The Cagiva Mito SP525 the Malaysian Racer

When visiting Malaysia, it seems rumors of the two-stroke motorcycle's death have been greatly exaggerated. Granted, the 125cc two-stroke motorcycle is hardly flourishing, but the Cagiva Mito SP525 means gray-smoking-motorcycles aren't extinct yet.

Before you get too excited, the misleading 525 in the name doesn't refer to its engine capacity, it's a 125cc, using a refined and cleaned-up version of the liquid-cooled single the Cagiva Mito's had since it was introduced 20 years ago. Since then exhaust emission legislation has repeatedly slammed the door of two-stroke engines. But Cagiva have opened the door again, using new technology to continue the Cagiva Mito's legacy.

As well as two catalytic converters and a smarter ECU brain, the Cagiva engine has a new Dell'Orto designed 'Electronic Carburation System' keeping the air/fuel/oil mix as efficient as possible.

And it all works. When you eventually start the Cagiva Mito SP525 – having taken the tank off to establish which position the unlabeled choke switch is in, then pulling your hair out because you doesn't know how the kill switch works – it idles confidently and pulls flawlessly and cleanly. When we last rode a 125cc two-stroke it coughed, stuttered and spluttered its way across the rev counter, but this Cagiva Mito SP525 is as smooth as silk and strong right up to 10,000rpm.

We were told that our Cagiva Mito SP525 had the de-restriction kit installed, to take it to a claimed 24 horsepower. The Mito SP525 is powered by a 124.6cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine which uses the same 56mm bore and 50.6mm stroke as the older Cagiva Mito's. Some internals are different, including a new balance shaft. The power valve unit is new too, as is the 'Electronic Carburation System', which keeps an eye on the fueling and ignition timing.

The handling is excellent as expected, gleefully snapping into corners with microscopic effort and instantly setting into a huge solid lean angle. Until you've ridden a 125cc two-stroke sports motorcycle, it's hard to appreciate just how different an experience it is to corner on one.

The Cagiva Mito SP525 is uses an extruded alumium beam frame. Upside-down, unadjustable 40mm Marzocchi forks and a rear Sachs shock with adjustable preload. The 1375mm wheelbase is only a few centimeters shorter than most big sportsbikes, the seat height is 760mm and the Cagiva Mito SP525 weights 129kg dry. The Mito SP525 comes with Pirelli Diablos as standard tires, and Brembo brakes.