It’s an exciting time in the motorcycling world, with seemingly endless innovations headed our way from every manufacturer and their dog. Ducati in particular, famed for pioneering technology such as Desmodronic valve systems and bringing monocoque chassis designs to the forefront of production sportsbikes, have more than done their bit to make our biking world better, so we can forgive them for not seeing the virtues of the V4 motor.
Well, at least in a street bike context, as they’d seen the light several years back in their MotoGP efforts – the source of much of the tech that’s made the new Stradale motor the performer that it is. But before I digress any further about Ducati’s new choice of configuration, let’s take a more general look at the brilliant V4.