1991 Cagiva Mito 125cc Motorcycle (Eddie Lawson Replica)

Description

Founded by Giovanni Castiglioni in 1950, Cagiva (the name is a contraction of his initials and the Italian city where his factory was built) initially produced metal components and it wasn’t until 1978 that the first motorcycle emerged from the former Aermacchi plant in Varese. Cagiva forged a reputation for technical innovation, clever marketing and competitive pricing, helping the company thrive in the face of strong Japanese competition through the 1970s and 1980s. Indeed, Cagiva’s empire expanded to include the likes of Ducati, Moto Morini and Husqvarna by 1986 and the company was exporting to more than 50 countries by this stage. The 1980s was also productive decade on the track, with Cagiva entering the Grand Prix arena for the first time, although it took until Hungary in 1992 for the company to taste success. A brand new factory was unveiled at Morazzone in Varese in 1990, incorporating a state of the art Crimson Design Center. Cagiva added MV Agusta to its stable in 1991 and what followed was a complete re-organisation of the corporate entity. Amongst the diverse range of road bikes produced by Cagiva over the years, the Mito is one of the most interesting. The original Mark I model was introduced in 1989 as a small capacity race replica, powered by a high-revving two-stroke 125cc single developing a heady 30 horsepower. A rival for Aprilia’s RS125, the Mito boasted stunning race-inspired styling, available in either red or teal, Brembo brakes and a 38mm Marzocchi telescopic front fork. Notable as Valentino Rossi’s first bike, the future World Champion was a factory Cagiva rider in 1994 under team boss Claudio Lusuardi and won the Italian title that year. The Mito ultimately remained in production, in a wide variety of guises including later Evo I and II with Ducati 916-inspired styling and several naked variants, until 2012 and is regarded as a future classic.