Italjet returns to the UK with Dragster 300, 700 Twin and a radical direct sales model

After a short hiatus, Italjet re-enters the UK market with new machines, fresh leadership and a very different way of selling bikes.

Simon Hancocks

29 Apr 2026

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After three years out of the UK market, Italjet is back, and it hasn’t toned anything down: from the bikes, to the way the business will be run.

The Italian firm, best known for its wild, sporty take on scooters, returns with a full spread of machines that blur the line between scooter and sports bike, plus a sales model that sidesteps the traditional dealer network altogether. Heading up the relaunch is Ian ‘Iggy’ Grainger, a long-time figure in the UK scootering scene, who now fronts Italjet UK Ltd.

At the core of the range sits the reborn Dragster, available in 125 and 300 guises. If the name rings a bell, it should. The original two-stroke Dragster (below) was a cult hit in the early 2000s, and the new version sticks closely to that template. It still looks like nothing else on the road, still majors on exposed engineering and sharp detailing, but now meets modern emissions rules. Crucially for UK buyers, the 300 version is finally coming here for the first time, alongside a run of Malossi and Gresini Racing MotoGP special editions too.

Beyond that, things get more unusual. The Dragster 700 Twin is exactly what it sounds like, a 69bhp, twin-cylinder machine that mixes scooter layout with motorcycle hardware. It gets Brembo brakes, Marzocchi suspension and proper sequential gears, so it’s aimed squarely at riders who want something different without giving up a familiar riding feel. Sitting just below it is the Dragster 459 Twin, which uses a paddle-shift ‘Smart Shift’ system or full auto mode, pushing out 47bhp from its twin-cylinder motor.

Then there’s the Roadster 400, a retro-leaning design that looks more like a concept sketch than something headed for production. It runs a CVT transmission and makes just over 40bhp, but the headline is the Founders Edition. Limited to 777 units globally, it comes with Öhlins suspension, Brembo brakes and twin Akrapovič exhausts. Orders for that model open at 10am on May 4, with buyers able to choose their own serial number.

Away from the bikes themselves, Italjet’s approach to selling them is just as notable. Rather than a dealer network, customers order directly through Italjet UK, with machines shipped from the factory and delivered nationwide or collected from Nottinghamshire. Servicing can be handled by any VAT-registered workshop, which removes the usual tie-in to a single dealer.

Speaking about the return of the iconic brand, UK importer and distributor, Iggy Grainger, said:

“I’m really excited for this new opportunity. I’m a passionate rider, consumer and scooterist, so I know what riders expect when buying a new scooter. I already love the Italjet brand and want it to do well in the UK. Scooterists have been crying out for the larger capacity Italjet machines, and now we’re in a position to make them happy.”
“It’s been great to see existing 125/200 Dragster owners coming to me for a 300, Roadster or Twin. I’ve only been taking orders since the 23rd of April, and I've had at least four current owners place deposits. It shows they’re happy with the brand, and why wouldn’t they be? It’s iconic, different and cool. As a teenager, I’d have had posters of these scooters on my bedroom wall. They’re sexier than most motorcycles.”