Icon: Cagiva Mito
Where did it come from?
From the white-hot competition of Italy’s 125cc scene of the 1980s and 90s. The first Mito — the name means ‘myth’ in Italian, but ‘legend’ would do as well — was launched in 1989 with a level of build quality and attention to detail that shamed a lot of bigger bikes.
The twin-spar aluminium chassis was so capable that it’s always been a popular choice for supermono racers and other specials, and clever people have fitted everything from big thumping singles to CR500 two-stroke motocross engines to Yamaha LCS between those chunky spars. At just 120kg dry, even with its standard two-stroke singlecylinder powerplant it went well, giving a genuine 100mph with a little patience.
It handled superbly and better still, it looked like the Varese firm’s 500cc GP bikes of the era. Oh, and it had a sevenspeed gearbox. If you were a styleconscious Italian teenager (actually, that’s all of them...) in the 80s, that was the equivalent of having a Marshall amp that went up to 11 instead of 10...
What changed?
There was a move to adjustable forks in 1993 (and upside-downies the following year), and there was a posher Sport Production version for racing, along with some special paint schemes. But mostly what changed was the styling.
In 1994 Cagiva took the genius decision to turn the Mito into a mini-me for the firm’s new Massimo Tamburinidesigned 916, and the resulting Mito Evo version was just gorgeous. It was still effective on track as well — some kid called Valentino Rossi took one to his first national title in 1994.
Sadly, by the time the Evo II came into being in 2000 (the giveaway is the six-spoke wheels), the seven-speed gearbox had been cut back to a conventional six cogs. Production of the Evo ended in 2009, but a restyled SP version soldiered on until emissions regulations finally killed it in 2012.
Why do people like it?
Nostalgia — a longing for the days when 100mph felt special. And, of course, because it’s still beautiful.
Cult rating 5/5
Arguably the best sports 125 ever built.
The problem is...
Teenagers. Every time a teenager approaches a bike with mechanical intent, bad things happen. Even worse when they’re trying to make it faster with ill-advised bolt-ons. Finding a Mito in good standard condition is incredibly hard, and finding good used parts to restore a basket case is even worse.
Without the Mito...
A generation of Italian adolescents would have found it just that little bit harder to get laid.
“Arguably the best sports 125 ever built”