Motoring Personalities That Inspire Us: Fabio Taglioni, The Father Of The Ducati Desmo Valves, L-Twin Engine & Trellis Frame

There are some engine formats that have become so ingrained into the legacy of a motorcycle manufacturer that you just cannot envisage anybody else making it better than them. Inline four engines are the prerequisite for a Universal Japanese Machine. Think of a big-bore V-twin and you immediately transport yourself to Milwaukee. Triumph has perfected the triple and a boxer twin cannot be more in tune with BMW Motorrad. For over 50 years, Ducati is known for its 90-degree V-twins, or more commonly known as L-twins. It was the brainchild of Fabio Taglioni, the man who has literally shaped almost every Ducati since the mid-1950s.

Taglioni is the guy who, aside from designing the first L-twin engine, introduced the desmodromic valves and a tubular steel trellis frame on two wheels. These three elements are the core foundations of a Ducati motorcycle and have been helping the Bologna-based outfit rule the motorsport scene for years. 2020 marks his centennial birth anniversary. And to honour its legend, Ducati has prepared a tribute video. The teaser for the documentary has been released on Ducati’s official YouTube page and we guess the full video will go live on his actual birthdate: September 10.

Taglioni was born in the quaint town of Santa Maria, 60km away from the Ducati headquarters in Bologna. He completed his engineering course from the University of Bologna and joined a small Italian firm called Ceccato. Ceccato is quite famous now for making air compressors but in the late 1940s, it used to make small capacity motorcycles. He spent two years at FB Mondial, helping the Boselli Brothers to numerous Italian cross-country race victories.

Taglioni joined Ducati in 1954 and it was like a match made in heaven. Just two years into his stint at Ducati and he had built the first Desmodromic valve system that debuted on the 125 Sport. The unique technology had already been used by Mercedes-Benz on its W196 Grand Prix but it was Taglioni who adopted it and used it first on a two-wheeler.

With Taglioni, Ducati’s racing efforts began to gain steam. Once the underdogs, Ducati began jostling with the likes of MV Agusta and Moto Morini. And in 1972, Taglioni’s first L-twin powered motorcycles won the Imola 200 miglia. What was even more impressive was that it was a 1-2 finish.

Five years later, the Ducati race bikes had an upgraded L-twin engine and the first trellis frame. Legendary MotoGP champion and 14-times Isle Of Man TT winner, Mike Hailwood (know more about the racer here), came out of an 11-year hiatus to win the 1978 Formula 1 TT class on the Ducati 900SS, Ducati’s third victory at the legendary mountain course event.

Thanks to his three technological innovations, Ducati has managed to achieve countless superbike titles and a few MotoGP ones as well. Ducati has also enjoyed success at several legendary races like Daytona, 200 Miglia di Misano and of course, the Isle of Man.

Taglioni spent close to 30 years at Ducati and passed away in 2001, aged 81. In Ducati’s current portfolio, only the flagship Panigale V4 and Streetfighter V4 models do not use a L-twin engine and trellis frame. Every single Ducati motorcycle though, comes with a Desmodromic valve system. And thus, Taglioni lives on.