shop on,that's what harleys are for. ducati are real bikes that are built to be ridden hard and fast. i feel embarassed for these middle aged born again bikers who have just forked out for the latest 1198 with ducati leathers, ducati helmet, ducati gloves and huge chicken strips that show they haven't got a clue.
while i'm venting i'll add that they should buy another monaro or GT because they're just going to fall off, get it written off and then buy a car, pushing bike premiums up in the process!!!

ahh, i feel better now!

paul.

[craigo]

I dunno. I love the original monster form factor, always will  . But by the same token I love the Hypermotard and the 696/1100. At the end of the day, stuff needs to evolve one way or the other.  The prelease specs of the Streetfighter indicate that it will kick_serious_ass, as well as having traction control etc.

I spoke to a couple of guys in Seattle Ducati today who have actually sat on the thing, and they reckon it feels a lot more like a Monster/Hypermotard from a stance perspective than any of the 1098/848 style bikes. If someone can do pipes for it that move the cans up under the seat horizontally as opposed to the vertical right side pipes, I reckon it will be a winner.

However, given the ~$24K USD pricetag on the Streetfighter S, I have feeling it will be $35K+ AU, maybe more.. Not sure if anyone will be willing to pay that in these 'uncertain economic times'.

But 150HP + traction control makes it worth a look, if nothing else.

[loony888]

24k U.S!!! really?? that's some serious coin. it will be interesting to see what it retails for here, the S4RS was what? 24k aud?

paul.

[mattyvas]

Yeah that is serious coin. But just look at the price of the M1100s $24k on road, plus pipes at the usual $2.5-$3k for pipes/ecu.
Then whatever else you wish to add that's getting near $30k for a 2V Monster, far above what the S4Rs went for.
As for the SF, if that's what it's going for in the US then I can't see it selling in volume here.

But then Ducati have been trying to re-brand themselves in the Premium Market in recent years.
They seem to be looking for a new buyer who isn't so taken with a single model but keen to own many models in the range.

[Super T.I.B]

Yeah that is serious coin. But just look at the price of the M1100s $24k on road, plus pipes at the usual $2.5-$3k for pipes/ecu.
Then whatever else you wish to add that's getting near $30k for a 2V Monster, far above what the S4Rs went for.
As for the SF, if that's what it's going for in the US then I can't see it selling in volume here.

But then Ducati have been trying to re-brand themselves in the Premium Market in recent years.
They seem to be looking for a new buyer who isn't so taken with a single model but keen to own many models in the range.

To be quite honest, this will not work. IMO.

I don't know why, it just won't. It smacks of snobbery. 

[mattyvas]

yeah but I think that's what they want.
I do remember hearing somewhere the words "Porsche" in there re-positioning of the brand.
Doesn't mean that ownership of good pre-loved examples (or your current) will be expensive but it means buying into new models will cost more
than it did going back 5 years of so.

[Super T.I.B]

yeah but I think that's what they want.
I do remember hearing somewhere the words "Porsche" in there re-positioning of the brand.
Doesn't mean that ownership of good pre-loved examples (or your current) will be expensive but it means buying into new models will cost more
than it did going back 5 years of so.

Well, I'll probably never buy a new one.    Either a used Duc or a new Triumph. 

[Dannog]

If you were to take the view that the Street Fighter will attract NEW buyers to ducati. ie those that are currently buying Brutale, Turono, Moto Morini, K1200R, Buell, CB100R, Z1000, Superduke, Speedtripple, etc because they didn't think that the S4R Monster cut it then the bike should attract its own new following. They well likely be very different from us choosing not to customise their machines and stick with an off the shelf versions. (heaven knows it costs so much to start with that many wouldn't have any $$$ left for pipes and bling!.)

If all teh SF does is cannibalise the current Monster comunity into v2 traditionalist and those wanting the extra v4 power and performance then it may simply be seen as an S4R replacement monster. Certainly the style of riding will be similar to what we now do on Monsters.

I remember when I read the first review of the v4 Monster, all the journo's where saying that finally Ducati had placed a decent donk into a fantastic bike. At the time the other marques were playing catch to Ducati. With some of the bikes I listed above many have simply chosen those as they see the Monster as old and dated.

[loony888]

Yeah that is serious coin. But just look at the price of the M1100s $24k on road, plus pipes at the usual $2.5-$3k for pipes/ecu.
Then whatever else you wish to add that's getting near $30k for a 2V Monster, far above what the S4Rs went for.
As for the SF, if that's what it's going for in the US then I can't see it selling in volume here.

But then Ducati have been trying to re-brand themselves in the Premium Market in recent years.
They seem to be looking for a new buyer who isn't so taken with a single model but keen to own many models in the range.

mate, ducati have always been THE premium bike brand, harley have their own niche but if you want to compare apples with apples you really need to compare the superbike range. as far back as i can remember the current superbike be it the 851, 888, 916, 996, 998, 999, 1098 have always cost in the region of 40% more than their japanese rivals, the exception to this is the homologation specials, the yamaha OW01, the honda RC30, the suzuki GSXR750RRand the kawasaki ZXR750RR all good bikes and collectable these days, but still, the ducati SP models were better equipped, harder to get, crikey, i waited 9 months for my 888 strada!!! and were absolute belters out of the box. the japanese "SP's" were making about 100hp but had the "potential" for serious power, if you bought the factory gear like HRC magnesium carbs at 5k a set!. in short, the ducati road going superbike was closer to a proper race bike that any of the jap stuff, and the ducati SP range was closer still, you paid a price for the hardware as well as the exclusivity but names like "ohlins" "brembo" "marchesini" "magnetti marelli" these are premium bits not found on other road going bikes until yamaha bought ohlins and made discount R/T stuff for all and sundry. oh and ducati were the first to successfully make an injected motorcycle that was sold to the public.
premium!.

paul.