Cagiva C593
With Phil Aynsley
I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to photograph several Cagiva 500cc GP bikes – here is the C593.
This was the company’s penultimate GP bike and carried over the 80º V4 (with its two counter-rotating crankshafts and “big bang” firing order) from the previous year’s machine.
The major change compared to the 1992 bike was the adoption of Öhlins suspension, replacing Showa units.
Output was about 180 hp at 12,700 rpm, with a dry weight of just 130 kg, and a top speed of 310 km/h.
Team riders were Doug Chandler and Aussie Mat Maladin, with John Kocinski added for the final four rounds.
Chandler finished third in the first race of the season at Eastern Creek (as seen in the images) and finished the year in 10th overall.
Kocinski scored two fourth places and won the US GP to complete his short season in 11th.
Mladin (very much the junior in the team) finished the year in 13th with a best result of sixth at Jarama.
This is one of the Chandler bikes and is a part of the Phillip Island Circuit Museum.
