This is the first time that a series production Ducati will feature a V4 engine, after decades of specialising in high-performance V-twins. Ducati says with the 90-degree V-angle, the engine is inherently well-balanced and there was no need for a balancer shaft.
The engine produces 214hp at 13,000rpm and 124Nm of torque at 10,000rpm. The redline resides even higher, at 14,000rpm. The optional full system exhaust by Akrapovic comes with its own engine map and adds a further 12hp. Buyers can also purchase a slip on-exhaust that boosts power to 220hp.
Bringing in all this performance is a sky-high compression ratio of 14:1, and it’s worth bearing in mind that the recommended fuel for this bike is 97 octane. However, what’s truly commendable is that even with performance levels approaching the realm of WSBK bikes, the regular service interval is set at 12,000km, while the desmodromic valve service is required only at the 24,000km mark.