Cagiva Raptor 650
CAGIVA RAPTOR 650
Quick Ride
Suzuki SV650, Italian style
PUT YOURSELF IN CLAUDIO Castiglioni's shoes: His company, Cagiva, needs an entry-level sportbike to boost its bottom line. Suzuki has a nifty 645cc V-Twin that will slot right into the existing Raptor 1000 chassis. What would you do?
Castiglioni went for it.
The resulting Raptor 650 shares most of its chassis and running gear with its big brother. Changes include steel (as opposed to aluminum) enginemounting plates, plus a narrower 4.5-inch rear wheel and 160/60-17 tire. Also, the gas tank is slightly larger, 5.0 gallons versus 4.8. Steering geometry (24.3 degrees of rake, 3.6 inches of trail), seat height (30.5 inches) and wheelbase (56.7 inches) are identical.
When the Raptor 1000 was in development, Cagiva tested VTwins from both Honda and Suzuki, eventually settling on the more powerful TL1000S. In creating the smaller Raptor, however, there was only one choice: the SV650. Fortunately, the dohe, liquid-cooled, 90-degree V-Twin is a wonderful engine, quick-revving and smooth-running. And with the bigger Raptor 1000 airbox and newly designed dual mufflers, it puts out 72 horsepower at 9000 rpm and 47 foot-pounds of torque at 7400 rpm-an increase of 8 bhp and 5 ft.-lbs over the stock SV.
At a claimed 407 pounds dry, the Raptor 650 weighs 26 pounds less than the 1000. Because the footpegs are located a little higher and farther forward, however, their relationship with the Superbike-bend handlebar and beautifully contoured seat is a bit out of whack. As a result, the riding position is less racy than that of the 1000. Also, the transmission on the early-production testbike we rode didn’t shift particularly well.
Those concerns are mostly forgotten when the road turns twisty. Because it was initially intended to handle the stresses produced by the Raptor 1000’s heavier, more powerful engine, the tubular-steel, trellis-type frame provides the basis for what can only be described as confidence-inspiring handling. In fact, the Raptor corners with such composure and ease that kneescraping lean angles are achieved with little effort. Part of the credit for this performance goes to the latest-generation Pirelli Dragon Evo radiais, which offer smooth transitions and excellent grip. Cagiva didn’t cut any corners in the braking department,
either. The triple-disc Brembo binders-four-piston calipers up front, a twin-piston unit out back-stop the Raptor promptly, time after time.
So, despite costing several hundred dollars more than a Suzuki SV650, the Raptor 650 is a veritable bargain, though it’s still unknown if the bike will be sold in the U.S. It is a sporty, uniquely styled machine that should appeal to a broad mix of enthusiasts, regardless of age or riding styles. Seems Castiglioni made the right decision.
Bruno de Prato
