If
looks defined character, then
this is a bike that could probably bite your leg off if you
got too close to it. Like a leashed Doberman Pinscher, the
Cagiva Xtra Raptor exudes aggression, from
its beak-like headlamp at the front, all the way through to
the twin carbon-clad end-cans at the back. The dark matt paint
finish, described as "Bat Black" in the brochure,
only adds to the air of menace that this bike projects. Like
stealth fighter parked up at the end of a runway, the Xtra
Raptor looks like it means business. And there's some nice
little design touches, like the bike's name machined into
the carbon cans, and the rows of three "teeth" that
protect the cans from the pillions heels. Not that riding
pillion on this bike is that desirable. Remove the seat hump
and you'll find that perch is a little on the small side and
there's only a strap to hang onto. A quick trip down the road
is about all it's good for.
As well as attitude,
the Xtra Raptor literally bristles with carbon fibre. Those
strange trademark tubular horns that connect the headlamp
fairing to the tank, the side panels below the seat, the heel
protectors on the exhaust pipes, the single seat hump and
the number plate hanger are all made from carbon fibre. It's
the real thing too - not some cheap look-a-like plastic. This
is one predatory looking machine.
Okay, so you've designed
a bike that looks like something out of Mad Max without the
furry bits, but you still need an engine to make it go. Moving
from A to B is not going to be enough here. This is a bike
that has to project itself, so a transverse four or triple
just won't cut the mustard. We need an engine with a character
to match the rest of the bike, a V-twin to go with the bike's
lean 'n' mean looks, an engine that achieved almost legendary
status when it first appeared some years ago, although not
always for the right reasons. That's right, we'll use the
Suzuki TL1000S motor, and it'll be the full power version,
not one of those de-rated types with edge taken off the power
delivery.
Pull in the clutch, thumb the starter button
and the engine barks into life on the fast idle, settling
down to a steady tickover as everything warms up. Even the
exhaust note is in character, and sitting in a traffic queue
it sounds like those carbon cans are firing bullets into the
radiators of the cars behind. You can blip the throttle to
increase the rate of fire!
The
instruments are another stroke of the designer's pen, although
the triangular white-faced rev counter which looks strange
at first, is surprisingly easy to read on the move, as is
the lcd panel below it. This shows mph and total miles traveled
and has two trips for recording individual journeys. Less
useful were the "optional" mirrors fitted to the
test bike. These were far more useful for hanging things on
than for seeing what was on the road behind you, and were
of a size and type normally associated with single-seater
racing cars. They also needed an 11mm spanner to adjust them,
and very few people keep one to hand when they're out riding!
The cable-operated clutch is light and positive
but with a fairly sharp take-up, and who could forget the
on/off throttle action of the of the original 1000S engine.
Cagiva have calmed things down a bit for the Raptor version,
but that switch-like throttle control is still lurking down
there somewhere in the engine management system. This meant
my first couple of starts from rest were a bit like rocket
launches, but you soon get the technique for getting the bike
smoothly off the line. There's little danger of stalling the
motor with too few revs, as that TL1000S engine is a real
"torque monster". In fact that padded seat hump
can be a positive benefit to stop you sailing off the back
of the bike when you really give it some. Another good reason
for not carrying a pillion - if you needed one!
On the move and the riding position is a
little strange at first. The wide bars hint at relaxed upright
stance, but the high(ish) footpegs tend to push you into more
of a sportsbike riding position and you'd really then want
the grips to be narrower and closer to you. While this wasn't
uncomfortable, it didn't feel particularly natural and my
arms were kept a lot straighter than I would have liked. What
was uncomfortable however was the seat. Now I'm not known
for having a bony backside, but after the first 70 miles the
seat had all the comfort characteristics of a tree trunk,
and I just had to take a break. Subsequent journeys increased
the range of my bum, but when the low fuel warning light came
on at around 100 miles, I have to say that every time I was
glad to get off and restore the movement to my legs. Although
the tank capacity isn't massive at a fraction over 15 litres,
you should still be able to travel over 150 miles before you
have to get off and push. There's a whopping 5 litres designated
as a fuel reserve, which is down to some strange piece of
European legislation which has to do with you always being
able to get to the next petrol station on some autobahn or
other. Thank you Strasbourg for restoring the circulation
to my legs!
The
Xtra Raptor has massive 43mm USD forks at the front and a
progressive monoshock at the rear, which on their standard
settings give a ride that's on the hard side of firm. This
may be alright for race tracks, but for the variable quality
British roads it's not too pleasant. To calm things down I
backed off the damping all round and this gave a much better
ride, although too frequently, encountering bumps mid-corner
induced sudden throttle position changes and some lively moments.
It felt more as through the spring rates were a little on
the high side, although we didn't have either the time or
opportunity to take measurements or make changes. Having said
all that though, the ride was stable and the bike went where
you put it. The wide bars were good here for tipping the bike
into corners, although the riding position didn't encourage
hanging off too much.
As you would expect from a Suzuki box, gear
selection was positive and there were no false neutrals, although
the lever needed a firm action. The ratios were well spread
and suited to the power delivery of the engine, and it was
always easy to find neutral at rest. Not so easy to find was
the side stand, which was very stiff and difficult to operate
and looked as though it was made out of a left over piece
of chassis tubing. A minor niggle I know. A little more worrying
was the fact that a lot of the plated fasteners and fittings
on the bike were already showing signs of corrosion after
six months. However this bike was a demonstrator, and may
not have had the same degree of care bestowed upon it as it
would have had if it was privately owned.
While that wonderful TL1000S engine will
launch you out of corners like a missile, almost irrespective
of which gear you're in, when it comes to stopping, the four-pot
Brembos at the front do an equally impressive job. They have
a smooth progressive action and one or two fingers at the
most are all you need to haul the bike down from highly illegal
speeds, aided in no small measure by the massive amount of
engine braking from that V-twin. Even the back brake was quite
effective and had a surprising amount of feel to it. Cagiva
quote a top speed of around 140 mph for the Xtra Raptor, which
is probably about right although I was never in a position
to prove or disprove it. However I can say that after about
5 minutes at a three-figure speed, I felt that my neck had
stretched by a good two inches and my head was about to disappear
off down the road behind me. Maybe this is a bike for speedy
rugby prop forwards? Backing off to around 85-90 mph was much
more comfortable and it seems that the beaky headlamp fairing
actually helps deflect some of the air past the rider.
As
well as weekend blasts with your mates or trips to a local
watering hole (orange juice and lemonade please), the Xtra
Raptor also makes a fine means of urban transport. The riding
position gives a good view over the traffic and the wide bars
and good steering lock means that it's easy to manoeuvre through
the grid locked cars. The torque from the TL1000S engine make
gear changes an irrelevance, and the lower speeds mean that
other people can see how aggressive the bike actually looks.
You never know, you could even frighten one or two car drivers
into submission simply by them looking in their mirrors (I've
heard they do that occasionally).
But let's face facts, in spite of the billing
that Cagiva gives the Xtra Raptor, this is not a sportsbike
in the way that we understand such a term when uttered by
the likes of Ducati or the Japanese Big Four. We're not talking
about a razor-sharp handling trackday tool, a bike that falls
into corners just by thinking about them. What we have in
the Cagiva Xtra Raptor is a bike that has to be ridden in
a sporty manner; a bike that needs the rider to work at getting
it from A to B, a bike that needs a lot of the right inputs,
but then rewards the rider with a big grin because you've
made the bike do what you wanted it to do and it all came
together beautifully.
Brief Second
Opinion
I only got to ride the Xtra
Raptor for about 10 miles when I met Dick for the photo shoot.
First impressions were brilliant - I've rarely seen a bike
with such road presence. It looks fantastic, the detailing
is wonderful and the noise is pretty good as well. OK, so
it's crying out to be ridden in urban camouflage gear with
a matt black Bandit helmet, but hey - it works fine with one
piece leathers and an Arai as well, so that's OK.
The riding position is interesting,
with fairly rearset pegs but high bars. Which should mean
that with a 1000cc vee twin below you the front wheel would
spend more time aloft than steering. Not so, though, because
although there was certainly plenty of urge to indulge in
such silliness should you wish, it all remains extremely controllable.
But the combineation of bars and pegs didn't feel natural,
and personally I would be happier going with the clip-ons
fitted to the race bike run by importers Three Cross.
Handling is exactly what
you'd expect from an Italian thoroughbred. Taut, accurate
and stable if needing a firm hand to get turning. The brakes
are excellent and everything comes nicely to hand. Except
the mirrors, which are roughly the size and shape of a 10-pack
of cigarettes. And not king-size, either.
Overall? Great looks, great
sound, brilliant presence. Definitely one for the "if
money was no object" collection...
SB

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