Italjet Dragster returns
An icon of scooter styling from the 1990s, the original Italjet Dragster was unlike any scooter on the market at the time. Its unmistakable styling, along with sporty performance, saw more than 70,000 built over a seven-year period.
Now, the Dragster has returned, with some of the same features and styling that made it so unique the first time around.
Massimo Tartarini, the son of Ducati racer, Italjet founder and creator of the original Dragster, Leopoldo Tartarini, is the man behind the reborn Italjet company and revived Dragster.
Tartarini junior unveiled a prototype version of an all-new Dragster at EICMA in 2018, stating at the time that subsequent production would be limited to 499 units. Pre-orders reportedly accounted for that total almost immediately, with ongoing interest seeing pre-orders increase to 4,000 before any examples had been built.
MotoGP’s Andrea Dovizioso was involved during the development phase of the all-new Dragster and, according to Tartarini, provided valuable feedback on things like suspension settings and ergonomics to the Italjet technicians.
With Italy hit hard by COVID-19, ongoing development and plans to go into production were delayed, but in October, 2021, production finally got underway, with the first exports following soon after. Now, the all-new Dragster is available in Australia.
When the production Dragster was presented in 2020, Italjet announced that 125cc and 200cc versions would be built, but only the larger version is being offered locally.
Powered by a liquid-cooled Aprilia 181cc four-stroke single, the new Dragster 200’s fuel-injected, four-valve, Euro 5-compliant engine produces claimed maximums of 14.5kW (19.8hp) and 15.5Nm, a 125km/h top speed and what Italjet claim is the best power-to-weight ratio of any scooter on the market today.
Those numbers make it clear the new Dragster is a sports scooter, rather than an everyday commuter. This was Tartarini’s aim from the outset.
Matched to this engine is a CVT transmission with v-belt drive and, like the original Dragster, hub-centre steering that eliminates conventional forks in favour of a monoshock front suspension.
Also used on the likes of the Bimota Tesi 3D and Yamaha GTS 1000, hub centre steering filters out road imperfections and vibration being transferred to the rider. In the case of the Dragster, Italjet’s own ‘Intelligent Steering System’ sees suspension, braking and steering operate independently of each other, resulting in more neutral braking behaviour, while also minimising transfer of road imperfections and vibrations to the handlebars.
The Dragster’s unconventional front end is matched to an 8-piece chromoly trellis frame, reinforced with cast aluminium plates and featuring an aluminium front swingarm in a package that weighs just 112kg dry.
Paioli coilover shock absorbers with preload adjustability feature at each end, with other quality componentry including Brembo brake calipers and Pirelli tyres as standard.
Other features include 12-inch front and 13-inch rear alloy wheels, disc brakes front and rear, ABS, Magneti Marelli fuel injection, animated LED head and tail lights, LED directional indicators and a digital dash display.
Seat height is listed at 770mm, with a wheelbase of 1335mm and fuel capacity of 9 litres.
The new Dragster’s design carries many echoes of the original, as well as suggestions of other makes and models, like the front end and headlights, which are similar to the Ducati Panigale, while the exposed aluminium elements of the frame are reminiscent of the Confederate P51.
Tartarini claims that, rather than copying the original Dragster, most componentry and details on the new version have been redesigned from scratch. One example is incorporating the indicators into MotoGP-style handguards.
The Australian rollout of the all-new Italjet Dragster began in late January, offered in black/grey, anthracite/yellow and anthracite/red/white colours. Local pricing is $9,990 ride away.
Italjet dealers are located in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the ACT, SA and WA. Go to: italjet.com.au for your nearest dealer and more information.
