Hints of FB Mondial India entry…?
We are on the verge of bursting with the amount of choices that are headed our way. After SWM, another Italian manufacturer’s motorcycle has been snapped in a mysterious condition in India.
A Facebook page Bikers Brotherhood Club has snapped FB Mondial HPS – a scrambler (which Mondial calls as Hipster) near ARAI in Pune. There are three things that hint out that the motorcycle could be headed our way..
- One, the brand badges are hidden (which would not have been the case had this been a private import)
- two, it is caught near ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) which is the body which approves upcoming motorcycles
- three, it bears a temporary registration number plate.
Chances are that this HPS is here for homologation process and most probably either DSK or Kinetic’s Motoroyale (they have already said they will bring more brands) or someone else is bringing this Italian brand to India.
FB Mondial was a big brand back in the 60s and 70s and had won many world racing championships. It has had its share of problems in the last 2-3 decades but it is now back and introduced the new range of (small capacity) motorcycles last year. The HPS range comprises of two models – 125cc and 250cc.
HPS125 is a 125cc scrambler in the range which looks incredible and gets its engine from Piaggio. This 124.2 cc 4-stroke DOHC 4-valve motor produces 10 kw (13.6 ps) of peak power at 9750 rpm and a maximum torque of 10.5 Nm at 8000 rpm. Fuel is fed via an electronic fuel injector.
Apart from this, Mondial also makes an elder sibling called as HPS250. Unlike the 125, this 250 is an SOHC motor but gets 4 valves and is EFI. It produces 18.5 kw (25 PS) of maximum power at 9000 rpm but only 12.3 Nm of peak torque at 7000 rpm.
Also Read: Honda’s RE-Challenger Will be ‘Completely Different’; India Chief Reveals New Details
Both the scramblers get liquid cooling and 6 speed transmissions and get a lot of premium features. Now that the first pics of this motorcycle are out, we should hear someone revealing the purpose of their Indian-presence… shall we….
