Ducati’s last V4 was lush…
It was only ever a matter of time, we suppose, before Ducati would have no choice but to start using multi-cylinder engines for their sportsbike range. Not so much to compete in a production sense, as their current large Panigale range holds its own against the best of the rest out of the box. No, it’s down to racing that they’re making this transition because no matter the extra capacity their 1199 R holds over its rivals, nor howmuch effort they put into its racing endeavours, a twin is taken to the absolute limit to compete.
In times past, the capacity advantage gave Ducati extra punch out of turns when the four-cylinder brigade were set at 750cc. When they were upped to litre bikes, though, Ducati were suddenly having to pump extra effort into their 999 at the time, for it to compete with the huge new horsepower and top-speed figures their rivals had. They needed to throw engines at their bikes every weekend, which wasn’t sustainable for such a small company.