Latest Cars And Bikes Reviews

The Cagiva Gran Canyon’s 904cc V-twin, DOHC desmodromic motor comes from Ducati’s lovely old 900SS. It makes a mere 63bhp at the back wheel, but there’s decent low-down shove from the fuel-injected, air-cooled lump and a goodly mid-range, too. It can quite easily be taken out to 944cc and there a re-chip kit that releases a further 12bhp.

The Cagiva Gran Canyon’s motor is expensive to service thanks to the Ducati motor’s cambelt system (£700-£800 every two years), the fuel-injection occasionally throws a wobbler, bolts need Loctiting in place and spares are hard to source.

The Cagiva Gran Canyon’s short gearing, narrow tyres and wide bars make for a quick-turning and flickable machine that loves to romp from corner to corner. The seat and screen are day-long comfortable, and the package still works well with a pillion. The Nissin twin-piston brakes worked well when new, but all bikes will benefit from braided steel hoses.

You can pick up a late model Cagiva Gran Canyon for about half the price of an equivalent BMW 1150GS. But the GS is more reliable, more powerful and less of a financial gamble. If you must buy Italian Cagiva’s Suzuki TL1000S-powered Navigator is a much better bet.

The Cagiva Gran Canyon has little in the way of equipment – you don’t even get a centrestand and the clocks are marked on in kilometres. Watch out when you fill the 20-litre tank via the twin filler caps – it’s easy to overfill and spill petrol everywhere.