Ducati Streetfighter V4 vs Kawasaki Z H2: Spec Comparison

The Ducati Streetfighter V4 and Kawasaki Z H2 entered the world around the same time and are set to redefine the litre-class naked motorcycle segment. In fact, going by the kind of firepower that these bikes are offering, they can be rightfully termed as 'hypernakeds'. But how do they compare against each other on-paper? Time to find out...

There have been two big ‘big’ bike launches that took place in two different parts of the world recently. One was in Japan while the other was in Italy. Yes, you’ve guessed it right, we're talking about the all-new Kawasaki Z H2 and the Ducati Streetfighter V4. Now they may be worlds apart right now, but they couldn’t be more similar as both of these are hypernaked streetfighters and are mighty, mighty powerful. So, how do they stack up against each other on-paper? Let’s take a look,

Design

There’s no denying that both Kawasaki and Ducati have gone all out with their new naked motorcycles. Let’s take a look at the Z H2 first. It is one mean looking motorcycle. Sure, the design is controversial as it’s a very busy face, but it looks lethal and outlandish. And if you look closely, you'll see an offset air-intake on the left. The Zed looks like a wild animal!

The Streetfighter V4, on the other hand, is a stripped out Panigale V4, and it is as Italian as it gets – brute and beautiful. The balance is just right – it looks stunning and intimidating in equal measure. You've got to say that Ducati designers have aced it once again. So, in the looks department, we'd say that it's Ducati over Kawasaki for us here.

Engine

Now let’s talk about their powertrains. The Z H2 is based on the H2 SX, which, of course, means that it’s powered by a 998cc inline-4 engine that is supercharged and develops 197bhp and 137Nm of torque. The Streetfighter, on the other hand, gets the same engine as the Panigale V4 – a 1,103cc V4 motor, and it produces even more power than the new Z H2 as it’s rated at 205bhp -- although torque is slightly lower in comparison at 123Nm. However, there’s more on offer here as you can also opt for a full racing exhaust with the V4, and that will bump the power output up to 217bhp! No matter how you look at it, that's just ridiculous for a street bike!

Now we haven’t ridden the any of the H2 versions in India so far, so we can’t comment on how this will feel on a street-going naked motorcycle. However, with a supercharger to ramp up the proceedings and an inline-4 motor, it’s going to be bonkers for sure. As for the Ducati, we’ve experienced its V4 motor in the Panigale V4, and it’s a masterpiece. It’s just an endless source of torque and there’s no power fade even when you’re close to hitting 300km/h on the speedo! Now imagine that kind of performance without any sort of wind-protection - we're getting chills already!

Chassis & equipment

Another interesting to note is that the Kawasaki tips the scales at 239kg, while the V4 is much lighter as it only weighs 201kg. In fact, the V4 S is even lighter by 2 more kilos!  So, the Ducati has more power and it’s also lighter. Plus, it’s also got aero winglets for more downforce - close to 28kg of it is produced at 270km/h.

Equipment-wise, both the bikes are brimming with the latest of electronics and rider aids. They both come with six-axis Inertial Management Units that take care of the traction control, power modes, cornering ABS and so on. Both bikes also come with LED headlamps as standard, and they also have a colour TFT display with smartphone connectivity. Both also get a quick-shifter.

In terms of chassis hardware, both the bikes come with fully-adjustable suspension as standard, but the Streetfighter V4 S gets Ohlins electronic suspension. Check full details in the box below,

Price

In Europe, the Kawasaki Z H2 is priced at around 18,000 euros, while the Streetfighter V4 starts at around 20,000 euros for the standard model, while the S version carries a price-tag of 23,000 euros. The equation can change greatly once the bikes come to India though because of our duty structure. The Ducati is expected to be priced between Rs 18 lakh – 24 lakh, while the Kawasaki should cost around Rs 18 lakh as well (these will be ex-showroom prices).

Both the motorcycles are expected to come here in the second half of 2020. As of now, we think these two are absolutely phenomenal bikes. However, if you had to pick one, which would you choose? Let us know in the comments section...

Also read,

Ducati World Premiere: all-new Streetfighter V4, Panigale V2 and 2020 Panigale V4 unveiled 

Supercharged Kawasaki Z H2 & four-cylinder Ninja ZX-25R revealed