The Cagiva/ducati Chronicles

The Cagiva/Ducati Chronicles

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Ducati, at one time the Italian motorcycle, and Cagiva, the new force in Italian motorcycling, are now even closer than ever.

If you read Cycle World's Kawasaki Ninja/Cagiva Alazzurra shootout from two months ago, you already know that the 650cc Cagiva is basically a Ducati Pantah with an enlarged motor, recalibrated suspension and different bodywork. Under an agreement with Ducati V.M., the engine-making division of Ducati,

Cagiva is supplied 90-degree VTwins in 350 and 650cc versions.

The newfound closeness between the two companies comes about because Cagiva recently purchased Ducati Meccanica, the firm's motorcycle-assembly division. Ducati Meccanica had been financially unstable for the past few years, and even declared bankruptcy last year. But the company continued to deliver unsold inventory and was even making a comeback of sorts with

sales of the 600cc TT2, 750cc TT1 and lOOOcc Hailwood Replica.

Whether Cagiva bought Ducati Meccanica because it was a good business oppurtunity or because it didn't want the sales of Ducati-engined Cagivas to be diluted by Ducati-engined Ducatis wasn’t men tioned in the company's press release, but one thing is clear: In the future, if you want to buy a new motorcycle powered by a Ducati VTwin, it'll have Cagiva on its tank.