This section tries to cover the good and the bad aspects of different bikes. We have tried to be impartial and go with the majority to give you an idea as to which bike may suite you best for your particular purpose. This information is constantly updated so if your bike's not there, or we've missed something, tell us. The bikes appear in no particular order.
Cagiva |
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Cagiva were one of the first to enter the fray with their Elefant series. Starting in 1985 with a 650cc Ducati motor in a beefy trail bike before moving to750cc in 1987,the early Elefants were light and torquey and off road capable. Bodywork started with an enduro headlight on the 650 followed by small frame mounted fairings with initially a single headlight and then two on the 750. As Cagiva became more successful on the rally scene, a new 900cc Elefant appeared which was altogether a different beast. Like the works rally bikes it was fuel injected and had a huge tank and seat height.Despite the stonking motor I personally was very disappointed when I first rode what I had long desired. The motor vibrated unpleasantly, the handling was suspect [ the result I believe of moving to a 19in. front wheel with no alteration in frame geometry ] and although undoubtedly quick , was not as pleasant as my early 750 to ride. This was followed by new versions of both 750 and 900 capacity. These were both considerably larger than the original model but were still relatively light when compared with the Japanese opposition. Although tagged as cut price models by the press because of their return to carburettors, the 900 in particular had USD s Showa forks, Mikuni carbs and Nissin brakes. The higher gearing of the 900 made it a real long distance cruiser and even the seat had improved slightly to match. The last Elefants were built in 1997 to be replaced by the Gran Canyon , a handsome bike but much mote a roadster in the TDM mould. The Elefant is a real contender but is let down in several areas, principally reliability. They do consume a lot of oil particularly the 900, early Brembos can be dodgy [ I have met two other people whose rear calliper burst into flame for no reason ] and suspension is not always what it could be. However they have character in spades and are an awful lot of fun to ride. Despite the smirks of my Japanese riding chums I would definitely have another. Just got to get rid of this Africa first...... |