A quick look through the archives of Bike-urious suggests that Cagiva’s Alazzurra 650 SS is an acquired taste. Which is a polite way of saying that bikes highlighted in 2017 and 2016 struggled to find buyers. With its ostensibly low asking price, you would think this particular piece of Italian history might have a chance, but who knows? The only person I’ve ever met who liked Cagivas was motorcycle journalist Tod Rafferty (author of The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Motorcycles), but he already has one.
“Dimensionally, the Alazzurra is closest to the [BMW F 800 ST] in function if not form,” he wrote in Motorcyclist back in 2011. “Its 650cc Ducati V-twin makes nowhere near the horsepower of the BMW’s 800cc Rotax-built parallel-twin (50 vs. 85 bhp), but the two machines are similar in weight, riding position and agility.”
The Alazzurra comes from that odd period of time when Ducati was owned by erstwhile scooter manufacturer Cagiva. The bike is effectively a rebadged Pantah; take a look at the photos for this bike and you’ll see “Ducati” and “Pantah” written on the Alazurra’s five speed 650cc SOHC air-cooled V-twin engine.
“(The Alazzurra is) more comfortable than the BMW, with intuitive steering, nice wind protection from a minimalist windscreen, good brakes and an appropriate walking-bass soundtrack,” Tod says. “This is a machine equally capable of a 150-mile sprint or a 500-mile day with no strain. How could I sell it? The market value is maybe $3,000 at the outside.”
He wrote that 14 years ago. The seller of this example (VIN: ZCGCA2KFXB00556) is asking $3,100…
If Tod’s keen on buying another Alazzurra I’m not sure he’d necessarily go for this one. It’s showing some signs of wear. The bike “starts up, runs and drives,” according to the seller, but has some quirks, eg, the bike doesn’t come with a key. An ignition switch has been installed instead. All fodder for talking the price down even further, I suppose.
With 4,723 miles on the clock, you can find this Alazzurra 650 SS for sale in Imlay City, Michigan, here on eBay.