Cagiva Alazzurra servicing
1984 to 1987 · 349cc and 649cc belt-drive Desmo V-twins built by Ducati · Greenwich, London
Ray Petty Meccanica services, repairs and restores the Cagiva Alazzurra 350 and 650 (1984 to 1987), the sports tourer built around Ducati's Pantah engine, at its independent Ducati workshop in Greenwich, London. Under the Cagiva badge the engine is a belt-driven Ducati Desmo twin, so it gets exactly the cam belt and valve clearance work RPM carries out on a Pantah.
About the Alazzurra
In June 1983 Ducati agreed to supply V-twin engines to Cagiva, and the Alazzurra, shown at that year's Milan show, was the first model to come out of the deal. It was derived directly from the Ducati TL, keeping the Pantah family's steel trellis frame and air-cooled 90° Desmo V-twin, with Cagiva's own styling. There were two sizes, a 349cc 350 (66 x 51mm) and a 649cc 650, on 18-inch wheels with twin Brembo front discs. The 650 SS of 1986 to 1987, in black and white, added a lower fairing, larger Brembo calipers, a wider rear wheel and an improved clutch. The name means blue wing, though the standard bikes were red. Sources differ on whether production ended in 1986 or 1987.
Servicing your Alazzurra
Buying advice for the Alazzurra puts two things first, the valve settings and the cam belts, and both follow the Pantah pattern: a toothed belt for each cylinder, renewed by age, and Desmodromic valves whose opening and closing clearances are set with shims. The 650 breathes through 36mm Dell'Orto carburettors, which RPM cleans and balances. Ignition is a Bosch electronic system, and its wiring is known to suffer from heat and oil, so it is one of the first places to look if the bike misfires. The engine and frame share a lot with the Pantah, but some Cagiva-only parts are now scarce. RPM restores Alazzurras at whatever level suits the bike, from sympathetic recommissioning to a full ground-up rebuild.
Book your Alazzurra in
Tell us what it needs, or how long it's been off the road, and we'll take it from there.
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Saturday: 10am to 5pm
Sunday and Monday: closed