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- Single cylinder 4 T, 125 cm3, 14.9 hp, 12.5 Nm, 108 kg dry, 5,000 euros
- Discovery
- Test
- Braking
- Cycle part
- Conclusion
Urban SuperScoot
Single cylinder 4 T, 125 cm3, 14.9 hp, 12.5 Nm, 108 kg dry, 5,000 euros
Italjet and its extraordinary scooter: the Dragster! Almost tent years ago, Italjet already stood out on the market with its scooters with a special look with its visible tubular lattice frame frame making any kid turn around but also parents. ! Seen and especially noticed at the last EICMA show in Milan, the initially 2T scooter returns in a 4T version, signing the great return of the most unconventional and most spectacular production scooter. And we can even speak of a large series because no less than 70,000 copies have been sold..
The Dragstar is a radical style with a tubular trellis and an unconventional front axle whose manufacture, which began in 1995, stopped in 2003 with the liquidation of the Italian company, a victim like Malaguti and Garelli of cheap imports. from China and Taiwan. Its creator Leopoldo Tartarini, who died in 2015 after a life of innovation, must be happy from up there to see his design return to the market thanks to his son Massimo, 55, responsible for the creation of this new Dragster..
Italjet Dragster 125
Discovery
While the original Dragster was powered by a range of two-stroke engines varying from 50 to 180cc (with only a handful of 250cc 4-stroke models built), the all-new version will only be available in 125cc and 200cc. 4 stroke. And we will have to wait a few more months for the first models to leave the Italjet factory in the south-east of Bologna (available in June 2020).
Each version uses an original Piaggio four-valve, liquid-cooled, Euro4 engine with dual overhead camshaft timing with CVT transmission and belt-driven final drive. These single cylinders have previously been used on models like the Aprilia Scarabeo or the Vespa GT 200, but also on non-Piaggio 2-wheelers like the Scomadi retro scooters..
The original Dragster and the 2020 version
These are therefore proven engines with the 125 version delivering 14.9 hp at 10,000 rpm and a torque of 12.5 Nm at 7,750 rpm in a scooter weighing 108 kg dry. The 200 cc is a bit more punchy with 19.8 hp at 8,250 rpm, 17 Nm at 6,250 rpm and 112 kg dry. These engines were originally built in China by Jincheng. But since the Italian group forged exclusive relationships with Zongshen, Jinsheng has redesigned the engines to continue manufacturing them as his own models for customers like Italjet. Besides, Jincheng will also produce Dragsters under license for local marketing. At the end, we no longer know what will be a real -fake copy or the original but we will find the engine, that’s for sure..
The single-cylinder 125 delivers 14.9 hp and 12.5 Nm
The 2020 Dragster is the only scooter in the world whose chassis design includes a tubular chrome-molybdenum steel trellis bolted to die-cast aluminum parts at the front and rear. Tartarini emphasizes the fact that unlike the small steel tubes of the original Dragster, the new model is made more solid with a real trellis made from tubes 24 to 28 mm in diameter, i.e. the same size. than that of a Monster.
The Dragster sports a tubular frame worthy of the most famous transalpine roadsters
It retains the same single-sided swingarm at the front with the steering positioned in the center of the hub and operated from the handlebars, also retaining the same steering geometry. The arm is now forged from aluminum instead of steel and offers a 1335mm longer wheelbase by 25mm for more stability and more space on board the scooter. This front axle separates the steering and suspension functions to optimize handling and especially braking, with reduced mass transfer even on the strongest braking, while reducing road-related shocks and rising vibrations in the vehicle. handlebars.
The front single-swingarm
As before, the front and rear swingarms are combined with a Bitubo monoshock shock absorber adjustable in spring preload. Likewise, the new Dragster retains its different sized wheels this time with a Pirelli Angel Scoot 120-70 tire on the 12 "front rim and a thick 150-70 on the 13" rear wheel. The braking system is based on a 175mm front disc and 240mm rear with Brembo twin piston calipers. The 200 is accompanied by an ABS while the 125 is satisfied with a combined CBS braking. The 9-liter fuel tank is positioned under the floor, significantly lowering the center of gravity. The sporty handlebars are also in die-cast aluminum and covered with Domino grips.
The 12 ‘front wheel is shod in Pirelli Angel Scoot
But it is the radical design and uncompromising look of the Dragster that are its main attraction with all the mechanics worn on the outside, a bit like an Ariel Atom sports car or like the Center Pompidou..
Massimo Tartarini :
In a society where everything looks the same and doing things differently is so often frowned upon, I think the Dragster is the perfect combination of Italian design, technology and a sporty appearance. I have the Dragster in my blood, it would have been too easy to recreate the previous version simply by equipping it with a Euro4 engine. I think something more was needed, so we completely redesigned it. I am sure [it] will become a benchmark in the scooter market […].
I have to admit, I’ve been a fan of the Italjet Dragster since I first saw one 25 years ago. I even bought one of the first generation models to use it as a means of transport on the paddocks of the European circuits, but also for short trips to the post office, the pub or the cinema: wherever there would be. traffic and difficulty in parking. Its 180cc 2-stroke engine was alive and accelerating well, but the main reason I loved it so much was that it felt much more stable than a conventional scooter. Too bad the Dragster arrived too late to share my paddock awning with the factory Bimota Tesi on which I raced for three seasons and which shared the same frontal design. I can’t deny that I enjoyed riding along crowded streets just a little faster than the walking pace seeing pedestrians double-eyed when they saw the front swingarm. Yes, this is definitely a have-you-seen-me scooter that is both practical and fun to ride – which is probably why it was stolen and, when recovered, was in such poor condition that I took the insurance money and scrapped it. Sniff…
With its bare mechanics, the Dragster contrasts with the ‘conventional’ scooters
So after years of encouraging Massimo Tartarini to finally produce a version of the 21st Century Dragster, as he had been thinking about for a decade, I was excited about the teaser pre-releases being shown at EICMA 2018, pending its actual arrival. . My devotion to the Dragster culminated in a first ride six months before the launch of production, even if carrying out this test in Bologna in January meant braving the freezing temperatures and the thick fog that will have finally pierced two hours before sunset. !
On the way to a first test of the new Dragster
Test
Still, that short window with azure blue skies was enough to take the pre-production Dragster 125 along Via Emilia to the quaint town of Dozza whose cobbled streets form an open-air art gallery with dozens of paintings lining the walls of the houses. A very suitable place since the scooter I was riding on is essentially modern art on two wheels…
The scooter holds 110 km / h without excessive vibration
If it is very practical, the small engine remains sparkling and allows to launch at what I suppose to be the maximum speed of 10,000 rpm, propelling me along the flat stretches of Via Emilia at 110 km / h, as shown on the small, but informative rectangular meter, without excessive vibration.
After leaving the highway to climb the hillside road that crosses leafless orchards to the confines of Dozza Vecchia, my weight of 85 kg did not seem to complicate the task of the 125 of 108 kg and this despite a difficulty transmission when attempting to start on a hill. But once the scooter rolls, everything rolls – although carrying a passenger up such an incline could be cause for concern..
The front axle perfectly absorbs the defects of the road
But most Dragsters are probably not intended for transporting people but rather for solo use. Because it is a cool and practical machine, small, but well cut. From the height of my eighty meter tall, I feel comfortable enough, sitting fairly upright in the surprisingly plush 770mm high saddle, with enough room for my knees without them kissing the front apron. . There is enough space on the running boards for my size 43 boots, but anyone with taller feet will feel more cramped. When adults get hold of children’s toys !
The driving position is quite upright, but the space is a bit tight
Just like my old Dragster, this new version isn’t as crisp as you might expect with these little wheels. It is certainly a characteristic of the front axle. Despite the cold temperatures, the Pirelli’s sporty rubber heats up quickly to provide good grip, although I would have liked to have had ABS a few times on the cobbled streets of Dozza when the front wheel briefly jammed two or three. times when braking, probably because of the frost that the low winter sun had not melted.
ABS would have been useful on Dozza’s cobblestones
Braking
Brembo brakes are efficient and controllable, although it is really necessary to use them both to stop the scooter and its rider weighing 200 kg combined with fuel from 100 km / h.
Efficient, the brakes lack a bit of bite
Cycle part
The Bitubo suspension wasn’t supposed to be properly tuned at this point on the test scooter, but I think the relatively stiff rear settings were good enough for my weight. And while the front is definitely tuned to absorb road flaws, such as cobbles, it doesn’t make the Dragster dip on heavy braking. The trademark of this type of front axle is respected.
The front suspension does its job perfectly, without excessive diving on the big windings
Conclusion
There are many two-wheeler manufacturers who come up with innovative vehicles as simple concepts that never reach production, however. Under the leadership of Tartarini father and now son, Italjet has done the opposite, always with the courage to anticipate trends, to think outside the box and above all to believe in real innovation, rather than simply being different. The slogan of the company "Always Dare", embodies this brand strategy, which has led its vehicles to be exhibited in the most important museums in the world and appreciated by demanding customers..
A Dutch scooter distributor once described the Italjet Dragster as "the Lamborghini of the scooter world". It’s hard to find many counter-arguments, beyond the fact that it’s significantly more affordable than an Italian supercar from the Volkswagen group, but my favorite description of the new Italjet scooter comes from a British colleague (not me!) Who compared the Dragster to "a superbike caterpillar". Brilliant, I would have liked to think about it! Because that’s what it looks like when stopped, before floating like a butterfly along the urban arteries where it is also a treat for spectators. Don’t ride a Dragster if you want to go unnoticed !
Italjet will deliver the Dragster 125 in summer
Available from June 2020, in three colors to start, the Italjet Dragster will be priced at 5,000 € for the 125 and 5,500 € for the 200.
Strong points
- Look
- Cycle part
- Practicality
- Comfort
Weak points
- Absence of ABS
- Firm rear suspension
- Lack of fishing for the duo
- Limited space for large riders
The Italjet Dragster 125 technical sheet
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