Page 34 - LHR November 2025

and expensive to produce, offers many advantages, from and the New V2
improved performance to more compact packaging. ( 9 6 m m x
Fabio Taglioni, Ducati's legendary engineer, introduced 6 1 . 5 m m ,
the desmodromic system to address challenges faced by 8 9 0 c c ) . A l l
V-twin engines in the 1960s, particularly the weight of three engines
large valves compared to the smaller valves found in share the same
multi-cylinder engines like those from Honda.
b a s i c
Ducati is the only manufacturer to have mass-produced c o m b u s t i o n
desmodromics, and they've remained a central element in system – four
Ducati's racing success. v a l v e s p e r
c y l i n d e r ,
In fact, Ferrari even consulted Ducati on valve train
technology, and Ducati's continued use of desmo valves in naturally aspirated
MotoGP shows their ability to beat even the likes of w i t h p o r t f u e l
pneumatic valve springs – a technology that, while injection – and all are
impressive, is not suitable for mass production. water-cooled.
Let's first look at outright
Despite my deep admiration for desmodromics, I'll try to
remain objective when discussing Ducati's new V2 performance.
engine. This new engine is notably lighter than other
Ducati V-twins, as one would expect from a more modern All three engines have similar mean piston speed
design.
(MPS) at maximum power, with the
The valve springs are likely lighter than the New V2 showing the highest MPS.
desmodromic components, though I doubt This is to be expected, as it's a revvy
the difference is substantial. The new engine, with peak power being
engine features inlet cam phasing, which is reached at the same speed as the
an interesting development. But it's not the Superquadro, but with a longer
first time Ducati has used cam phasers – the stroke. The Superquadro has the
Testastretta DVT already incorporated highest brake mean effective pressure
them for both inlet and exhaust camshafts.
(BMEP) at both maximum torque and
There are two variants of the New V2, which differ power, which is an important metric that reflects how
primarily in tuning and gearbox ratios. The engine also much pressure is being applied to the piston
boasts gear-specific maps, knock sensors for low-octane throughout a single stroke. Essentially, the higher the
fuel, and all the typical electronic features you'd expect. In BMEP, the better the engine's performance.
terms of packaging, the water pump is mounted on the Next, we can compare the ratio of peak power BMEP
front cylinder head, with a water/oil heat exchanger to peak torque BMEP. Peak torque will always be
positioned inside the Vee of the engine. Additionally, the higher, but this ratio gives an indication of how well
rockers have a diamond-like coating, which may help an engine holds its performance across the rev range.
reduce friction compared to desmodromic systems.
The Superquadro leads in this category, followed by
To provide some perspective, I've analyzed the the Testastretta, with the New V2 trailing behind. This
performance metrics of three current water-cooled Ducati suggests that while the New V2 might benefit from the cam
V-twin engines: the Superquadro (100mm bore x 60.8mm phaser technology, it doesn't quite hold up in terms of
stroke, 955cc), the Testastretta (94mm x 67.5mm, 937cc),

34 NOVEMBER EDITION 2025