I'm new to being in the personal vicinity of Ducatis so I'm not fully aware what constitutes "business as usual" for the various sounds they make. The 99 M750 with 16k miles I just purchased seems to have a valve ticking louder than the others, but I wouldn't call it "harsh" or "concerning" from what I have experienced before. I plan on doing valve measurements this weekend so I'm sure if anything is amiss it will come up. Desmo valvetrains just make different noises as you know, noises I need to learn as time goes by.
Hearing problems in engines is just something that comes from experience, and I only have the experience on japanese bikes, so any tips for these 2 valvers would be appreciated... from a "listeners" viewpoint