The Hermes Project (Cagiva Raptor 125)
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Cagiva Raptor 125
Introduction
Thought it was appropriate to start a new project for this little bike.
For those that aren't aware, the Cagiva Raptor is basically a detuned Cagiva Mito with the fairings removed and relaxed geometry.
It has some bonus features over the Mito that make it ideal for commuting (Photos to follow). The fuel tank is actually fairly hollow and lifts up secured with a "Bonnet Stay". This allows you to secure a helmet underneath the fuel tank. The rear seat has a lever that allows easy removal with plenty of storage space. And right next to this lever is actually a helmet locking mechansim operated with the ignition key. Cracking little features.
Despite being the "Detuned" mito, this little smoker will absolutely run rings around the DT125 and will top out at an "Indicated" 90. The gearing at the moment is ridiculous, meaning it will top out at an "Indicated" 105 (clocked at 95 by my RS 125, so I know it's way out). It doesn't hang about getting there either!
The bike was acquired a few years ago now, 2018, and was owned by my brother.
He immediately replaced the exhaust system with a full TYGA Stainless exhaust and Kevlar End Can, replaced the number plate with a tail tidy and then proceeded to use it for the next three years. He then replaced this Cagiva with a Mito and asked if I wanted this bike.
By the time it made it to my hands, being something like the 15th owner, it is now pretty tired. It's got 23k KM on the clocks and has seen better days.
That said, it absolutely starts on the button. But it definitely is not as crisp sounding as it could be.
Initial Purchases
Short Clip of it Running no sound
Since owning it, I have:
- Replaced the rear indicators
- Fixed the front brake switch
- Bought a new genuine tank strap to fasten the fuel tank back down to the frame
- Fresh new set of rear bearings
- Pirelli Diablo Rossa 3 rear tyre
- New chain and sprockets.
- Rear Swingarm Bobbins
Unfortunately, the original barrel was missing for this machine, so I've managed to import a genuine Gilardoni "Planet" barrel (which is the predecessor to the Raptor), which I'll look to have replated and fitted when I do a full nut and bolt rebuild.
This bike has been purchased for the use of commuting on. It's fast, comfortable and convenient making it a perfect commuter.
The bike comes factory fitted with four pot front Brembo caliper and a dual pot rear Brembo caliper. Along with a huge front disc (same as the RS 125 disc). It's also sporting Marzocchi forks. It has a lovely aluminium frame with a beautiful aluminium banana swingarm.
Unfortunately, the chain adjusters foul where the swingarm bobbins are meant to go, so I've had to knock up a few little spacers for them.
Absolutely perfect as per usual
With these in place, I've been able to dismantle the rear of the bike and get the bearings out for replacement.
I did the ol' Oven trick with the sprocket carrier as a way to drop in the new bearings.
200 degrees 20 minutes, new bearing and snap ring dropped in like a glove.
The rear bearing was totally shagged and just fell to pieces upon removing. And the existing chain was completely maxxed out. I resorted to taking three links out the chain just so I could continue riding it
Now for the bad news...
On Wednesday, I was commuting into the office and a white van pulled out on me and I slammed straight into the side of it and up over the bonnet
I haven't had a proper look at the bike yet, I certainly won't be riding it until I do.
I think I'm okay, I'm a tad sore etc, but I survived. The small problem is, with the gearing so tall at the moment, you really have to wring it's neck in order to stay in the powerband, so it sounded like I was flooring it, but I was only in 2nd. The van driver admitted fault as he blindly pulled into the road I was riding along.
Future Plans
The future for this bike is eventually a full nut and bolt rebuild. I'm currently building another RS 125, and my DTR is in bits at the moment so I want to get that working to replace this bike. I'm slowly collecting parts (they're actually hard to come by). So this project in a few years will include a full tear down. But for the moment, I'm just doing preventative measures to keep the bike road worthy.
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@declan 100% mate. So when my brother said he was going to buy it and showed me a photo, I kept very reserved. The look of the bike just simply didn't do it for me.
When we got the bike, my opinion didn't really change that much. Although it does look better in person.
Then we got it home and he let me have a quick blip round the B roads on it, and yeah then I just fell in love with it. You simply have to ride it to really appreciate it.
Now, I think the styling is spot on, the handling is superb and it is a lot faster than the DTR.
Back to the Project
So joys! I got a phone call from Spa Motorcycles to say that they were unable to fit the tyre and bearings. They said the internal spacers to the rear wheel is shagged and that the bearing had simply fallen out of the wheel.
It was a choice of either, machining the wheel down and fabricating up new spigot rings, or get a new rear wheel.
As you might imagine, parts for this bike aren't exactly a common thing, so I initially looked at repairing the existing wheel, definitely doable, but a bit of eBaying later, I found a wheel from a Cagiva Planet (the predecessor) same colour for very little money.
It's condition is pretty poor, but it'll get added to the list of things to do in the fullness of time.
Bearings fitted and cush drive added.New rear sprocket fitted back to standard gearing.
The bike was geared to do over 100mph (INDICATED!!), but it simply meant ragging every gear to get it to do that. Back to stock gearing front and back (yet to test). I'm only using this bike to commute on, so don't need to do silly speeds.I got myself a nice 100l 3hp compressor and a blasting cabinet. So I've been very busy blasting everything in sight!
Did both the wheel chocks.
Literally seconds later....
I still haven't put the DT back together yet, so I've spruced up a few bits for it before fitting.
I managed to source an OEM Cagiva Planet barrel, current have a pattern Mitaka barrel. Ran this through the cabinet as well...
Has come out like new.
Great tool to own to be fair.
New Pirelli Diablo Roso Tyre, new bearings and new chain and sprocket.
Always Originate, Never Pirate!
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@declan
It was loctite'd in there before. Loctite was just a bodge. It was slack, so the previous owner Loctite in there. Worked for a while. slacked again and destroyed the hub.So yeah, the hub face is now warped that the bearing won't sit in there properly. I don't like doing things by halves. It needs maching out and a spigot ring placed in there. A job for another time though. I'll bang the wheel in the loft until I can be bothered to fix it.
Always Originate, Never Pirate!
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@declan That's what the Spigot ring is for bud.
The problem is, is there enough metal to machine away.
- The options are, weld it up, machine it down
- Machine it down, make up a spigot ring
- Machine it down go with the next available bearing size
For the moment, the bike is again running, so as I say, I'll put the wheel in the loft and worry about it another time.
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Not sure if I mentioned this, shortly after this post the motorbike broke down on me one time home from lunch.
I had a few working bikes so I literally shelved this bike into my garage for another time.
Over the coronation, I wanted to do something to mark the occasion, I decided to take a look at why this wasn't running.
No spark so after working my way back, turned out the signal wire to the coil had snapped clean off underneath the OEM sheeth.
Quickly sorted that out and now it's back to ripping!
Last couple of weekends I have had it out, today was down the Forest of Dean, plenty of tarmac down there which is just perfect for these bikes!
Always Originate, Never Pirate!
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@HOTSHOT-III This is the successor, Cagiva Raptor. Same bike just revised styling etc.
Nice TYGA pipe on this one though
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This little machine has been a little work horse for the last 5 years and the engine was due a refresh when my brother bought it originally. My brother is also hard on bikes, having previously worn out the rear wheel due to a worn wheel bearing...
This weekend saw two solid days of top engine refresh...
So this is how the bike sat for two days as I worked solid to strip it down for a refresh.
A whole host of goodies from PJME
Not all of this is being fitted in this current build but the list of parts are:
- New Clutch Plates
- New Gear Oil
- Genuine Cagiva Barrel
- 60433 - Fitted
- 73037 - Future project
- Polished head
- 200C - Fitted
- 200H - Future project
- Italkit Pneumatic Valve - Will be mated to the 73037 Barrel - Future Project
- Vertex Twin Ring Domed Piston Standard Size
- New Silver Coated Little End Bearing
- New Athena Gaskets
- VForce4 Reed Block
- New Genuine Inlet Manifold
- Dellorto VHST Flat Slide Carburettor - Replaces the roundslide PHBH
- New Plated Barrel
Poeton charged £260 for the replating of the barrel, due to it previously being scored. Recommended Grade A piston replaced. The piston ring end gap toleraces are measured.
Titanium studs fitted along with Titanium domed nuts
New VForce4 Reed block + Genuine Inlet Manfold fixed with titanium bolts torqued to spec.
Once installed the squish was measured and kept to as close as standard as possible.
Good sealing through the rings, although I expect this to drop once it's been run in.
Was making 140 PSI prior to the rebuild so this is a healthy number to be making. Although, as said, I expect this to drop after the break in period down to 150-170.
This rebuild was to replace the Mitaka barrel and the scored piston/barrel that was previously fitted. Whilst the works were underway, I cleaned all the powervalve assembly, which was heavily coked up, as well as all anscillaries and replaced all fluids.
What I didn't appreciate, was that Cagiva made many barrels for the Mito over the years and the one I purchased was the very early barrel off the Freccia. This is probably the worst barrel I could have bought and may actually have worsened the performance of the engine.
It may improve it slightly in the ways I use the bike. The exhaust is slightly smaller and the transfers are also smaller with fewer numbers. This could result in greater pressures through the transfers and improved mid-range performance. Which the Raptor could benefit from.
I have sourced the better setup for the mito and I have acquired a spare bottom end that I will rebuild and fit this to.
I also saw that Italkit were offering a Pneumatic valve for this engine too. I bought this as a bit of a novelty, unfortunately it's the non-adjustable one and I hear it opens at the wrong time. But electronics don't last forever and at least I have a replacement powervalve system in the event mine fails.
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Swapped out the PHBH 28mm roundslide for a VHST Flat Slide and jetted to suit.
Despite, technically being an inferior barrel, performance in the midrange definitely has jumped up. Haven't yet pinned it to check top end but I suspect to lose a little HP up top due to the port dynamics. So far so good though... I will upload a short short short of me bleeding the oil pump just for a sound check.
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Savage!
I was just collecting all the spare bits from the rebuild, I like to keep parts 'in case of an emergency'...
https://youtube.com/shorts/0KlaU_adlWg?si=eHzrxklmGSn4Bo2L
But wow! Top of the piston was cracked going through the ring lands and to the gudgeon. The thing was a literal ticking time bomb!
I have known that the cylinder was in need of a refresh for quite some time, but I didn't appreciate the extremity of the situation. I have been using the bike lightly this year and it hasn't been ridden prior to that for at least two years, if not more.
But yeah that's really awful, never seen a piston crack before.
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@Calum Hi mate. Great little bike you have here... I just picked up a 2006 Raptor 125 from a friend of mine for a steal which is in great condition to be fair but it will be my winter project for a full nut and bolt rebuild! Just wondering if you would be able to answer a few questions if you have the time??
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Sure you can, just post a thread up and I will probably answer it.
Failing that, the best place is probably the cagivamito blogspot.
