Written by Martin Hodgson
For just over a decade, beginning in the early ’80s, the Cagiva brand was the king and dominant force in Italian motorcycling. Winning world championships, Dakar Rally’s and buying out Ducati, Husqvarna, MV Agusta and Moto Morini; but all that is over! What we do have as the company’s legacy is the beloved brands it managed to save and a hand full of models from that glorious period worthy of celebration. Based on the beautiful Ducati Pantah, the Cagiva Alazzurra is one such bike and with a band of merry men, Sydney’s Ash Kollmorgen has taken this 1986 model and made an exquisite custom cafe racer.

?The Cagiva was chosen almost by accident as I was looking for a Ducati Pantah and had missed out on a few leading up to this purchase,? Ash tells us. So while away on holiday in Mexico he thought he’d check out the online classifieds and noticed this particular bike. A quick call back to Oz and Ash had his Dad call the owner to see if he could come around and have a look at the bike. It was nearly a case of missing out again, with three other buyers present, but having called first the gentleman owner offered Ash’s Dad first bid and this Italian wasn’t going to get away.
?It was in very good but well used condition, I bought it from the original owner who had maintained it impeccably throughout its life but had just grown too old to ride it as much as he would have liked,? recalls Ash. But to craft the custom...