NST : Cagiva Mito Review @ 2007

Speaking of myths, this is like David vs Goliath. ARMAN AHMAD slingshots
about in the Cagiva Mito.

My ears are ringing. I’ve been riding for about half an hour in the sun
- but I’m not even sweating. It’s midday, and I’m zipping through traffic
at insane speeds on a Saturday wearing just my full face helmet, a thin
T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

Some people sitting in the cars I overtake are probably thinking I’m
crazy. Other motorists will probably think I’m just a regular hooligan.
Except the fast, loud little two-stroke machine that I’m riding is no
regular rempit machine – it’s the legendary Cagiva Mito 125.

My ears are ringing because the din from its two-stroke race derived
engine is barely muffled by the exhaust. My back hurts because the
race-inspired seating is cramping my style. As I flick through the gears
and work the clutch, the hot sun is biting into my exposed arms but I
couldn’t care less.

I rev the bike’s engine past 7,000 rpm and go screaming into a
roundabout. An elderly Chinese aunt frowns at me as she watches me corner
at an insane angle. But she and her Honda City are soon mere dots in the
bike’s rear view mirror.

You may wonder why I’m displaying such foolish bravado. No, I haven’t
been experimenting with hallucinogens.

I just picked up the bike from Mofaz the day before, and I have been
riding since morning. I’m hooked.

The buzzsaw engine doesn’t produce much power but the bike weighs a
mere 129kg. Acceleration is nothing to shout about. It’s probably as fast
as a Proton Saga.

However, the bike has razor sharp handling. It changes direction at the
flick of your wrist. Who cares about power anyway when you don’t have to
brake?

Once you climb on the seat – you get a race-like view of the road
ahead. The meter is simple and uncluttered, with a steering damper
situated under it.

Despite the sluggish acceleration, the bike’s top speed is acceptable -
somewhere in the region of 180km/h. But it would be hard to travel long
distances on the bike. It’s better suited to short distances in the city.

In short, the Mito won’t be challenging any Ducatis but it’s a lot of
fun to ride. It would be well suited to beginner riders – even women
riders. Just think of it as “My first Ducati”.

It is incredibly beautiful. When I was testing it, I was surprised to
find the red Mito attracting so much attention. I’ve ridden bikes five
times the price and 10 times the capacity but they didn’t attract as much
attention as the little Mito.

The mere mention of the name Mito may conjure up some memories for old
school bikers. In Italian, mito means myth or legend.

The bike was first introduced in 1990 as the Cagiva Mito Lawson to
commemorate Cagiva’s GP 500 victories by motorcycle racing legend Eddie
Lawson.

When it first came to Malaysia, it caused a sensation with its
upside-down forks, Brembo brakes and beautiful Italian styling.
If my memory serves me correctly, it sold here for about RM15,000,
pretty affordable for any exotic Italian brand that was affiliated with
Ducati.

Over the years, the Mito gained a somewhat cult status in Malaysia,
with die-hard fans braving spare part shortages to maintain their bikes
in working condition.

In 1994, the Mito was restyled in Italy by Massimo Tamburini, the same
guy who drew up the design for the Ducati 916.

In fact, if you parked both bikes side by side, only a few details
would differentiate the 900cc superbike and its 125cc sibling.

Although the fairing had been changed, most of the innards were still
the same crazy two-stroker that caused a sensation in the early 90s.
Needless to say, when the bike was introduced here as the Mito EV
(evolution), it was an immediate hit.

That was 13 years ago.

It has been a while since the Mito was imported to Malaysia. However,
Mofaz is bringing in a final batch of some 300 bikes.

According to them, the bike will be the last batch to be produced with
the two-stroke 125cc engine.

There are rumours that Cagiva will produce a 500cc single cyclinder Mito
with a Husqvarna engine but nothing has yet been confirmed.

The Momos version of the Mito sells for RM19,244.50 on the road. If you
want to own this unique piece of motorcycle history, give Muzisham from
Mofaz a call at 019-6318-173.