The ’90s adventure motorcycle that was way ahead of its time

The 1990s can be considered one of the best decades in recent times. It happened at a time when technological breakthroughs were happening at an accelerated pace, and it was before the world was worried about being politically correct. No, really: the World Wide Web, text messaging, the PlayStation, the Apple iMac, and digital cameras all appeared in the 1990s. The motorcycle world was also innovating, with a number of iconic two-wheelers launched this decade.

The list includes the Ducati Monster, Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, Suzuki Hayabusa, Yamaha YZF-R1, Honda CBR900RR Fireblade and Ducati 916. Amidst that, there were also some truly impressive adventure bikes launched in that decade. But as is more often the case than we expect, it was a small manufacturer that came up with a product that continues to influence adventure bikes to this day. This is the ’90s adventure motorcycle that was way ahead of its time.

To give you the most current and accurate information, the data used to compile this article comes from authoritative sources such as Cagiva Motorcycles.

The Cagiva Elefant 900 from the 90s was way ahead of its time

Launch year: 1991

The Elefant motorcycle brand was launched in the mid-1980s, but they were always small-displacement dual-sport motorcycles ranging from 125 cc. The Cagiva logo itself features an elephant, so it made sense that one of its best products would have the animal’s name in the logo. A 900cc flagship was designed to compete in the Dakar Rally, widely recognized as the most grueling race of its time – and the most grueling of today.

It took the top spot several times in the early 1990s, proving that this marriage between a sports bike and a dual-sport chassis could really work. And this is the same philosophy that today’s adventure tourers follow. That’s why the Cagiva Elefant 900 is the 90s adventure motorcycle that was way ahead of its time.

Cagiva Elefant 900 engine

Cagiva owned Ducati at the time, so it decided to source the big Elefant engine from the manufacturer Borgo Panigale. The heart of a Ducati 900SS was transplanted into the off-road Elefant chassis, and no punches were pulled. The numbers mirrored those of the sportbike, with 95 horsepower and 57.5 pound-feet. A pair of Mikuni carburetors were put into use for regular racing bikes. It also retained the Ducati’s six-speed gearbox.

This meant that the Elefant 900 was light and powerful, with a wide torque spread offered by the Desmodromic valve line. It also meant he had the engine maintenance schedule of an old Ducati, but there was no doubting the speed of this Cagiva.

Cagiva Elefant 900 chassis

Simple but effective

The Elefant 900 has a simple double cradle tubular steel frame for today, but it was one of the more advanced designs of the time. It was a design that was proven to be a race winner at the Dakar Rally, once in 1990 and another time in 1994, so it’s an extremely capable chassis too.

Showa’s inverted front fork suspends the 19-inch front wheel, while a single rear shock with spring preload adjustment suspends the 17-inch rear wheel. Brembo handles the braking, with twin 282mm brake discs, each braked by a four-piston fixed caliper. A smaller 240mm rear disc does the braking duties, but surprisingly it uses the same four-piston fixed caliper as the front wheels. Other notable features include the 5.8-gallon fuel tank and 10.2 inches of ground clearance.

Cage Elephant 900 Dimensions

Cagiva Elefant 900 versions

The Elefant range had bikes with a capacity of just 125 cc, but the Ducati powered ones had a displacement of 350, 650, 750 and 900 cc. The largest of these is of course the engine of the flagship Elefant. The very first 900 cc Elefant was the Elefant 900, or GT, a production version of the rally motorcycle. As such, it featured Weber fuel injection, Marzocchi front forks, Öhlins rear shock and single front brake disc.

The other two known versions are the Elefant 900AC and Elefant E900, both of which have the engine and chassis specifications mentioned above. The differences with the Elefant, namely 900, are a second brake disc at the front, the different suspension systems and the mechanical fuel supply system. All Elefant 900s had a 19-inch front rim, unlike the 650 cc Elefant, which had a 21-inch rim.

Of the three, the Elefant is by far the most desirable, not only because it is most closely related to the Dakar-winning model, but also because it was a limited edition model: only 1,000 units were sold. The Elefant E900 was renamed Ducati for the North American market, so don’t be surprised if you come across a Ducati E900. Today, the Ducati DesertX pays tribute to the Elefant in its design, as Ducati sees it as a spiritual successor to the Cagiva.

Differences in Cagiva Elephant Variants

Elephant Elephant 900 Competition

Some truly iconic names

The Elefant 900 existed during some of the golden years of motorcycles based on rally raid racing bikes. The biggest name among the competition was the Honda XRV750 Africa Twin, which was also a multiple Dakar Rally-winning motorcycle. Just like the Elefant, there is now a spiritual successor in the CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES.

Other names worth mentioning are the Yamaha YZE750T Super Ténéré, the Triumph Tiger 900 and the BMW R 1150 GS. The Yamaha is very similar to the Honda in its approach to the segment, while the Triumph and BMW take a different approach. The Tiger was powered by an inline three-cylinder engine, making it slightly heavier and wider, and more suitable for touring than off-road work.

The BMW wasn’t yet established as a segment leader when it was launched in the late ’90s, but the Round-The-World exploits documented on the R 1150 GS made it a celebrity in its own right.