About FB Mondial
“Get going again” is the statement that got us, united by a limitless passion for the two wheels, all agree. During the years of inactivity of FB Mondial the lord Pier Luigi Boselli, owner of the brand, and Cesare Galli, holder of Pelpi international (Italian business company founded in 2002), through their friendship and shared passion for bikes, gave birth to an ambitious project. The idea was to “get going again” right from where the brand stopped, keeping and following the principles that once were represented by FB Mondial: technology and aesthetic quality.
In 2014, Boselli and Galli started to lay the foundation of the project, starting to draw the first designs that would become the first motorcycle. Through that first year and all 2015 those sketches became reality and now they’re called Hipster 125 and Hipster 250.
Hipster, for FB Mondial, represents its own comeback to the top, closed to the “hipster generation”, that born as Mondial in the 40’s and is coming back fashionable again in the last years. A word that always means a “way of being”, a “lifestyle” that wants to go over institutional standards of its times anticipating the future ones.
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FB Mondial won’t stop here with Hipster but it has already planned one short-middle term program which provides, between 2017 and 2023, the birth of 3 more different bikes. They will be developed with different engines, right to offer one complete range of bikes as the band had in the 60’s and how one brand has to evolve naturally in the market.
Review
Its a sublime day as i visit Motoroyale Head Office in Pune to test their much acclaimed FB Mondial HP 300 Hipster.Recently Motoroyale has changed their strategy bringing five different brands under one umbrella they are Hyonsung, Norton, FB Mondial, MV Agusta and SWM making their strategy more aggressive and less risky in motorcycle market.
HP 300 Hipster is making lot of waves and i thought i should try my hands on it.
What does it get?
Retro Style
The HPS 300 gets an chiseled fuel tank alongside a level seat of 785mm and bumpy rough terrain tires that gives the bike appropriate classic appeal.The FB Mondial HPS 300 is basically a retro-scrambler that gets a moderate structure and has been well planned.
The meaty fuel tank is carved elegantly and fits 9 litres of fuel.Tank is made broad towards the end of the handle. The tank while the back gets a skeletal tire hugger, covering the stout tire with spoke wheels. The thickset tail area adjusts off the plan at the back, while the high-mounted twin exhausts do deserve lot of attention as they resemble the scambler style.They look short and magnificent.
Grandeur Components
FB Mondial HPS 300 will come via CKD route which means the motorcycle components will be sourced from Italy and assembled locally as of now.Advantage reducing the cost of the entire product and the quality of the component remains as is.Now the components of this bike are extravagant and luxurious.
The FB Mondial HPS 300 gets a halogen headlamp, LED tail lamp and blinkers, while the round digital console which is slightly positioned towards right on the handle provides a different look and gives an opportunity for rider for clear vision on whats happening on the console front.Rider will be able to fuel gauge, gear indicator, speed.
HPS 300 is available with last generation ABS which is line with the EURO 4 norms and available in two paint schemes Sliver and Black.
Engine and Power
Both engine and gearbox are smooth and it doesn’t give a feel that the bike is made of single cylinder. HPS 300 gets a Piaggio-sourced 249 cc oil cooled, single-cylinder motor which makes around 24 bhp at 9000 rpm and 22 Nm of pinnacle torque accessible at 7000 rpm.
The motor is combined to a 6-speed gearbox. The bike weighs around 135 kg dry weight, making it one of the lightest in category and having a decent power to weight ratio.
Suspension
Suspension obligations on HPS 300 are dealt with by 41 mm rearranged forks at the front and twin gas-charged safeguards at the back. The two units accompany 120 mm of movement.
Wheels, Tires, and Brakes
The FB Mondial HPS utilizes a 18-inch wheel in front and a 17-inch wheel at the rear with tire sizes 110/90 R18 in advance and 130/70/R17 at the back.
The two wheels are spoked units, staying aware of the retro appeal on the cruiser. Braking is dealt with by a 280 mm plate at the front and a 220 mm circle at the back. ABS is offered as standard on the FB Mondial HPS 300.
Experience and Feel
HPS 300 in no way looks like 250 displacement motorcycle but it does look like a motorcycle in a category between 500 to 600 cc. Initial impressions are very good in terms of riding as the engine is smooth and the gear box is butter smooth too.
Flat handle makes the riders position bit lean and sportier.Components are grandeur and the bike is available in two colors silver and black.Well i got to test the Silver.Exhaust note is typical Italian which is little muffled yet is enjoyable to ears.During my test ride the bike gathered a lot of attraction as the bike has lot of character on the road and does look different.
Competitors and Price
FB Mondial HPS 300 is evaluated at Rs. 4.10 lakhs on road in Pune, India by Motoroyale. Prices may differ in other states and cities. With this sticker price, the FB Mondial HPS 300 goes up against the BMW G 310 R, KTM 390 Duke, Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the preferences in the section.
Lets look at the Pros and Cons
Pros
- HPS 300 is the first retro style scrambler in India in the lower displacement category between 200 and 400cc.
- Smooth engine and gearbox.
- Luxury and High Quality Components.
- Provides good seating posture.
- On road it has a good character which does attract lot of eyes.
Cons
- Has a higher price in this category.
- HPS 300 has low capacity fuel tank which is 9 litres when compared with BMW G 310 R which has 11 litres, and Kawasaki Ninja 300 has 17 litres .However we should keep in mind that BMW G 310 R comes under Street Naked and Ninja 300 under sports category and HPS 300 comes under scrambler.
Conclusion
If you are looking for good quality retro style scrambler in lower displacement and if you do have uncompromising budget than HPS 300 is for you.Lets not forget that it comes under Grandeur Style Retro Scrambler made with high quality components.
Exhaust Note
Pic Credits : 2019 LivingWithGravity , All rights reserved.