In 1996, Cagiva accepted the offer by the Texas Pacific Group and sold the Ducati and Moto Morini brands.

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

In the August of the following year, Cagiva was bought back by the son of the founder and former owner Claudio Castiglioni.

Increasingly stringent environmental emission requirements and the concentration of resources on MV Agusta's F3 were cited as reasons.

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.

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

Cagiva bought BMCs design for the Mini Moke, manufacturing them in Portugal using British built engines from 1990 until 1993.