The Ducati twin has a long heritage, they persisted, refined and I believe have perfected the big bore sportsbike to the nth degree. They changed to a 4 because the twin had come to the end of the road as far as maximum performance package was concerned. Arguably the 4 is a better bike, more power, better handling etc but does it deliver the "experience"? I keep coming back to that 44t blogger test between a v4 and a 916, at the end of that track day despite describing the 4 in superlatives such as "mental" and fastest bike Ive ever ridden, best handling blah blah blah- they still preferred the 916 for the pure enjoyment of riding.
Isn't that what its about? The biggest problem with Ducati is the cockgobblers who think owning the brand compensates for their lack of whatever. I enjoy the brand when people admire it, but in the end its all about hitting the twisties on a bike that sounds, looks and feels good.