FB-Mondial Hipster Is a Classic Italian Motorcycle With a Modern Heart

FB Mondial Hipster takes design cues from old Scrambler motorcycles

Hailing from Bologna, Italy, FB-Mondial has its fair share of Italian legacy dating all the way back to 1929, but was active in the motorcycle business between 1948 and 1979. However, the company's success streak comes from its overwhelming record in the Grand Prix during the 1950s, having won five world championships. The FB in the company's name stood for Fratelli Boselli, after a family of its owners, the Counts Boselli.

The FB Mondial Hipster gets an all-digital Instrument Console

To give you perspective, at a time when MV Agusta and Ducati produced economical motorcycles and mopeds, FB-Mondial was known for its high-performance small displacement motorcycles. Mondial's decline though was a result of the company's decision to stop making their own engines and move to buying engines from other manufacturers and fitting them on to their own chassis. The move helped little with production stopping in 1979. Over the 1980s and '90s though, there was little activity from the company with the last known big bang coming in 2001, when the firm introduced the Piega high performance motorcycle. The FB-Mondial Piega used a Honda VTR-1000 SP-1 engine and with only 122 units ever produced, it remains a rare sight even in Europe.

The bodywork is fantastic and the double barrel shotgun exhaust add to the look on the Hipster

With the new Hipster, FB-Mondial gets a lot of its legacy back. However, it is the visually enticing design of the motorcycle that warrants for a second glance. The Hipster made its debut at the 2015 EICMA Show in Milan, but received little attention. However, those with exquisite tastes are sure to take a second glance at the bike that takes heavy inspiration from the scrambler style motorcycles.

The Hipster uses Piaggio sourced 125cc and 250cc single-cylinder, fuel-injected engines

The bodywork looks gets a lot of elements, especially on the fuel tank that gets sharp lines to boast off. The bulky belly pan may not appeal to everyone's tastes, but the leather work on the seats and grips adds perfectly to the well-crafted motorcycle. The scrambler inspiration is also evident from the double barrel shotgun exhaust, 18-inch front and 17-inch rear knobby tyres, and wide handlebar. The interesting bit, however, turns out to be the all-digital instrument console and modern switchgear, while the headlamp cluster is distinctly Italian.

FB Mondial has 3 more different bikes in the pipeline scheduled to come between 2017 and 2023

It looks good, but what about power you ask? Well, the FB-Mondial Hipster comes with two engine options, namely a 125cc DOHC and a 250cc SOHC. Both motors are single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, electronically-injected units that come from Piaggio, with the 125 version belting out 15HP of power and 12Nm torque, while the bigger 250cc mill churns out 25HP and 22Nm of peak torque. Both bikes weight around 130kg, which makes the latter get a better power-to-weight ratio. Transmission duties are handled by a 6-speed gearbox on both versions. The front suspension uses 41mm USD front forks, while the rear gets a dual shock setup. Stopping performance comes from a single disc with 4 piston braking caliper.

Now, it's evident that FB-Mondial won't be selling the Hipster in volumes. However, for those who choose to have different, the Hipster, much like its name is a different choice.