Ducati choose even-firing V4.

Ducati has taken an all-new approach to its V4 engine, which it says combines elements of tradition and innovation.

The motor was tagged Desmosedici because it has 16 valves (sedici is Italian for 16) and the valves are operated by the desmo system, a major factor in the marque's racetrack victories.

The team created two versions of the engine for initial testing - one with conventional evenly spaced firing intervals, the other with paired cylinders firing simultaneously.

This second option appealed to Ducati purists in that the sound was similar to the company's V-Twin heritage.

However, early tests suggested that the 'Twin' placed excessive stress on components, so engineers have decided to focus their attention on the conventional firing configuration.