Engine removal is quite easy with help from a hydraulic jack Engine left and right views. The state here is after several washes with jizer with engine in situ.
 
 
  Various engine views, de-compressor lever on front cam cover unique to 450 valve spring versions. 450 desmo motors have a poppet valve on the bevel drive side of the engine which gives the oil drain pipe a loop on the rear drain. Racers often replace this with an extra spark plug, which helps acceleration.
 
  Clutch drum and alternator flywheel. Clutch cover prior to polishing. Timing cover and timing cover oil seal after removal of electronic ignition sender plate.
 
  Timing gears. Timing gear cover containing oil pump. Timing gears close-up showing bevel cam drive, oil pump and ignition drive. Note 450 timing is different to 250/350 and uses the line rather than the dot.
 
  Gear selector box. A hand grenade type assembly. Remove the cover and bits fly every where. A kind of 'if it aint broke don't mess with it assembly. Easier said than done if you want to polish the cover

Sprocket, clutch actuating arm and gear selector shaft. When I got the bike running the first time, I could only get 2 gears which turned out to be 4th & 5th as someone had either got the shaft in the wrong position or had the selector box in the wrong gear position

 Top bevel gears look fine no chipped teeth.
 
  Head removed for inspection of piston combustion chamber and valves
 
 
 
  Barrel removed for inspection of piston and bore, both of which seem fine with little sign of wear. I think the piston has been replaced during an engine rebuild at some point then the engine has hardly been run. With the barrel off a quick rudimentary check of the crank for obvious signs of big end failure fortunately everything seems to be OK.
 
  Cylinder head combustion chamber and valves, carbon deposits are quite soft valves look OK and when the head was filled with carb cleaner there was no leakage past the valve seats
 
  Cam drive gear,top bearing and tower Camshaft support bearing Camshaft (not sure which spec) Exhaust cam lobe and valve. Slight scoring on camshaft
 
  Inlet cam lobe and valve. Slight scoring on camshaft. Ducati must have been the last people to use Hairsprings. Valve rockers, pins, bushes and various washers springs and thrust washers. Some wear on pins evident. Rockers and bearing bushes some scoring on hardened surfaces.
       
  Damage to head caused I think by previous removal of camshaft