Motostrada to bring Cagiva back to PH in 2020

Reborn as electric motorcycles

There are many Italian motorcycle brands, but few manage to find success in both on- and off-road racing like Cagiva. Though known more for their motocross and Dakar-winning bikes, Cagiva also boasts of a few Grand Prix victories. It is also one of the few Bond Bikes, with a W16 600 used by Pierce Brosnan in Goldeneye.

It was founded in 1950 by Giovanni Castiglioni in Varese, Italy, originally producing small metal components and moving on to airplanes and eventually motorcycles. The name is a portmanteau derived from the founder's name 'Giovanni Castiglioni' and the founding location, i.e. CAstiglioni GIovanni VArese. Unfotunately, Cagiva had ceased production in 2012.

^{Randy Mamola on a Cagiva Mito at the 1989 Japanese GP.}

It is, however, slated for a rebirth this year, and we may soon be able to buy Cagivas again locally. In a conversation with MotoPinas.com, Motostrada's head, Mr. Boy Lu, disclosed that the company plans to bring back Cagiva motorcycles early next year. But here's the catch: it will be all-electric motorcycles.

The revelation is quite fortuitous as Motostrada is also the exclusive distributor of MV Agusta, CF Moto, and Zontes motorcycles here in the country. The connection seems fated as Cagiva was once a large motorcycle company, buying out Moto Morini and Ducati in 1985, and Husqvarna in 1987. It purchased the rights to produce MV Agusta motorcycles in 1991 and produced the first new models in 1997. Tough economic times and corporate realignment forced Cagiva to sell the Ducati and Moto Morini brands in 1996, with MV Agusta then serving as the parent company to Cagiva and Husqvarna. Harley-Davidson would later on buy Cagiva in 2008. Though just a year later, it was sold to the son of Cagiva's founder, Claudio Castiglioni, brother of then MV Agusta CEO, Gianfranco Castiglioni. Unfortunately, the Cagiva brand had to cease production to allow the company to focus their resources on the MV Agusta brand.

On March 2018, then MV Agusta CEO, Claudio Castiglioni, announced that the Cagiva brand will be making a comeback. The brand's revival is scheduled for a relaunch at this year's EICMA in November. So as not to compete with the MV Agusta brand, Cagiva will be producing electric bikes that are envisioned to be more affordable to the mass market.

^{2001 Cagiva Mito Evolution II}

Cagiva plans to revive one of its most popular nameplates, the Mito sport bike, as an electric motorcycle. The new model is said to tip the scales at 80kg and produce 21 Ps of power.

We have yet to find out any more details beyond that, however it's unveiling is a little less than a month away. Would you buy an electric Mito?