Cagiva Navigator 1000

**terbang** · 19th March 2007, 22:47

I have sold my Busa and am now the proud owner of a Cagiva Navigator..!

Lotsa reasons for selling the Bus, 20000 kays in 13 months, ridden the length and breadth of NZ on it having too much fun. I have seen a lot of NZ on the Busa though some of it was definatly a bit of a blur. I know I'm going to kick myself, the Busa is a hard act for any bike to follow, but I just want to ride in a different style for a while whilst keeping some sort of semblence of a road bike. I have also been seeing way too much of the wrong side of 280 Kays on the highway lately, time for a breather. The Cagiva, as the data plate indicates, is from an italian manufacturer (MV Agusta) and is fitted with a Suzuki TL 1000 engine (detuned down to 100 HP). Its my first Vee Twin and also my first Dualsport/adventure bike and is definatly a radical change from a Hayabusa or anything else I've owned in the past. First impressions of the Navigator is that it is tall and plush after the Bus and feels very light to control, the engine delivers power in a different way that kinda creeps up on you. Roll on a bit of throttle and it sort of vibrates and makes a benign clattery sound and before you know it, holy shit, 180 kays and still climbing quickly.. Nothing like the other monster but its an impressive little engine. As I said, it feels light to control, though at 210 KG's dry it isn't such a lightweight but lighter than some of the other other 1000cc adventure bikes, but only 7 KGs lighter than the Hayabusa. However I am pleasantly surprised at how very nimble and sure footed it is, still promising to be a heck of a lot of fun on a tight sealed road. It'll cut the mustard fairly well on Coro I suspect. I'm a bit wary of those sort of dual sport tyres on it and am taking things a bit quiet for now though they seem to be OK. The ride, with suspension that appears more rudimentary compared to the Bus, has a very nice balanced feel to it which I guess I could put down to a fairly long line of Italian engineering. Its a sweet and intuitive thing to ride on the sealed road and the upright seating is growing on me too. Went out and found a bit of gravel up the peninsula, only a few kays, but enough to have me digging up some old skills that I had nearly forgotten. Last time I did the old loose metal drift thing (apart from some recent sheer terror on the Busa) was on an old XL250 20 years ago and this thing with its 1000cc and 100 HP is so responsive and accurate (compared to what I remember of the old XL) that I suspect I am going to enjoy getting back into riding gravel roads as well. I've only done a couple of hundred kays on it so I suspect there is more to come.. Grinning from ear to ear..

**Beemer** · 19th March 2007, 23:08

I'm waiting for the Mito, a 500cc engine squeezed into a 125 frame. Nice and light but about 60hp - very noice!

**terbang** · 21st March 2007, 20:46

Finally took a picky. It grows on ya..!

**JimO** · 21st March 2007, 21:35

oooo eeer..........

**beyond** · 21st March 2007, 22:21

Now that sure is a radical change there young fella

You couldn't get further apart than those two bikes. Ooeer, yes you can. You could have gone for a minimoto.

Hope you enjoy as much as the Busa mate.

**Big Dave** · 21st March 2007, 22:28

Excellent - another convert!
An emminently sensible bike for NZ.
Prepare to enjoy much more of it.

**terbang** · 22nd March 2007, 09:23

Originally Posted by beyond

Now that sure is a radical change there young fella

You couldn't get further apart than those two bikes. Ooeer, yes you can. You could have gone for a minimoto.

Hope you enjoy as much as the Busa mate.

Yup I know, had a few sleepless nights in making the decision. I know you will know where part of my decision comes from. Though I know that the Busa isn't my last road bike.

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Excellent - another convert!
An emminently sensible bike for NZ.
Prepare to enjoy much more of it.

Thanks mate I have ridden a lot of NZ's sealed roads on many occasions over the last 20 odd years and wanted more. I have been looking out my office window recently at countless roads that I have avoided because of the gravel. Like anyone else I thought that style of bike would be benign in all aspects, but I am now realising that it is a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing, thus well satisfying the rev head affliction. It will also open a lot more of NZ (that is rapidly getting sealed too) for me now, satisfying the wanderer.