CAGIVA PLANET (1998 - 2003) Review

The cousin of the successful, ‘mini 916’ Cagiva Mito, the Cagiva Planet 125 takes its engine, running gear and chassis from the mad little sportsbike so it’s got a good pedigree. It’s also beautifully designed and knocks the socks off its competitors (largely scooters). Let’s face it, which would you rather have?

The Cagiva Planet’s tiny but has great brakes, excellent handling and lots of go, for a little ‘un. Throwing it around is easy, as is its slow speed manoeuvrability (perfect for urban riding) and its suspension deals with whatever city streets can throw at it. A teenager’s dream but, frankly, anyone could have a go and enjoy mucking about to their heart’s content.

The Cagiva Planet 125's engine is taken from the mini sports 125 Cagiva Mito, the two-stroke, single cylinder engine’s detuned to provide the Planet with more town-usable grunt and a little less manic top end. It works a treat. Plenty of acceleration is perfect for filtering through traffic and leaping away from the lights and it’s all delivered in a neat, controllable but fun little package.

Sexy, smooth and curvaceous, all wrapped in a flingable little body. Nope, not Kylie, but the Cagiva Planet 125. It may be a starter motorcycle but the attention to detail is impressive: that beautifully-sculpted chrome exhaust is rather lovely, for a start. The engine/chassis are proven but check clutches for wear and, similarly, paintwork.

The only downside. The Cagiva Planet 125 is not cheap and, when lined up next to modern scooters, you’d wonder if it’s worth considering at all. It is. It’s well made, easy to ride and provides more fun than any scooter ever will. And, above all, it’s a bike and it looks cool. Find a Cagiva Planet 125 for sale.

It’s pretty, very comfortable to ride and the Cagiva Planet 125’s very much a baby Ducati Monster to look at. Single, round headlight, basic clocks and mirrors, USD forks and Brembo calipers: it’s a mix of the simple and the sublime. There’s underseat storage and, get this, room to store a helmet under the tank!