Since the 916 it's been downhill all the way as far as I am concerned. VW make good but soulless cars - it wouldn't be a surprise if they take Ducati in the same direction. Bear in mind I ride an air cooled, 2 valve twin made 26 years ago and I love it.
Oh sh1t, I NEVER thought i would say this but i dont think i am a Ducatisti anymore. Fek, after >35 years. The things that brought me to Ducati in the first place were. Looks handling 90 degree V history engineering, desmo valves, Bevel gears and sealed cases. Loved that touch low weight stability, perhaps too much. The exclusivity and rarity Having recently sold a 1200 Multistrada i dont imagine i will be back anytime soon. I sold an Audi A4 a few years back just because it bored me senseless. bastards.
The Germans make reliable things, they’re just so bloody boring tho. Having said that, My previous VW Caddy needed a new head at 14000 miles due to a crack, this one needs a new wheel bearing at 73000 miles. I had an 06 Passat which ate its gearbox at 120,000 miles. So perhaps they’re not all that good? I drove a Lamborghini something or other on a track day, these cars are supposed to be dream motors but because Lambo is owned by Audi I may as well been driving an Audi, it was crap. Moving on to my Ducati, I know it’s Audi owned but it’s still very different to any other bike I’ve had. Have to say this one has made me fall in love with biking again, I’ll even go out in the cold! Reliability can only be a good thing, right? Just don’t take away the character.
They needed to get the servicing costs down. Wet clutch, timing chains, remove desmo system and increase service intervals to keep the PCP buyers happy. They baulk when they get a big bill that is five times their monthly payments.
Seriously ? Where should we start ? A big twin that has truck loads of power at low revs , then carries on revving out to over 10k with oodles more power all the way . Your Harleys and Guzzis will give that low down grunt , and the Jap screamers will do the high rev stuff .... .... but both characteristics in the same engine ? Maybe there are other engines out there that will do the same .... just can't think of any right now
VTR? Manufacturers make ones here and there but not as their core road/sports bike. Aprillia of old too.
I recon the answer is ; “nobody apart from Ducati makes a large capacity V twin with good torque and power apart from those that do such as KTM, Suzuki, Aprillia, Honda etc etc”
My 70's 350 Sebring ran pretty well on ordinary valves, sounded great too, esp with a short rv cone mega. Of all the Duc ati's I,ve owned it is the one I'd most like to have back again. If it had been desmo I may not have snapped that piston ring? And I'd give it a full restoration again.
Ducatis first twins were springer engines thru most of the '70s, the GT, GTS and Sports. Dry clutches were on a limited number of bikes, I fail to see/ hear the draw.
Sound comes first from the angle of the Vee, and also from the cam timing. Harleys and KTMs each have different vee angles as well as cam timing. As I see it, cost to maintain will drop, is that a bad thing? Ducati wants to sell bikes to be used for everyday use, easier valve adjustments should better enable that. If the DOHC cams are right above the valves, guide wear should be less. Longer valve life should be a result.
I am surprised Ducati stuck with the desmo design this long actually! Go back to the '90s, their Liter twins were winning in world racing, vs the smaller 750 cc 4 cylinder bikes; rules let a twin have greater displacement. Companies including Honda and Suzuki figured they to could make a liter twin and win, they did and they won some races and sold some sweet bikes- with no desmos. Aprilia, Britton, and Harley all built their V twins, only the HD was a failure! The point as I saw it then was that Desmo valves were not needed to win races! A decade earlier, Ducati lovers were regretting the loss of the signature tower shaft cam drive;The 1979 Pantah introduced the very successful 'rubberband drive'. People got over it, and Ducati sold more rubber band bikes that they ever did sell tower shaft bikes. For those that do not realize it, getting those bevel gears shimmed to perfection was an added assembly job, and cam timing was often less than ideal not to mention uneven from one cylinder to the other due to machining inaccuracies/ tolerances. The belt drive and now chain drives are easier to assemble as well as to machine.
