[pedersen106]

When will one learn

A winter with no projects ended in........ A new project! Stumpled over a Cagiva Elefant 750 in need of some tlc.

Not very nice on the outside, but beneath the dirt is a sound package. 15600km in total. Unfortunately it has been used as a year around bike. So engine is scared by salt.:frown2:

 

[Stick]

I know the 650 Elefant had the rear carb/front exh. on the vert. head. Does this 750 have this? Or is it set up like a Paso with the dual-down-draft Weber?

 

[scott]

Looking forward to the progress! Cool classic bike.

 

[pedersen106]

Stick: Motor is bassicly a Monster 750. Twin Mikuni´s, side by side!

 

[pedersen106]

Undressing the old girl

Finally got the time to give the Cagiva some TLC....
Decided, the big overhaul must wait. For now I just enjoy it instead. Some small upgrades is a nice opportunity to get under the skin. So of the bodywork went.
New footrest, from a BMW F800GS,went on. Some modification needed. 1 hour in the workshop and they were on:smile2:
Also had to move the new Renthal 809 handlebar up and back, Voigt bar clamps did give me the space needed for the brushguards.
Someone told me that Elefants enjoy a bath now and then.........some water, Muc-off and it was clean and happy:wink2:
Nice to get a peak at that sweet little Ducati 750 engine. Loved it in my supersport, and it is just as funny and rewarding on this bike.

 

[pedersen106]

In nature enjoying the view.

 

[ducvet]

Oh I will be watching this thread for sure, I have a 650 stalled project bike myself. In the US we never for the 750 IIRC so it seems like your 750 is a early 1990's model similar to our 900?

The rectifier was the weak link over here with many of them going up in smoke, after that I would expect it will be great! If you ever pull the motor be sure to take pictures of the rear motor mounts for us as the 650 was different than others from what I have seen. plus it looks like the 750 lost the kick start.

Great fun,great bikes!

Stick the 650 elefant did not have the reverse head on the vertical mine has both carbs in the Vee as modern Ducati's.

 

[ducvet]

Lol... just for fun I was looking at my shop manual collection (Ducati 1988-2008) and they do not have one Elefant listed, but they have the Indiana!:surprise:

I guess the Elefants are considered Cagiva's even though they were badge'd and sold at Ducati dealerships, Yet the cruisers..... Bunch of closeted Harley lovers in Italy I think.

Another funny not spell check did not find Cagiva's and wanted to change it to "Vagina's"...... coincidence?

 

[duc96cr]

I don’t believe in coincidence. Maybe Cagiva is Italian for vagina ?

 

[pedersen106]

Lol... just for fun I was looking at my shop manual collection (Ducati 1988-2008) and they do not have one Elefant listed, but they have the Indiana!:surprise:

I guess the Elefants are considered Cagiva's even though they were badge'd and sold at Ducati dealerships, Yet the cruisers..... Bunch of closeted Harley lovers in Italy I think.


Another funny not spell check did not find Cagiva's and wanted to change it to "Vagina's"...... coincidence?

At some point, can´t remember the year, Harley-Davidson owned Ducati. Late nineties, maybe early 2000 I belive. Perhaps they had left the closet.....>

Cagiva group was somewhat big in it´s glory days. Ducati, Husqvarna, MV Agusta and Moto-morini. And of course Cagiva.
Gets me smiling, when I think of Randy Mamola or John Kocinski on the beast of a Cagiva GP-bike:grin2:

Martin

 

[Dukerdr]

At some point, can´t remember the year, Harley-Davidson owned Ducati. Late nineties, maybe early 2000 I belive. Perhaps they had left the closet.....>

Not quite...

The Cagiva company bought the remains of the Aermacchi motorcycle factory from H-D in 1978. All the Cagiva motorcycles for the first year or two were assembled from leftover parts in the Aermacchi factory. They had a big line up, 2T 125,175,250 and 350 in street and scrambler clothing.

Then Cagiva produced the first liquid cooled 125 MXer in 1980 and their fortunes took off.

Cagiva ended up buying Ducati in about 1985/86, and the rest is pretty well known.

Ducati Motorcycles by Alan Cathcart covers the history of Ducati up until 1985/65 and also Cagiva and is the definitive work on Ducati for that time frame.

 

[ncgt1000]

AND . . . Cagiva owns Aermacchi which was sold to them by H-D.

Small world.

 

[pedersen106]

To much data in brain to compute.....
It was Texas Pacific Group who owned Ducati.... I hate it when facts don´t line up :wink2:

And MW Agusta Group was owned by Harley Davidson from 2008 for a short period of time!

Got them mixed up.......... :| confusing when that happens!

Hereby corrected0


Martin

 

[pedersen106]

Winter came early this year......... !
After issues with water in the fuel and following problems. The bike had to se a "doctor"
Carb´s has to be fixed by someone who has the means to fix them. ST2 cam´s are going in at the same time.

So when the Elefant is out for surgery. I took the opportunity to sanding down the fueltank. Getting it ready for 2K epoxyprimer on the outside before paint. Not quite there yet.

GPS also fixed to fairingbracket with RAM mount

 

[belter]

you're putting st2 cams in an otherwise std 750? the 91> (mybe 88?) 750 motors don't have a lot of piston to valve clearance, so you are limited to where you can set the cams, certainly with regard to advancing them. the st2 cam will have a bit more lift at tdc overlap the cams aren't the biggest issue in the 750, the heads are.

 

[pedersen106]

you're putting st2 cams in an otherwise std 750? the 91> (mybe 88?) 750 motors don't have a lot of piston to valve clearance, so you are limited to where you can set the cams, certainly with regard to advancing them. the st2 cam will have a bit more lift at tdc overlap the cams aren't the biggest issue in the 750, the heads are.

Thank you for your concern. It is noted The mechanic who is installing the ST2 cam´s has done this to plenty of 750´s.Including his own bikes.
I trust he knows what he is doing.......!But then! I belive you enough to have doubt.
The reason for installing the cams is to get a little more torque.

Martin

 

[bbradsby]

Thanks for posting this thread.. I have a Jones for the Elefant! Interesting bolt-together engine cradle and strut between the cylinders. Can you drop the engine by unbolting the lower frame cradle?! Looks easy! On the other hand, must you drop the engine to adjust valves? It looks tight.

 

[belter]

you can do the valve clearances with the engine in, done it a few times. although i did once ask on of our mechanics why he had the engine out of one, apparently he had to.

 

[davy.j]

I saw this actual bike recently in a lockup:

https://www.bikeexif.com/cagiva

 

[ducvet]

Yes I do the valves in the chassis but the vertical cylinder is tight to get in there.
Brad would be the best to know but I was not thinking the st2 cam to be a low end midrange cam. On mostly stock 750's we always used the 900ss carby cams.

We did use st2 cams on more built motors but all with aftermarket pistons that also have pockets designed to accommodate larger valves with higher lift cams. these were also all ported to make better use of the cams. I wonder if you would not have had a better gain goiing with a 90 mm piston set. you would have gained more power but with it more heat and a need for a higher octane fuel. The reason the 900 elefants was made with 750 size valves and cams was for heat and to run on low octane so i am not sure what direction you want to go.