EICMA 2015: Mondial Hipster 125 & 250
Here’s a marque that we didn’t expect to see at EICMA. Mondial has apparently risen from the ashes to produce motorcycles once again. The storied manufacturer started producing motorcycles in Bologna, Italy in 1948 and had a great deal of success in Grand Prix racing and on the Isle of Man in the 50s. Mondial fell on hard times and has previously undergone unsuccessful attempts to revive the marque. MO last tested a Mondial in 2003 during one of the revival attempts in the form of the Mondial Piega with a Honda RC51 engine as a power plant. Alas, that revival, too was met with failure.
So, today, E-i-C Kevin Duke sends the MO home office the photos shown here of a new Mondial, which we believe will be called the Hipster. (Take a look at the tank’s stripe.) Though information is sketchy, the Mondial Hipster will available in 125 cc and 250 cc variations. The parallel-Twin is liquid-cooled and features a 6-speed transmission. If anyone doubted the resurgence of the scrambler-styled motorcycle, here’s yet more proof. Even the brown seat is shared by other scramblers. Nice touches include high mount twin exhausts, the inverted fork and the dual piggyback shocks, spoked wheels, and off-roady-looking rubber. The front wheel looks larger than the rear, so we’d guess that the hoops might be a 16- and 17-inch pairing .
Hopefully, we can find out more information about this interesting development.
Like most of the best happenings in his life, Evans stumbled into his motojournalism career. While on his way to a planned life in academia, he applied for a job at a motorcycle magazine, thinking he’d get the opportunity to write some freelance articles. Instead, he was offered a full-time job in which he discovered he could actually get paid to ride other people’s motorcycles – and he’s never looked back. Over the 25 years he’s been in the motorcycle industry, Evans has written two books, 101 Sportbike Performance Projects and How to Modify Your Metric Cruiser, and has ridden just about every production motorcycle manufactured. Evans has a deep love of motorcycles and believes they are a force for good in the world.
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And yet another failure for Mondial. Who's going to spend (presumably lots) of money to buy a 125cc or 250cc bike? This is Honda grom territory.
Is Mondial owned by some Chinese company making products for the Indian market? That would be the only situation where such a "design" would make sense.
The Piega was a real motorcycle.
A new chinese shit as SWM, or Mash, no interest !
No link with the great brand FB Mondial they just use the name. It's a pity !!! ;o(
And moreover it's hugly !