Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127650
John Kocinski's Cagiva V593 Itch's fuelinjected Honda was usually the fastest thing on two wheels at GP races this past season, but it's a mark of the way the Cagiva has gotten on the pace that Chandler's bike was usually thirdor fourth-fastest through the speed traps - 2.5-3 mph slower than the Hondas, says Rosa, about the same as the Suzukis, and 2.5 mph or so faster than the Yamahas. Timed at 197 mph at Hockenheim, the Cagiva is no longer giving anything away to the Japanese works bikes on top speed...nor anything in the handling department, either. Chassis designer Romano Albesiano revamped his twin-spar Carpental alloy design slightly for 1993, raising the angle of the spars relative to the steering head, in order that the engine could be mounted slightly higher in the chassis, though in the same position as before relative to the axles. This improved tumin, according to the riders. While I must say I immediately noticed how much easier it was to lay the V593 into a comer than its predecessor, I believe this was probably due to the more radical steering geometry favored by Kocinski and Chandler, compared to what Lawson used last year. "Steady Eddie" valued stability above all else,and opted for a kicked-out head angle and more trail than his successors. This year, the bike has a 23.5degree head angle (it can easily be changed by conical inserts, but that's what the riders used all season, even Mat Mladin who's more accustomed to the rangier steering of a Superbike) compared to 25 degrees on Lawson's V592, and less trail at 3.8-4 in., depending on the track (3.92 in. at Mugello), compared to 4.16. I can't say I noticed any lack of stability on any of Mugello's flowing turns with this set-up, which lightens up the steering without sacrificing precision. The meaty 46mm Ohlins forks are superb - it was beyond my capabilities to make the front wheel chatter, even over the car-induced ripples on a couple of turns. The only downside of the present set-up was that it did seem harder to get the bike to move from side to side in the trio of Mugello chicanes. Perhaps this could be due to the new, higher engine position (presumably achieved in order to optimize weight transfer under acceleration and braking), but it took a good tug to lift it up and over, more than I recall from riding the V592 on the same track a year ago. Apparently Kocinski tried a lower engine position and reverted to the original set up, so what do I know? - no choice but to get busy with the weights and build up those arm and shoulder muscles! And the forearms, too; so as to withstand the tremendous pressure inflicted on them by the phenomenal braking potential of the 290mm Brembo carbon discs - once I could persuade myself it was safe to take a huge handful of brake lever and squeeze as hard as I liked to maximize stopping power! There's no point being wimpish about using the black brakes - you just have to squeeze as hard as you can and hold on tight to stop yourself" from being tipped over the screen as the front tire digs in and the back wheel vaults lazily into the air. This takes some getting used to, but it certainly works well once you persuade yourself it's okay to stay off the brakes until the 66O-foot board is history at the end of the Mugello main straight. Do that, squeeze tight, hang on, and discover a whole new meaning to the term "stopping power." Yet the smaller Brembos have a lot of feel and sensitivity compared to other black brakes I've used, including the bigger 320mm carbon discs of the same make, which may deliver more stop if your name is Mick Doohan, but aren't as user-friendly for the likes of me beca use they get cool quicker and take longer to heat up again - even the thinner versions which Cagiva (Right) The V593 uses Brembo carbon flber disc brakes and 46mm inverted Ohllns fork up front.ยท (Below) The SOdegree V-four, compete with CTS speed-shlfter. (Below) The Ferrari-built, carbon-fiber swlngarm features an adjustable pivot polnL sometimes uses . I wonder why they don't shroud them , so they could use the bigger brakes? Doug Chandler usually uses Michelin's 16.5-inch front tire, but Kocinski prefers the normal 17-inch front, even though it apparently has a harder feel to it than the more bouncy, thicker-sidewalled 16.5-incher, which has the same rolling circumference to it as the other tire and doesn't alter the steering geometry. The Cagiva has quite a lot of frontend weight bias for a 500 at a 54/46% split, which helps load up the front tire under braking and tum-in, especially at Mugello's notorious off-camber downhill sweepers where many a good man has come to grief. But the V593 gave so much confidence through these two worrisome turns that I surprised myself by how fast I could get through them without closing my eyes! And by modifying the adjustable location for the pivot point of the lovely Ferrari-built carbon swingarm for each circuit, Cagiva can ensure that traction is optimized in spite of having so much weight on the front wheel, especially on a bike which at 55.6-56.2 inches of wheelbase (again variable according to each track, as well as the gearing used), is quite short by 500ccclass norms. My one complaint is with the CTS speed-shifter; I still find it overly sensitive, and it combines with Cagiva's traditionally notchy gearbox to deliver a very harsh, mechanical change. In addition, it's easy to accidentally swap ratios if your foot brushes the lever while you're working on changing direction. Apart from that, it's really hard to fault the latest Cagiva SOOcc GP bike. After a decade of endeavor, the succession of gifted engineers that the Castiglionis have attracted to Varese are now poised to achieve their long -awaited goal of a world 500cc title to go along with the trio of Ducati World Superbike crowns. With Kocinski and Chandler aboard in 1994, don't bet against it! Q\I