Italjet’s new Dragster 700 Twin is wild and unique

You get to do a lot of weird, cool, and unique things as a motojournalist. Italjet’s new Dragster 700 Twin is all those things in and of itself. And riding it at Imola Circuit was an experience that I’ll be throwing into pub conversations for the rest of my life.

The first question you will have when looking at the Dragster 700 Twin is: “Wait. Is that a scooter or a motorcycle?”

Yeah… Good question.

Before we try to answer that, let’s pause for a second and get some background on a brand that may be unfamiliar to many in the UK. 

Italjet was founded in Bologna (the same hometown as Ducati) in 1959 by Leopoldo Tartarini, an Italian motorcycle racer who also rode a Ducati around the world in the late ‘50s. More than 60 years later, Italjet is still a family-run business - now headed by Leopoldo’s son, Massimo Tartarini.

Some of Italjet’s vehicles are made in Italy. For example, Italjet Global Marketing Manager Bobby Beck says that the company is planning to expand to the United States soon and has found that the customer there demands an Italy-made product. Most of Italjet’s machines, however, are manufactured/assembled in China, Thailand, or Malaysia.

Through its history, the company has largely focused on scooters and low-capacity motorcycles, along with the occasional quirky item like the 1970s Bambino - a mini-bike that is so small it appears to have been designed for a toddler. At the moment, however, Italjet appears to be focused on just one name: Dragster. 

The first Dragster appeared in 1998, offering a futuristic and bubbly take on what a scooter can be. The modern Dragster look is still futuristic but in a more mechano/neo-brutalist sort of way, with exposed trellis frame, minimal fairing, LED lighting, and striking colour schemes.

As of this week, the Dragster is offered in four different flavours: 125cc, 200cc, 300cc, and -  the focus of our attention for this article - the Dragster 700 Twin.

The first three are decidedly scooters: relatively low-capacity single-cylinder engines with twist-and-go CVT transmissions. The 700 Twin, though, is a different sort of thing.

It has the same styling of its cousins, but it is decidedly larger. It is more maxi than a maxi-scooter - its 1553mm wheelbase is just 3mm shorter than that of the Triumph Tiger 900 GT - but it doesn’t have underseat storage.

It has the 15-inch wheels of a scooter, but the six-speed transmission of a motorcycle. It also has the engine of a motorcycle - specifically the Benelli TRK 702. 

So, scooter or motorcycle? It seems even Italjet doesn’t know. Or doesn’t want to say.

“We’re happy to let the rider decide that one,” explains Beck. “Internally, we use both terms.”

The details

OK, so let’s just call it a scooter-bike. As mentioned above, the Dragster 700 Twin is driven by the same 692cc liquid-cooled parallel twin engine that powers the Benelli TRK 702. Being a Qianjiang engine (Qianjiang Motorcycle Group owns Benelli, Morbidelli, and QJMotor, among others), it’s probably used in all kinds of models. But I suspect Italjet references Benelli because, you know, Italy.

“It’s a proven engine,” says Beck. “We know that it’s good, reliable, and works well for this application.”

Italjet claims peak output figures of 68.3 bhp. Torque is a respectable 51.6 lb-ft. Top speed is reportedly 190 km/h, which is just shy of 118 mph. An A2-friendly version will also be available.

The whole show rolls on Pirelli Corsa 120/70-R15 and 160/60-R15 sport tires. Dual front 270mm front discs are gripped by four-piston Brembo calipers. You also get a 260mm rear disc. ABS and traction control are standard and can be switched off.

Suspension is sorted via upside-down Marzocchi front forks and a preload-adjustible rear monoshock.

“The rear suspension uses a patented system that allows its behaviour to be varied,” says Italjet. “Unlike adjustment systems that only act on the preload of the shock absorber spring, this system allows intervention on the stiffness of the suspension itself.”

This is adjusted via an odd-looking metal bar on the right side.

A claimed 190 kg wet-weight and 815mm seat height keep things friendly for riders of most sizes. And the thing is loaded with tech. A clear, easy-to-read 5-inch TFT display offers pretty much all the information you could ever want or need, along with connectivity.

Utterly unique

As mentioned, Italjet chose to launch its scooter-bike at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari,  also known simply as Imola Circuit - host to countless motorsport events over the past 72 years, including MotoGP, World Superbike, and Formula One.

The Dragster 700 Twin’s presentation featured all the beats of a standard motorcycle launch: a low-level ‘celebrity’ to serve as master of ceremonies, slickly produced videos full of half-second jump cuts played at ear-splitting volume, company executives in matching shirts, a handful of befuddled factory riders, and countless speeches speaking to emotional connection, heart, heritage, community, and on and on. The presentation was delivered in Italian, and I counted hearing the word “passione” at least a dozen times.

Normally, my BS alarm would be going off at all this. But then I’d look at the Dragster 700 Twin and think: “Yeah, well, they’re not wrong.”

It actually is unique. It really is different. That’s not marketing hype; it’s reality. I can’t remember ever seeing or experiencing anything quite like the Dragster 700 Twin - certainly not as a production vehicle.

I’ll admit that I’m still not entirely sure who this is for, but the two-wheeled world needs different things. It needs to be disrupted from time to time. And the person who rides this thing can do so confident in the knowledge that they’re standing out from the crowd.

“We don’t build for the masses,” says Beck. “We build for the few.”

What it’s like in person

I mentioned in the first paragraph that I got a chance to ride the Dragster 700 Twin at Imola. And I’ve got the photos to prove it. But here’s the thing: I didn’t ride it for very long. 

For whatever reason, Italjet offered launch attendees just three laps at Imola Circuit. Even at my novice pace, that’s only about 6 minutes of riding time. To try to offer any sort of review or assessment of the scooter-bike would be wholly misleading and probably inaccurate. I was on an unfamiliar track, on an unfamiliar vehicle, riding in an unfamiliar position. 

I can tell you that I had a hell of a lot of fun - even when I got caught out by the Variante Alta chicane - but I can’t really tell you with any authenticity or authority what the Dragster 700 Twin is like to ride. 

I can tell you that the scooter-bike sounds awesome. Twin Akrapovič exhausts sit below the seat and offer a delightful growl - both at idle and all-out.

I can tell you that the whole thing feels adventure-bike roomy and that there is a feeling of quality to every aspect of the bike. I’m particularly a fan of the contrasting-colour stitching of its seats.

I can tell you that I’d really like to see what this thing could do in the hands of someone like scooter speed world record holder Adie Horrocks.

And I can tell you that getting hold of one of these may require a little effort. At present, Italjet doesn’t have a distributor in the United Kingdom. 

Beck says that Italjet is in talks with a number of companies at the moment, but if nothing is sorted by early November, it has plans in place to be able to sell directly to the customer.

Starting price in Europe is €13,990, which works out to £12,130 at current exchange rates. That strikes me as just a little spicy for either a scooter or a 700cc motorcycle. But, you know what they say: you pays your money and you takes your choice.

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