my first Ducati failure

[Voltaire]

[QUOTE=tanken2;1131120780]

Red*. Loud. Italian. Sexy**.

Can't wait to bust the 900SS out again!!



* unless it's yellow, silver or black, or maybe Matrix green
** unless it's a Multistrada, what a robot looking bike, I'd still have one though[/QUOTE

exactly , and I must stop saying V twin , its a bloody L twin.

read recent article by well known scribe saying Ducatis dropping of the L twin configuration could be suicidal. Porsche decided that the flat aircooled six was done and front engined watercooled V8 ws the go until a new manager arrived and put them straight after seeing how the factory staff reacted.

Ducati's parallel twin was hardly a roaring success...
Nor was their scooter.

[WALRUS]

I must stop saying V twin , its a bloody L twin.

Eh, I'll always call it a V-Twin.

They'll still be making 90 Degree twins (both single and dual cam, to my knowledge) for Monsters, Multistradas, etc etc.

[AllanB]

Eh, I'll always call it a V-Twin.

They'll still be making 90 Degree twins (both single and dual cam, to my knowledge) for Monsters, Multistradas, etc etc.

Sure are - I think it's a marketing or owner related thing the 'L' to try and separate the design from the general masses of narrower 'v' twins (HD for example .....).

So if 90 degrees makes the perfect 'L' and any thing under 90 falls into a 'V' configuration (logical) then what would a engine layout exceeding the perfect 'L' be called?

It just becomes a wider 'V' until it hits 180 degrees and them becomes a BMW horizontally opposed twin.

Having written that the 'L' twin jargon makes some sense.

Accepting that I shall now call all BMW boxer engines 'I' twins. BMW should adopt this as anything 'i' is trendy with the younger crowd and hipsters and could be a new marketing tool.

The new 'i-twin' from BMW, complete with brown leather seat and pipe wrap.

[AllanB]

[QUOTE=tanken2;1131120780]

read recent article by well known scribe saying Ducatis dropping of the L twin configuration could be suicidal.

They certainly don't feel comfortable dropping the Desmo heads.

The introduction of the V4 has been successful in attracting the existing Ducati owners and new ones - interesting they stuck to 90 with that engine layout. It's technically excellent for balancing without the need for extra counter balances, but that does not stop Aprilia or Honda making superb V4 engines.

It would be a interesting exercise to see if changing the L to a narrower V would lose sales. It's probably akin to the discussions at HD about updating their engines - can't change the angle, must leave the gearbox separate, must leave the air filter in the way of your leg .....

[tanken2]

never liked the V ROD just didn't have that Harley look. Only Harley that I would contemplate buying would be the sportster. But then I think some of the Buells are o.k