Bonkers Italjet Dragster 700 Superscooter Emerges With Big Price Tag
The 68bhp Ohlins and Brembos-equipped twin has been revealed as a limited edition this week – at a whopping £12,500
Say ‘hello’ to the stunning new Italjet’s Dragster 700 – and ‘goodbye’ to the notion once and for all that scooters are simply sensible commuter runabouts. Detailed this week and going on sale on Friday online, this is the latest – and undoubtedly greatest – so-called scooter offering from revived Italian brand Italjet.
It’s the latest addition to the marque’s radical sports-scooter ‘Dragster’ family that dates back to 1998, was originally distinguished by its hub-centre steering and tubular space frame and came in a variety of capacities from 50 to (in the UK) 250cc.
The concept was revived by the latest incarnation of the company in 2018, although now without hub-centre steering, and, until now, the biggest incarnations of the wacky wonder were the twin cylinder Dragster 500 and 559 concepts unveiled at EICMA in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
The new 700, however, takes things to a whole new level. Although based around the same Benelli-derived, liquid-cooled, four-stroke twin (which in turn was derived from Kawasaki’s old ER6) with double overhead camshafts and four-valves per cylinder, capacity has now been increased to 692cc, helping boost power to a claimed 68bhp at 8500rpm with 52lb ft of torque.
On top of that, there’s a motorcycle-style six-speed transmission, chain drive, tubular steel trellis frame, beefy inverted front forks with twin discs, a monoshock rear, twin underseat exhausts and more. In fact, if it were not for the 15-inch wheels and scooter riding position, you’d be entirely justified in thinking it's more motorcycle than scooter anyway, which, according to Italjet, is the whole point.
“We don't like to call it a scooter,” says company President and CEO of Italjet, Massimo Tartarini. “But ultimately, the end users will decide if they see it as a scooter or a motorcycle.”
Nor is there just one of the new 700s. Along with a ‘standard’ model, which won’t go on sale until next year at an estimated €12,900 (£10,900), Italjet is kicking things off by launching a special ‘Limited Factory Edition’ as in these pictures first.
In this form, the new Dragster 700 boasts carbon fibre bodywork in black and gold livery complete with MotoGP style ‘aero’, saucy Akrapovic exhausts, multi-adjustable rear shock (and steering damper), Marzocchi front USD forks and the aforementioned Brembo radial brakes.
Just 700 will be built and is available for pre-order from Friday 12 July 2024 at 4pm (Italian time) until sold out or until 10 November, the last day of EICMA 2024, via Italjet’s website. The standard version, meanwhile, will go on sale in early 2025 when A2 versions are also planned.
“Once again we have thrown our hearts beyond the obstacle, creating a model that represents a tribute to internal combustion engines,” added Tartarini. “Much more like a motorcycle than a scooter, the Dragster 700 Twin creates a completely new category, ushering in a new era in the two-wheel sector.”
Whether that’s true or not, we’ll have to wait and see, but there’s no doubt that the 68bhp 700 promises performance, technology and a riding experience a significant step up from the most powerful superscooters currently available, Yamaha’s 47bhp TMAX 560 and Honda’s 58bhp Forza 750.
A vastly-experienced motorcycle journalist and bike tester, Phil West is also an ex-Executive Editor of MCN, former Editor of Bike and What Bike?, author of numerous motorcycle books and has ridden virtually every bike of the last 30 years.
