Book excerpt: Ducati stunned the world in 1988 when the struggling, small Italian firm unleashed its Desmoquattro -- 8-valve, desmodromic -- Superbike. The bike found success on the world's racetracks right from the start. Road-going versions soon carried that success to the general public, proving this design wasn't just another noisy prototype. The Superbikes -- 748, 851, 888, 916, and 996 -- are now Ducati's best-selling machines in the United States; and the Desmoquattro engine found its way into the company's more pedestrian series such as the Monster roadster and ST4 sport-tour. This is the comprehensive volume on Ducati's ultimate performance motorcycles and replaces the out-of-print Ducati Super Bikes: 851, 888, 916.