FB Mondial HPS 300 India launch soon; to rival KTM 250 Duke, Yamaha FZ-25

If you are biking enthusiast you must be knowing about the Italian motorcycle brands like Ducati, MV Agusta, Benelli and others. Have you ever heard of FB Mondial? Founded in 1929 in Milan, FB Mondial has a roller coaster history. However, the big news is that FB Mondial is now coming to India.

Kinetic Group's premium motorcycle division Motoroyale, which currently sells MG Agusta bikes in India, is behind FB Mondial's arrival. You don't need to wait for long as reports claim FB Mondial will start sales of its most affordable motorcycle this month.

Some biking enthusiast would recall FB Mondial HPS 125 that spotted in Pune last year. Though there was no information regarding the launch of the bike, a report in Autocar now claims that FB Mondial will start India innings and the first model will be HPS 300.

FB Mondial HPS 300 is styled as a blend of a cafe racer and scrambler. The motorcycle gets bar-end ORVMs and rider-focused seat in line with café racers. The knobby tyres wrapped around spoke wheels and raised twin-exhaust also adds scrambler touch. The fusion of two biking design is new in India and it is expected to go down well among the prospective customers.

Being a premium model, the FB Mondial HPS 300 comes equipped with premium cycle parts like 41mm USD fork at the front and dual shock absorbers with 120mm of travel at the rear. Braking power comes from 4 piston radial calliper 280mm single disc at the front and a single piston floating calliper 220mm disc at the rear in addition to the ABS as standard.

FB Mondial HPS 300 is powered by a 249cc, liquid-cooled motor. The single-cylinder, fuel-injected engine produces 25hp at 9,000rpm and peak torque of 22Nm arrives at 7,000rpm. The engine will come mated to a 6-speed gearbox.

FB Mondial HPS 300 will go up against the 250cc bikes in India like the KTM 250 Duke and Yamaha FZ-25. However, the HPS 300 will be an expensive proposition given its CKD assembly roots. The KTM 250 Duke is priced at Rs 1.79 lakh and Yamaha FZ-25 costs around Rs 1.27 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) while FB Mondial HPS 300 is expected to be priced around Rs 3 lakh.