There are few bikes like the Italian king of motorcycle racing, the great Ducati. In common with its very different competitor, the Harley-Davidson, Ducati has a fiercely loyal and enthusiastic fan base.

The early Ducati models were known the 'naked' bikes, sports bikes that focused on power over embellishment. The entire line use air-cooled or liquid-cooled, two and four-valve Desmo engines which give them their sparkling acceleration.

In the world of cars, Ducati would be synonymous with Ferrari, built by engineers for engineers and representing the best of engineering culture and concepts.

As a few examples:

Multistrada 620

Ducati's Multistrada 620 is both stylish and fast, earning itself a place in the pantheon of all motorcycles. It is powered by an air-cooled 618cc L-twin which allows it to get up and go in one smooth swoop.

Normally, sport bikes are uncomfortable, but Multistrada 620 is surprisingly comfortable and easy to drive. Compared to other sport bikes, it is lightweight and engineered to handle itself around Italian mountains as well as on city streets. Its big brother the 1000cc Multistrada 1000 DS is too heavy in my view and detracts from the flexibility.

ST3s

Combining the style, performance, and touring bike features, Ducati's ST3 models use the 992cc Desmo3 engine to give both power and comfort via inverted Showa shocks. The ST3s deliver 107 hp and 72 ft-lb of torque through its Marelli electronic fuel injection and superior exhaust system.

Ducati owners go for the style and design but, in the factory, the use of electronics takes full advantage of latest technology. Some aspects, such as its neat instrument panel and anti-theft device, might be seen as window dressing but deeper inside there are very clever fuel management and engine optimization gismos that bode well for the future.