At one point in time, Cagiva was producing the most motorcycles in Italy. Founded in 1978 their focus was small-displacement road-going two-stroke machines, but their most famous bike was actually a four-stroke enduro.

Since their inception, Cagiva had an elephant in its logo, but this was the first bike to take the name. It was a fitting choice as it was by quite some margin their biggest machine. After purchasing Ducati in the late 80s they had access to their four-stroke engines and made good use of them, fitting 350, 650, 750, and eventually 900 twins to the Elefant frame. It truly burst onto the world stage in 1990 when the 900 took overall victory at the Dakar rally, breaking a long sequence of Honda victories.

Related: The Real Story Behind The Grueling Dakar Rally

Dakar Glory

Cagiva Elefant Dakar
YouTube

When Edi Orioli rode the bike to victory in both 1990 and again as a privateer in 1994, it did a lot to showcase the actual ability of the machine.

His bike was obviously a dedicated factory-backed race machine (it stands to reason he ran the same bike as a privateer in 1994), but Cagiva did offer a very similar race spec bike to the public albeit in limited numbers. It was a stroke of genius as these machines helped build interest, even though priced a fair bit more than the competition, it helped them see how popular the 900 class bike could be. Up to this point, the biggest engine the bike got was the Pantah sourced 750, a good but less advanced unit. Over the years the Elefant earned a devout following and today there are many forums dedicated to helping people keep the regular machines on the road, or at the very least on the dirt tracks.

An Expensive Option

Cagiva Elefant 900ie 90-2
Motorcycle Specs

Only 1,000 of those race-spec machines were built, and although they were quite different from the factory bike they were still incredible bikes in their own right. Getting most of the factory kit, they were very well equipped.

It is this limited edition bike that has now become highly sought after, and in original shape is worth a small fortune. It might not be that easy finding them in anywhere near perfect condition, with the vast majority (if not all) actually getting used for their intended purpose. At around 450 pounds it isn’t nearly as heavy as new adventure bikes, but it's a shade less powerful, with the Ducati 90 degree twin good for around 75 horsepower. It was capable of reaching 100 mph in the desert and closer to 120 on the road: not at all slow, but these more exclusive bikes were well out of reach for most as they cost almost twice as much as the competition. Cagiva subsequently worked to get this machine ready for wider public consumption, dropping the EFI system for the cheaper carbs, reducing the seat height a little, and increasing the on-road stopping power by giving it a twin-rotor setup upfront. Replacing some of the more costly race-spec components brought the cost down to a far more reasonable sum and they began to sell rather well.

Related: MV Agusta Reveals New 2021 Limited-Edition Rush 1000

Only Ducati Dirt Bike

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Looking at all the cheaper options out there, Cagiva needed something to differentiate itself from the rather capable crowd.

Their secret weapon was the Ducati Desmo power plant, and not only did it offer solid performance, but it also secured them a fast aftermarket, which has also ensured enthusiasts are never short of spare parts. It is that 900cc twin that continues to inspire as the Cagiva presents itself as the only real Ducati-powered off-road bike (not including the Multistrada here). It is their general character that is favored over the robust reliability of the Japanese competitors, with them needing the normal Ducati level of maintenance too.

With any Italian bike or car, there will always be the odd electrical gremlin, these Cagiva machines are no exception there. These are now classic bikes, but still not completely out of reach (maybe the 1,000 race replicas are) for those that dare to be different considering how unusually cool they are.

Related: This Is What Makes The Ducati Multistrada Good On Mixed Terrain

Possible Electric Future

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Bike-urious

With the effective demise of Cagiva and the rise once again of MV Agusta, the Elefant has been dead for over 20 years.

Increased demand for electric motorcycles has prompted the group to consider reviving the Cagiva and/or Elefant names for a range of electric motorcycles. It will be great to see these once-famous names on electric bikes, and if done right it could well be a return to glory for Cagiva, and hopefully Elefant. For now though there is no official word on this project.

Next: 5 Reasons Why The Ducati 916 Is The Most Iconic Sportbike Ever (5 Reasons Why The 999 Was Better)