Ducati 888

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The Ducati 888 motorcycle was the upgrade of the Ducati 851, which had introduced liquid cooling, computerized fuel injection and four-valve heads to the company's legendary two cylinder motors.

In 1991 Ducati increased the capacity of the 851 to 888cc, a further evolution of the Desmoquattro valvetrain concept that mated their long-running and unique desmodromic valve actuation--with cams both opening and, as opposed to springs, closing the valves--to a four valves per cylinder layout.

Continuing refinement yielded the next two generations of Ducati Desmoquattro "hyperbikes," the 916/996 and 999 lines.

[edit] Racing

Ducati had the superbike rules changed so that 2 cylinder bikes (ie - theirs) could be 1000cc and the 4 cylinder bikes (ie - the Japanese) only 750cc. The champion the first year the 888 was introduced was a Honda twin, 1000cc.