FB-Mondial is back, and it’s got a scrambler on display next week at Intermot.
FB-Mondial is hardly a household name in Canada, so you can brush up on its history here if you want. In short, it’s a classic “Zombie Brand” (fitting, since Halloween is just around the corner). The company built its reputation on world championship wins back when dinosaurs roamed the earth; the Italian marque closed down in 1960, but has seen attempts at revival since. Pretty standard stuff for a small-volume European brand.
When these zombie brands attempt re-animation, it’s usually with some sort of model that’s in vogue at the moment, and FB-Mondial is following that trend faithfully by introducing a scrambler at Intermot next week, called the HPS 125 Hipster.
As the name suggests, it has a 125 cc motor, liquid-cooled, with DOHC. It’s a Piaggo-sourced engine, with years of use in that company’s lineup, and it makes about 15 hp.
FB-Mondial is also hinting at other bikes en route, including enduro models and a 250 scrambler as well. You can find more photos, and a spec sheet for the 125, at this website. It’s a funky-looking little bike, but don’t fall in love — the chances of it coming to Canada are pretty low.
You’d be crazy to drop money on a Mondial. Beautiful bikes but they’ll most likely be out of business again shortly.