- Joined
- Nov 2, 2017
- Messages
- 599

Valve guides were very short, making their lifespan the same, very short.Anyone familiar with relic valve spring model Ducati's will know it was not all plain sailing with the valve spring to camshaft relationship on some of them.
A contemporary valve spring engine was long overdue so hope that option is expanded.
Still glad I kept the 1973 750 GT I bought in the 1990's all the same.
It depends on what you want. If it is turbine smoothness and great top end power, you probably don't need a Ducati or a Commando. A friend of mine took Kevin Magee through his crash and burn stage in the 1970s, with his 4 valve air-cooled Ducati. It was very successful. But I think it ran on methanol.Even before we talk about better materials, there’s more basic physics at play...
Heads these days are mainly 4 valves, so smaller, and with tiny stems. High revs and short strokes also needs less cam lift.
When the Desmo concept was invented, valves were like dinner plates on huge stems and cam lift was huge.