Easiest way to spot a 748R engine is , make sure there is a gap between the belt covers and the engine, and there not sitting flush. (Wider belts)
My R (2000) has no DHOC on the cam covers, also as @Markmc says, there’s a 5mm gap between the belt covers and the engine as the R uses wider belts
Presumably you mean the cylinder head castings not the cam covers which are replaceable with any other.
The cam covers, the casting that covers the camshafts, which on a desmoquattro may be a single casting. These (although from Testastretta in this image):
He is referring to the cylunder head casting i thought it only related to the 916sp The head is chamfered and smooth so under hard braking the wheel didnt jam on the head
Jeez, I thought we had got it then but obviously not! It's the same thing. On some engines the casting which forms the cam cover is part of an integral casting (desmoquattro), on others (testastretta) it is a seperate casting to allow easier access to the cams. It is the only part of the engine marked/not marked with the aforementioned lettering and the only part visible behind the front wheel via the v piece therefore it must be the same part to which we are referring. No discussion is needed, it could not be clearer!
So I have just come from finally viewing my 748 at Ducati Sheffield (which I bought at Xmas but is still sat there). Big thanks to Mark at SMC for his patience. I took the fairings off and it does have an oil cooler, together with the smooth cast cylinder head. It also appears to have a deep sump engine. Is this a thing on a desmo-quattro? I only have testastretta engined bikes so I genuinely do not know. Pictures to follow once I have charged up my phone! Oh, and as an extra bonus, the BST c/f rear wheel has now been found so as well as the Ohlins forks, single seat unit, slipper clutch, samco hoses, termis etc. it now has two sets of wheels with nice new tyres. Is it an R? Having jumped the gun on that 999 last week, I will wait to get it home next month before I make any further enquires . It is such a pretty little thing that I will probably hang on to it regardless!
