Ducati introduced the desmodromic valve system to production motorcycles.
In a desmodromic valve train, mechanical mechanisms both open and close the engine valves. This differs from the more common arrangement in which a spring closes each valve. Ducati adopted the system to help maintain accurate valve control at high engine speeds.
The idea was developed in motorcycle racing and became strongly associated with Ducati. Engineer Fabio Taglioni was central to Ducati’s use of desmodromic technology, beginning with the company’s successful racing engines in the 1950s.
Desmodromic engines still require careful valve-clearance maintenance, and the system does not mean that a Ducati has no valves or no camshafts. The name refers specifically to the mechanically controlled opening and closing of the valves. Ducati’s modern road and racing identity remains closely linked to the technology.