Although Cagiva is long dead and gone, their engineering is going to live on in a new motorcycle brought to market by Cleveland Cyclewerks.
According to a company insider, the 500 cc single we first saw unveiled in Indonesia, in the photo above is based on a motor from Italian manufacturer Cagiva (now defunct, but last seen as an MV Agusta subsidiary). This is a Cagiva design, bought from the company and built on their tooling, according to our source. Originally, the motor powered the Cagiva Canyon and River, both models from the 1990s.
To go with the new motor, CCW has built a new chassis; their old platforms were all configured for the 229 cc air-cooled motor the company first came to market with, and the new engine is capable of much more power, requiring upgrades to frame and suspension. Of course, emissions testing (ever the bane of smaller manufacturers) means the engine will be a bit detuned from its potential when it arrives here, but the good thing about CCW is that they love the idea of DIY speed, and we’re guessing engine-savvy buyers will be able to hot-rod the new single.
As stated above, the new 500 has already been debuted in Indonesia, but we won’t see it in North America for a while yet. Because the motor was designed in the 1990s, it requires some work to help it meet current emissions regulations, and CCW also wants to make sure it’s reliable. The company will be sticking with thumpers for the next few years – our source says it’s because “Stoplight to stoplight, there’s no motor that provides more excitement than a single.” Although the company is also working on their liquid-cooled 450 projects, we’re guessing the 500 will be the basis of much of their future endeavors, and we’re sure to see more in the coming months.
Speaking of their 450s, CCW also has references to their supermono project on their website, but we weren’t able to worm any details out of our source.
One of the more interesting machines the company has developed recently is the FXX, a bike we were hard-pressed to classify when originally unveiled. It looks a bit like a dirt bike, but CCW says it isn’t a true dirt bike.
Turns out, CCW, is saying it’s really a motorized mountain bike. Sure, it’s heavy for a mountain bike (120 lbs wet), but it’s designed to be an accessible ride for people who want to hoon around on BMX tracks and the like. It’s intended to be accessible to people who are used to mountain bikes, but not motorcycles – there’s only hand brakes, and no clutch – the 110 cc motor will get you rolling in any gear you select, with an auto clutch. Unlike other playbikes like the Honda Grom, the FXX rolls on huge 21-inch wheels in front and back, which really sets it apart from the crowd.
We should see the FXX in Canada this year.
Finally – while Visionary Motorsports has been selling CCW machines in Canada for some time now, we haven’t seen much news from the company in recent months. We understand that regulatory red tape made some of that happen, but we also hear there’s been some restructuring with how their business operates, and we expect to see CCW have a bigger presence in Canada this year, particularly with the Ace retro-styled standard.
