Why are Italian liter bikes generally not as fast/powerful?

[Heimdall Einherjar]

As the Japanese ones, that is.

I never did get how Ducati could be so behind on horsepower.

[Kal]

The short, short version is that the Duke sports are V twins where as the Sports riceburners are generally inline 4's.

Meaning the Riceburners have twice as many cylanders in the engine as the Pastaburners.

[Ninja Geoff]

Some Ducs are L-Twins. They're home in the twisties more than anything.

There's also MV Agusta that has an F4 1000 S 1+1. It has a 4 popper and it competes with the other litre bikes no problem. Does that and looks better than the japanese bikes.

[jmillheiser]

ducati has not used a paralell twin in ages. all current ducatis are v-twins

take a look at the world superbike races sometime and you will see the small power deficit of the ducs vs the japanese bikes means nothing, Neil Hodgeson won his world superbike title on a ducati

[Ninja Geoff]

ducati has not used a paralell twin in ages. all current ducatis are v-twins

take a look at the world superbike races sometime and you will see the small power deficit of the ducs vs the japanese bikes means nothing, Neil Hodgeson won his world superbike title on a ducati

nono, they're L-twins.
Testastretta is an L-Twin. As is the Desmodromic.

[High_Side]

nono, they're L-twins.
Testastretta is an L-Twin. As is the Desmodromic.

"L-twin is Ducati marketing for 90 deg. V-twin. Same thing, different marketing....

[jmillheiser]

I wonder why ducati calls it an L-Twin? having seen ducatis up close the engine looks like a 90 degree v-twin. Guessing they call it an L because of the 90 degree angle forming an L.

Normally when I think L-twin I think a paralell twin as in 2 cylinders side by side.

[Sev]

Uhhhhh, no, that'd be an inline twin.

L-Twin is two cylinders at 90 degrees to each other.

[jmillheiser]

Somehow I always thought L was the abbreviation for inline engines. Like how V used for vee type engines, and F is used for boxer engines

[Ninja Geoff]

Somehow I always thought L was the abbreviation for inline engines. Like how V used for vee type engines, and F is used for boxer engines

I've always seen boxters as H, inline is I.