Not only does 2021 mark the 50th anniversary of the very first production Ducati L-twin – the 1971 GT750 – it also sadly signifies another nail in the coffin for the desmo V-twin.
The arrival of the new, cam-driven Multistrada V4 and the 2018 switch from V-twin to V4 power for the Panigale family means the engine that not only characterised modern Ducati but also dominated a generation of motorcycle sport is on borrowed time.
The desmo V-twin, after all, has been at the heart of every Ducati superbike from the original 1974 750 Super Sport to the 2017, 200+bhp 1299 Panigale R, with the MHR900, 851, 916 and more in-between.