Cagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It’s history would make a great basis for an Italian Motorcycle-themed soap opera. Giovanni Castiglioni and his sons ran the business out of Varese, Italy. Over the years there were deals involving a used Aermacchi/Harley Davidson factory, a buyout of Ducati in 1985, and later buyouts of Moto Morini and Husqvarna. Most of these acquisitions were later sold off. It is way more complicated than that, but we’re here for the bikes, right?
Cagiva often sourced Ducati engines in their bikes. The Grand Canyon used the stock 900cc Ducati air-cooled twin as its powerplant. If at first glance it looks like a predecessor to the original Multistrada, you would be right. The Ducati engine with its desmodromic valve system put out approximately 73hp. Front suspension was 45mm telescopic fork and rear a single shock buried under the seat, supporting a typical box-section swingarm.
Period reviews of the bike praised it’s road handling, but deemed it too heavy and forks too soft for off-road use. The looks were definitely a source of consternation for many. It did not really fit into any established niches at the time.
This example, even with 33,900 miles looks very nice. Actually it looks pretty damn good for that kind of mileage, but I would love to see some documentation of service to prove it has been properly maintained.
You can find more here on Craigslist where the bike is for sale in Suwanee, Georgia for $3,500.
Sources:
Wikipedia
Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly – Review
MCS – Specs