The Cagiva VX Traveller Custom Bike

A custom build based on the 1999 Cagiva Gran Canyon adventure bike.

Launched in 1998, the Cagiva Gran Canyon 900 bike was introduced as a successor to the Cagiva Elefant 900 series, a 1990 Paris-Dakar rally winner, and was also the predecessor of the popular Ducati Multistrada. Stefano Venier, founder of New York-based Italian workshop Venier Customs, chose the bike to create his own custom motorcycle for touring. Similarly to other Venier builds, this one seamlessly blends modern and traditional aesthetics. The project involved stripping the bike and then choosing which components to keep, to modify, or to make from scratch. Based on a 1999 Cagiva Gran Canyon, the bespoke bike features a rebuilt, stock Ducati 900 SS V twin-engine.

The team kept the suspension and the brakes but improved the latter with new rotors. The new body features hand-formed aluminum fenders, side covers and fuel tank, all finished with a Fiat Abarth Gray coat and gold accents. Other custom parts include the exhaust by Mass Moto, the headlight bucket, and the shortened sub-frame. At the front, the workshop installed aluminum handlebars and a Moto Gadget digital speedometer.

The Cagiva VX Traveller bike also features new tires and removable aluminum panniers with a removable, custom milled aluminum bracket. A hand-stitched seat cover made from Italian leather completes the design. Venier Customs presented the bike at the 2020 Portland One Moto Show, with many motorbike publications also featuring the build. The Cagiva VX Traveller will be available to buy from August 12-14 through auction house Mecum at Monterey 2021. Photography© Mecum Auctions.