UNDER THE SKIN...DUCATI V4R

I've said it before, and no doubt I'll say it again - Ducati doesn't do things by halves. 

- BIG MAC

It's cleaning up in MotoGP, WSB and BSB, which shouldn't really come as a surprise because right now Ducati is peerless when it comes to innovation and trying different things. It understands that to beat the opposition, it's not good enough to just try and do what they're doing but a little bit better. You're much better off ploughing your own furrow, developing your own concepts, and backing your own engineers. 

The V4R engine, as well as being the bike's frame, also has a counter-rotating crankshaft, a V4 layout, desmodromic valves, a twin pulse firing order and a bespoke fuel and ignition map for each of its six gears and split throttle bodies. Neither of the other two bikes have even just one of these features - the Ducati has all of them... and more.

It's also got 240bhp when it has an obscenely expensive Akrapovic exhaust fitted and some bespoke engine oil, and it'll rev all the way to 16,500rpm in sixth gear only redline in first to fifth gear is at 16,000rpm - presumably for when you're slipstreaming someone faster than you while flat-out in top gear and need a few more revs to hang on in there... although the chances of there being someone on a faster bike than the V4R are virtually zero. Even in full Euro5 spec, the V4R is still the most powerful bike on the test at 215bhp, so even without the trick extras added, it still wins the Top Trumps game of stats. Most power, least weight, biggest price tag, most toys, best pub ammo facts.