Review Cagiva V-Raptor
When I got back V-Raptor 650 (check our reviews Cagiva's commuter with attitude) to importers Italmoto from Germiston in Gauteng, I was lucky enough to get a quick spin on a brother larger, V-Raptor 1000 powered by the rip - snorted 996cc V-twin out of the canyon carver Suzuki TL1000.
This is the proposition altogether more serious was established in Cagiva broadly replicated fashion airbox and short, fat tailpipes carbon. This provides 82kW of trampling and speak with authority.
98x66mm twin very interesting from around 3000rpm but the steps up to the cam when the tacho needle points straight up at seven and got a little out of hand for the big city traffic
This is the proposition altogether more serious.
. Opportunity to use so much less power and far between in the urban maze.
Raptor is a great out of place as a pit-bull on a poodle parlors in the city and the need to keep your right hand for smooth movement speed urban law on the door, thanks to slam the jerkiness common to most fuel injection systems on small throttle openings.
But given the gap, or a highway to play with, and it will show you what a big twin is all about - instant, the response effort and eye-compression acceleration. This will hit the 220 mile (do not ask me where) with at least 30 others arrived. Above 8000rpm motor obviously got vibratious; this, after all, the rigid mount-liter twin-class and shaky real vee fashion is part of the riding experience.
As noted above 650 (and Aprilia's RS250), the gearbox on Suzuki motorcycles sold by companies other marques far more stringent than those that gathered for himself
Motor steady as a rock.
. In one liter Raptor's weight changes and solid, down clutchless shifts unless revs high. Even then they are less than perfect, pretty well, then, that the clutch light, positive and abuse-proof - it will get used a lot.
Muscular motor depends on the trellis frame where the first sight look very similar to that of the 650 but neatly combining the three point mount to compensate for unequal expansion coefficient of steel and aluminum - is necessary because the engine is at the top of the mountain ahead of the cylinder head in the crankcase.
The rest is basically the same grille as on a smaller bike and it was a tribute to the health of the design that will handle more than 80kW, without tying itself in knots.
Frame a little wider to accommodate larger motors; all that good as a larger bike has a better pilot seat does not put more pressure on the buttocks. The pillion, however, is the same soft little hump where a lady friend politely refused to lie down.
Suspension is the same with a smaller engine with spring rates and damping is adjusted with the extra weight. The only adjustment for preload on the rear Monoshock Sachs; you up 43mm inverted Marzocchi-downies out of their way, which is very good.
Motor steady as a rock, even more than 200km / h, and have less tendency to shake my head at full tilt upchanges than his brother. This is possible because the geometry a bit more conservative - I suspect most dedicated to trying to keep the front wheels on the tar. This also does not work with the same agility, because some drivers more more conservative.
The brakes are the same as the 650, although with about 10% more mass to haul in a company required to stop squeezing. Because the feedback through the lever is not so precise, even with braided stainless brake lines, and easier to lock the front wheels in 1000.
A neat little screen in these photographs is unique to SA. It was designed by and made for Marco Liberatore of local importers. Remarkably, it was held by no more than six patches of Velcro each no bigger than a large postage stamp because actually instill a stronger push into place faster you ride.
Big V-Raptor takes more skill to ride than the younger more relaxed. It's a big and serious muscular engine and will provide XJRs Bandit and the world that kicked in the right hands. But more than that, it'll take you out on Twisties on Sunday morning and stayed with the race-replica of the corner of your favorites.
Do not be fooled: odd styling under a motorcycle very competent.
V-Raptor 1000 imported by Italmoto from Germiston, Gauteng and the cost of R77 000.
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SPECIFICATIONS
Motor: Liquid-cooled 90-degree four-stroke V-twin.
Capacity: 996cc.
Bore x stroke: 98 x 66mm.
Valvegear: DOHC with four valves per cylinder on the head with Twin Swirl Combustion Chamber.
Compression Ratio: 11.7:1
Power: 82kW.
Induction: Electronic fuel burning.
Ignition: Electronic Transistorised.
Starting: Electric.
Clutch: Cable-operated wet multi-plate clutch.
Transmission: Six-speed constant-mesh gearbox with final drive by chain.
Suspension: 43mm inverted Marzocchi cartridge forks at front, Sachs Monoshock adjusted for preload at rear.
Brakes: twin 298mm discs four-pot opposed piston Brembo calipers in front, 220mm disc with Brembo twin-pot opposed piston calliper at rear.
Tires: Front: tubeless 120/70-ZR17. Rear: tubeless 180/55-ZR17.
Wheelbase: 1440mm.
Seat height: 775mm.
Dry weight: 197kg.
Fuel capacity: 18 liters.
