Cagiva

Cagiva
Subsidiary
Industry Motorcycle manufacturing
Predecessor Aermacchi Harley-Davidson
Founded 1978
Founder Giovanni Castiglioni
Headquarters Varese, Italy
Products Motorcycle
Parent MV Agusta Motor S.p.A.
Website www.cagiva.it

Cagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded in 1950 by Claudio Castiglioni in Varese, originally producing small metal components. It went into the motorcycle industry in 1978. The name is a portmanteau derived from the founder's son 'Giovanni' and the founding location, i.e. CAstiglioni GIovanni VArese.

In its history, Cagiva won races in Dakar and Motocross competitions, as well as in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.

History

Cagiva Elefant 650, a dual-sport motorcycle using a Ducati engine

In 1978 Cagiva entered the motorcycle business with two racing motorcycles ridden by Gianfranco Bonera and Marco Lucchinelli. In the same year it bought a factory in Schiranna, Varese from Aermacchi/AMF-Harley Davidson and went into motorcycle production. By 1979 the company reached an annual production of 40,000 motorbikes, with eight models powered by two-stroke engines ranging from 125 cc to 350 cc.

Many of the Harley-Davidson models were continued in production as Cagivas, and the off-road motorcycle division was improved and expanded, eventually producing its own race-winning WMX series of moto-cross motorcycles.

A T4 350 cm³, currently in use in the Italian and other armies because of its maneuverability and power[1]
Another Cagiva T4 used by the French Armed Forces

In 1983 Cagiva also sourced Ducati four stroke v-twin engines from 350 cc to 1000 cc and entered the big displacement market. Cagiva bought Ducati in 1985, but kept the Ducati brand that was better recognized outside Italy. Ducati motorcycle production continued in Bologna, while the Varese-built Cagiva Ala Azzurra (sold under the name "Alazzurra", "Bluewing") and Elefant were introduced, both featuring Ducati engines.[2]

Cagiva continued with strategic buyouts of Moto Morini in 1985 and Husqvarna in 1987. In 1991 Cagiva also bought the trademarks for the MV Agusta brand.

In 1996, Cagiva accepted the offer by the Texas Pacific Group and sold the Ducati and Moto Morini brands. In 1999, for strategic purposes, the company was restructured. MV Agusta Motor become the main brand comprising Cagiva and Husqvarna.[3]

In 2000, production of the Cagiva roadster ended. In 2008, Harley Davidson bought MV Agusta Motor, the parent company of Cagiva, thereby regaining some control of its old Aermacchi factory.

In October 2009, Harley-Davidson informed that it would put Cagiva up for sale. In the August of the following year, Cagiva was bought back by the son of the founder and former owner Claudio Castiglioni.

In 2012, production of new high engine capacity Mitos ended. Increasingly stringent environmental emission requirements and the concentration of resources on MV Agusta's F3 were cited as reasons. The last few Mito SP525s produced were white in colour, and personally signed by MV Agusta CEO Giovanni Castiglioni, thus ended the legacy of the Mito, alongside the end of the Raptors.

Cagiva currently produces Raptor 125cc and Mito 50cc and 125cc.

Racing

In the early 1980s Cagiva began to manufacture dirt bikes and started a massive public relations program with the opening of its North American branch. It hired Ron Turner and Duane Summers to test and develop its bikes. Cagiva motocross bikes were characterized by their fast powerful engines and innovative features, such as the MX line that had only one spring in the front forks with one fork controlling dampening and the other spring.

MotoGP World Championship

Cagiva GP, Randy Mamola, 1989 Japanese GP

At the end of the 1970s the company began campaigning the Grand Prix motorcycle racing circuit. Randy Mamola was its lead rider from 1988 to 1990, and he achieved Cagiva’s first podium result. It would also have some technical assistance from Yamaha. In 1991 it signed former world champion Eddie Lawson to its team. Lawson would claim the company's first victory when he won the 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix. John Kocinski would also win a Grand Prix on a Cagiva GP500 (C594), finishing third in the 1994 world championship.

Dakar Rally

Cagiva 750 Elefant of Jordi Arcarons 1995 Granada–Dakar Rally

In 1990 and 1994 the Italian rider Edi Orioli won the Dakar Rally on the Ducati-powered Cagiva Elefant.

Year Champion Motorcycle
1990 Italy Edi Orioli Cagiva Elefant
1994 Italy Edi Orioli Cagiva Elefant

Motocross World Championship

Year Champion Motorcycle
1985 Finland Pekka Vehkonen Cagiva WMX
1986 Netherlands David Strijbos Cagiva WMX

Motocross World World Constructors champions

The Mini Moke

Mini Moke

Cagiva bought BMCs design for the Mini Moke, manufacturing them in Portugal using British built engines from 1990 until 1993. Intending to transfer production to the Bologna factory early in 1995, the tooling for the Moke was transferred to Italy late in 1993, but production never restarted.

Past models

Cagiva Mito Evolution II, 2001
Cagiva V-Raptor 650
Cagiva Xtra Raptor 1000

Road

Off road

Adventure - dual sport

Cagiva Elefant 900 i.e.
Cagiva Gran Canyon

Scooter

Mito SP525

See also

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ 1985-1987 Cagiva Alazzurra Motorcycle Classics article, Jan/Feb 2008
  3. ↑ "Cagiva Recent Facts". Cagiva. Retrieved 2008-02-03.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cagiva motorcycles.