FB Mondial HPS 300 is a retro roadster with no-frills design language; powered by a 249 cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine
Kinetic MotoRoyale introduced a number of new products in October 2018 and chief among which dealt with the FB Mondial brand. The Italian manufacturer dominated motor racing world championships between 1949 and 1957, and produced some of the all-time road racing greats by winning five riders and five manufacturers’ titles.
The company’s first product for the domestic market was the HPS 300 and it was launched with a price tag of Rs. 3.37 lakh (ex-showroom, pan India). It is now offered by Motoroyale Kinetic with an attractive price of just Rs. 2.89 lakh (on-road), as can be seen from an advertisement with terms and conditions apply.
The HPS 300 has a definitive charm of its own as it is a retro roadster with a classic styling philosophy. The design is a mix of a typical scrambler and a cafe racer but the end product is unique to look at. When it was introduced, the FB Mondial HPS 300 was endorsed to be the most affordable scrambler available in the market.
Despite a rich racing history in the past, the Milan-based brand endured turbulent times due to the financial woes it had to go through. Following a long hiatus for decades, it was brought back into attention only in 2014. The HPS 300 plays an integral part in its strategy as the brand seeks to provide customers with premium bike experience with lower capacity motorcycles.
The retro roadster has a no-nonsense design theme and it will go down well with many enthusiasts and is assembled at Kinetic’s facility in Maharashtra. It has a compact profile with LED tail lamps, LED indicators, bar-end mirrors, fat knobbed tyres with spoke wheels evoking retro feel, oval halogen headlight, circular digital instrument console and so on.
As for the performance, the FB Mondial HPS 300 comes equipped with a 249 cc single-cylinder DOHC liquid-cooled engine. It is capable of delivering a maximum power output of 25.1 PS at 9,000 rpm and 22 Nm of peak torque at 7,000 rpm. The powertrain is paired with a six-speed gearbox.vIt uses 41 mm inverted front forks, twin gas-charged rear shocks, dual-channel ABS, 280 mm front disc, etc.
