CAGIVA GRAN CANYON 900 (1998 - 2000) Review

Year: 2000

I agree whole heartedly with the owners' comments about this bike, so don't be put off by the stupid comments of MCN that damn it with faint praise. The GC is a total delight to ride, especially once a few mods have been done such as raising the gearing, putting a 17" rim on the front with road tyres and the usual minor fixes are attended-to. In my view, there's no need at all to go chasing bhp with tuning, because Cagiva got it so right in specifying for a torquey, friendly motor. Of course, if you don't appreciate the Ducati flavour, you might want to go for the powerful efficient Suzuki motor in the Navigator, but opinion is split on whether that was an improvement to the character of the bike. It certainly didn't enhance Terblanche's superb styling of the Ducati-powered package.

Buying experience: Bought unseen via eBay, this was one of my very best bike purchases!

Version: Ducati 900ss engine.

Year: 2000

Annual servicing cost: £200

Steering lock not great and clutch as already reviewed is heavy but I love the looks and you do not see many, if any, on the roads. Having had many bikes this one always makes me smile and feel special. I would definitely recommend it to a friend. Why MCN writes ridiculous service charges I do not know. If you avoid a Ducati garage they are so easy to work on. Just bought a pair of genuine Ducati belts £82 and my mechanic changed them in under an hour. The Cagiva frame allows free access to the belts without taking any other parts off.

Buying experience: Bought privately on ebay, unseen, but I had spent a long time researching different bikes. I paid £1100, the buyer was not happy with the price he got, should have put on a reserve, and I know I got a bargain. Seen the same model in (2016) for £2400 again on ebay.

Year: 2000

Annual servicing cost: £100

Steering lock is not great, the clutch lever is tiring with frequent changes but overall if you want a bike that isn't run of the mill a great bike, and I would recommend it to a friend.

Buying experience: Privately and paid £1100.00

This is the best bike i have ever owned, i've had about 15 bikes from 350LC to 748R and whilst these were superb at scratching, the Gran Canyon is superb at everything.Commuting,touring,mountains,motorway,gravel track,wheelies, it does the lot but most of all you can't stop smiling! It pulls so hard low down, even from high gears with a roar you can never tire of hearing. Supremely comfy and wide bars mean you can bomb through the bends without any ridiculous hanging off hysteria. I recommend putting the front hub onto a 17in front wheel (you can shorten the spokes by an inch),then put on supersports rubber. I have Pirelli Diablo's on my bike, the smaller front quickens the slightly lazy steering and obviously grips like a sportsbike. The conversion is cheap and turns the bike into a 70bhp, 120mph, v-twin supermoto (albeit a heavy one) which destroys just about anything in the twisties. It's done 30,000 km with no problems whatsoever including a 5000m tour of Europe. This bike is a keeper,and you can buy a good one for less than 2 grand. Just awesome.

Having commuted to central London on a Suzuki SV650 and loving that great little engine and the handling I moved onto a Honda Pan European which was brilliant to get to Spain on after which I had a Yamaha Virago 750 which was just great for cruising about on enjoying the scenery. Each of those bikes was good in its own way but only the Cagiva seems to manage to all of the things that the 3 others did and I still wallk away from it and look back to admire it! It's very comfortable for long runs and you can spend hours in the saddle. It's nimble and compact enough to commute on and is high up to see over the traffic. It is relaxed enough to pootle about on without having to feel that you have to squeeze every last ounce of power but the greatest thing about it is that it is fun! Every time I get on it the power and handling make me smile. It has a simple set up which seems to work - it gives you confidence but also feels like you've achieved something when you'ver ridden it hard. The engine is gutsy and sounds great but not vibey or annoying and although its top speed is relatively modest compared to sportsbikes the acceleration and torque are great with decent brakes and mirrors that work! I also like that fact that there are so few around (although all Ducati dealers support them) and this rareness makes for what I think will become a classic for those who like some style and flair with the pragamatic and the fun. High Recommended.