[Lucazade 749s]

Originally Posted by Mr.R

Hi Lucas,
Having owned Ducati's since before they went to that cheap and nasty alternative to bevel driven cams...
The rubber toothed belts used for some years now.
I can't get upset when they build the most advanced motorcycle engine ever offered the the public (for road use) and then fit it with the far superior gear driven cam set up.
You're starting to sound like a stick in the mud "Fuddy Duddy" mate.
Since the start of the Ducati Motorcycle company, they have used bevels, straight cut gears, pushrods, pullrods, camchains and even built 2 Strokes, long before they turned to rubber toothed belts!
I've even seen a side valve Ducati engine in a canal narrow boat!
There was a time that the Ducatisti thought that the 'new fangled twins' weren't proper Ducati's, as they had one to many cylinders.
They've built singles, twins, even an experimental triple, across the frame fours and 2 different V Fours, before they built the latest V four.
So which part of their long design and tradition do you think that they're dropping?

Steve

Wow now you defo memorized more from their history then me. Yet I must say ignore all the experimental designs as if you do not then Honda had a L-Twin as well (not talking about VFR which is an V twin). Only all the production motorcycle together they had more of chain driven or belt driven? Yes DDR16 is a production motorcycle it was build for sale.
Honda has a VFR but most of their bikes are not V-Twins so having one from them is an exception part of their history but if dropped no one would cry much.

It also comes down to what people think when they see/hear or think about Ducati. That is dry clutch rattle, racing, for more technical minded belt driven, L-Twin and of course our favourite unreliable :P.
When you think Porsche it is 911 engine in back
When you think BMW bikes, reliable like hell.
Triumph 3 cylinders.
Tell me one think if Ducati jumped to engines like Japanese bikes (4 cylinders or more) with engine behaving like another jap bike would you know it is a Ducati from feel.

What I do not want to happen is Ducati dropping V-Twin all together and building all their future motorcycles as 4 cylinder or more. That is what makes them different. MY favourite example Porsche did not drop it when all were telling them engine in the back = bad idea and now look at them. A class in it self.