First Ride: Italjet Dragster 200

What comes to mind when you hear the word scooter? Economical? Boring? Errand commuter? Daily beater? Or does an image of a Vespa suddenly pop up? Well, you can throw all those away with the new Italjet Dragster 200. 

Looking at the Dragster, you’d probably notice that it's far from any other scooters available on the market. It is truly a work of art, especially in this modern-day age where almost all two-wheeled vehicle has a doppelgänger of some sort. The Italjet doesn’t just look unique but it also plays the part and lives up to its sporty heritage. You see, it doesn’t handle like a normal scooter would as it has a unique setup to give you a feel of how a real motorcycle is on the race track… Well that, minus the power of an actual bike. 

It features a RAAD forkless suspension up front which separates steering action from shock absorption, an adjustable mono-suspension at the rear for better adjustment and tuning, ABS brakes by Brembo for a more confidence-inspiring ride. Put all those together and you have a super fun scooter that handles corners almost as well or even better than some small displacement proper bike would. Worth noting is that even when braking hard, you won't really feel the suspension diving at all which makes the riding experience even better. 

Powering the 112kg (dry weight) space frame is a 181cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, four-valve, Euro5 four-stroke single-cylinder engine matted with an automatic CVT transmission which produces 19.8hp and 17Nm of torque. Yes, we know it's not flattering but power isn’t the strong point of the Dragster. Despite lacking power, the engine feels pretty good to rev out and gives the rider a very distinctive grunt. Yes, it vibrates more than other modern scooters would but for us, it only adds more character to the scooter. We found ourselves having fun pinning the throttle and attacking corners confidently without breaking the law. Late braking before entering corners is also a breeze thanks to the good dynamics and profile of the scooter.

Technology-wise, it doesn’t have much to offer either. Aside from ABS and LED lighting, there's not much to look at. No traction control, no riding modes, and not even a side stand kill switch as it doesn’t have a side stand. Is it a bad thing? Nope, not really. Do scooters really need traction control or different riding modes? The answer is no. It's just glitter for a small displacement bike. The Italjet Dragster is built to be unique and to stand out from the crowd. It may cost a lot more even when compared to other premium scooters but we promise that it is like no other. It competes with no one and is in a league of its own. 

This scooter is not meant to be a convenient commuter or a cheap affordable sporty scooter wannabe. It is truly meant to be a brilliant work of art that will probably be a future collectible for scooter enthusiasts. On paper, it doesn’t really present itself as a good option but once ridden, then it's all going to make sense. The feeling, the handling, and the look of the scooter makes it worth every penny as it is not like any other. Having that said, if you plan to ride solo and want a unique scooter then the Dragster is perfect for you BUT if you plan on riding two up most of the time then look elsewhere as the dragster proves to be tight when riding with a pillion. 

That wraps up our first ride impression for the Italjet Dragster 200! Let us know what you guys think in the comments section down below. Till next time, ciao!