I have seen prices from the $300 to $800 range. I think my dealer wanted around $380 or so. I ending up checking the valves myself. If you do your own oil changes you might ask them to price just checking the valves.
I paid 480.00 total but it needed a valve adjustment. that raised the labor cost about 1 1/2 hrs. I would say around 300 to 350 is about right assuming no valve adjustment is needed.
Desmodronic valve actuation is really nice as there is no valve float because there is no spring to close the valve, the cams open and close the valves so high rpm means stable valve train and more power but desmodronic actuation comes at a price and that is you can't set the valves at yourself, you have to have special tools and knowledge and it still costs an arm and a leg. I heard that some of the (Ducks) have to have the head removed to set the valves.
Never been a fan of Wop bikes other than Guzzi and I'll never own one.
Flip is right about maintenance costs on the Ducati's. When I was manning up the register when I worked at D&D I saw several shop orders come up for payment when the customer picked them up and usually it was over a thousand. I believe they had like two belts to be replaced in the engine when that work was done. Made up my mind then and there that Duc's weren't for me.
I believe that Daryl is also right in that one of their big selling points on the new Duc's is that the maintenance costs are "supposed" to be half what they used to be...how they accomplished that I don't know....next thing I know I woke up in Afghanistan.
I just had mine done. With having to adjust all 12 valves it was about 7 hours. Guess it depends on how much the shop rate is. Due to some other issues my dealer only charged me for 5.5 hours and with everything it came to right at $500. Should have been closer to 7. They also told me they had never had to adjust that many valves on an R3. depending on how you ride it may be less time.