1990 Ducatis, Husqvarnas: Don't Call 'em Cagivas Anymore
1990 Ducatis, Husqvarnas: Don't Call 'em Cagivas Anymore
ROUNDUP
WHEN IS A CAGIVA NOT A Cagiva? Right now, because as of the 1990 model year, Cagiva no longer sells motorcycles under its own name in the United States. During the 1980s, the Italian conglomerate purchased both Ducati and Husqvarna—moving the latter from Sweden to Italy—on its way to becoming the fifth-largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. One of the byproducts, though, was a confusing array of names, with Cagivas, Cagiva-Ducatis. Ducatis and Husqvarna/ Cagiva dirtbikes all vying for buyers' attention. Now, in America at least, the company’s streetbikes are simply called Ducatis, and its three motocross and three enduro models are called Husqvarnas.
Leading the 1990 Ducati model line is the high-tech 851 Sport. with its eight-valve, fuel-injected motor and “introductory” SI0.900 price, considerably less than the sticker on last year's race version of the bike, which went for about $20.000. The less-complex, $6700 750 Sport, (tested in CW, December, 1989) is intended, if not as an entry-level motorcycle, at least an entry-level Ducati.
Occupying the company’s less-intense sportbike niche is the 906 Paso, which carries a recommended list price of $7800 and uses a liquidcooled, 904cc Desmo engine employing essentially the same transmission and lower end as the 85 l, but topped with two-valve cylinder heads.
Husqvarna, meanwhile, is offering a six-pack of dirtbikes in motocross and enduro configurations.
The 125WMX and 250WMX motocross bikes use power-valved. liquid-cooled, two-stroke engines and chromemoly frames.
The 510WMX four-stroke, weighing in at claimed 245pounds, is powered by a fourvalve, overheadcam, liquidcooled Single. Forks on all three are White Power upside-down units. The shock on each is also by White Power.
Suggested list price of the sixspeed, l 94-pound 125WMX is $3300; suggested price of the fivespeed. 2 16-pound 250WMX is $3850; and suggested price of the 5 10WMX, also a five-speed, is $4350.
The Husqvarna enduro bikes offer many of the same specifications as the motocross models, particularly with respect to engines, but all three enduro models use sixspeed transmissions. Suspension on the enduro bikes is by Maizocchi.
The 250 and 5 10 carry the same prices as their motocross counterparts; the 125 enduro model is priced at $2750.
