Cagiva enters the 50cc motorbike sector with the Cocis 50 of 1988, a bike directly inspired by the 125cc Tamanaco. As for the eighth of a litre, Cagiva produces its own engine and does it with great style, equipping it - among other features - with reed valve in the crankcase and an anti-vibration countershaft, two absolute novelties for such a small engine. In 1989 came the Cocis 2nd series inspired by the N90 enduro and later the W4 and K3, in turn inspired by their 125cc sisters. Among the stradali versions, the Prima 50 (later to become Mito 50) and the Supermotard Supercity 50 (inspired by the 125) closed the circle of a production of great quality. Cagiva for all its 50cc motorbikes also had a corresponding 6-speed version for export as well as a 75cc version.
Cagiva 50cc: the 5P engine (7P export)
The Cagiva engine, codenamed 5P and 7P for the 6 speed export version, was born in 1988 when the Cocis 50 was presented. The engine was born with the most advanced technologies: aluminium cylinder, forced circulation cooling, reed valve in the crankcase, anti-vibration countershaft, automatic mixer, electric and pedal start. There are three variants of this engine:
- Long stroke 44mm (bore 38mm) mounted on Cocis, K3, W4
- Short stroke 39.6mm (bore 40mm) fitted to Supercity 50 and Prima and also fitted to 50cc export 6-speed.
- Long stroke 44mm (bore 46.5mm) for 75cc export version
The carburettor was the standard Dell'Orto SHA 14-12 for the Italian version, while both the 50cc export and the 75cc were fitted with a PHBG 20 BS (the maximum jet varied between the two versions).
The gearbox had been prepared from the start to accommodate 6 gears, but of course this required the replacement of all gearbox components and the opening of the engine block. Cagiva had a special kit in its price list, common for all its 50cc models.
- 4-speed gearbox only fitted on 1988 Cocis with ratios: primary, 1st Z11/38, 2nd Z14/29, 3rd Z20/29, 4th Z20/23 and secondary Z11/50.
- 3 speed gearbox on Cocis 89, K3, W4, Prima and Supercity 50 with primary ratios: 1st Z11/38, 2nd Z 15/28, 3rd Z20/24 and secondary ratios that varied from model to model.
- 6 speed gearbox common to all 50cc export and 75cc models with ratios: primary, 1st Z11/37, 2nd Z14/29, 3rd Z17/26, 4th Z19/23, 5th Z21/22, 6th Z23/21 and secondary ratios that varied from model to model.
Cocis 50 - 1988 - type 1F
The Cocis 50 - named in honour of the great Indian chief "Cocis " - laid the basis for the following Cagiva 50s with the exception of the Prima road bike. The company from Varese started off with a truly complete motorbike equipped with every possible refinement. As already described above, the Cagiva 50cc engine in 1988, equipped with 4 gears, was really the most refined in existence and the chassis and equipment of the Cocis were not inferior to it. Offered at a price of 3,374,000 lire including electric starter, the Cocis boasted a single girder frame in square steel tubes, Marzocchi 35mm upside down fork and steel swingarm served by a "soft damp" suspension with Boge preload adjustable single shock absorber. The brakes were both discs. Complete instrumentation and electrical system worthy of its 125cc big sister.
Cocis 50 1989 - type 1F
The second series of the Cocis was directly inspired by the 125 enduro N90. The superstructures were therefore new and so was the instrumentation, which was inspired by that of the 125 and the Elefant 750-900. The chassis remained substantially unchanged, while the engine was penalised by the 3-speed Code gearbox and a more silenced exhaust. The price was Lire 3,500,000 including electric starter. Two colours were available: lucky explorer or black.
K3 1991 - type 1G
As with previous Cagiva enduros, the K3 clearly took its lines and superstructure from its eighth-litre sister K7, including the instrumentation with only a mileage counter and service lights. The frame was the same as the familiar square tubular steel one-piece, but compared to the Cocis it varied in the chassis dimensions: 45° steering angle on each side (40° on the Cocis), 27° steering angle (26°30′ on the Cocis) and 99mm trail (106mm on the Cocis). The Marzocchi upside down 35mm fork saw its travel increased to 240mm (210mm on the Cocis) while the familiar Soft Damp suspension remained at the rear. The Brembo disc brakes remained unchanged. The engine remained the familiar 3-speed mounted on the 1989 Cocis, but without the electric starter. The price was 3,750,000 lire.
W4 1992 - type 1G
The W4 took the baton from the previous K3, proposing a more classic enduro bike in terms of shape. The frame remained the same as the K3 (also in the dimensions), while at the front, for the first time on a Cagiva 50cc enduro, a traditional 35mm advanced pivot fork with 240mm of travel made its appearance. The rear suspension, the brakes and the 3-speed engine without electric starter were unchanged. Offered at a price of 3,730,000 lire, the W4 was available in two colours: red or blue.
Supercity 50 1992 - type
The Supercity 50 was once again directly inspired by the eighth of a litre and offered the interesting formula of super noticing on a 50cc. Only Aprilia with the Pegaso 50 and Gilera with the Sioux 50 offered something similar, but unlike the Varese manufacturer, these models did not have wheels and brakes properly stradali. The Supercity maintained the classic Cagiva frame derived from the K3 but with 85mm trail and still boasted the Marzocchi upside-down 35mm fork, but with travel reduced to 180mm. The rear suspension remained the classic soft-damp but with a different setting. The brakes featured a large 300mm Grimeca disc at the front and a 220mm disc at the rear. The 3-spoke light alloy wheels were both 16″. The engine was always the known Cagiva 3-speed, but it differed from the engine mounted on the 50cc enduros because of the 39.6mm stroke (instead of 44mm) that gave more liveliness at high revs and therefore designed for a more street use. The gearbox was, as always, a 3-speed Code. The price was 3,890,000 liras including only the electric starter.
Prima 50 1992 - type 7F
The Prima 50 (or Mito 50) was an absolute novelty for Cagiva. For the first time since the 1988 Cocis, the Varese-based company presented a completely new 50cc motorbike that introduced a completely new chassis designed around a high quality steel perimeter frame. The peculiarity of the Prima was the fake tank that concealed a convenient compartment for a helmet or other objects, while the real tank was hidden in the tail. The instrumentation was the same as on the Supercity and perhaps a little basic compared to the competition from Aprilia and Gilera. The front fork remained the classic Marzocchi with 35mm upside-down stems, suitably calibrated for sports use on the road, while at the rear was the Soft-Damp suspension also calibrated for road use. The brakes had a 260mm disc at the front and a 220mm disc at the rear. The three-spoke alloy wheels were the same as on the Supercity and therefore both 16″. The engine remained the 39.6mm short stroke version mounted in common with the Supercity and was equipped with a 3-speed gearbox with electric starter only. The price was 4,000,000 lire.
