The Suzuki Burgman 650 is long-gone. BMW has cancelled its C650 scooter lineup. Maxi-scooters are dead… or are they? Italjet doesn’t think so, as they are building a new 700-class step-through that might be the zippiest maxi-scooter yet.
According to Motorrad Online magazine, the new Italjet Dragster 700 will be powered by a liquid-cooled parallel twin engine with DOHC top end, EFI and four valves per cylinder head. Thanks to the modern design, the engine is supposed to make 68 hp at 8,500 rpm. And it’s an engine that our Euro readers should be very familiar with, as it’s the made-in-China twin that also powers the Benelli TRK702 adventure bike. That engine is ultimately produced in China by Benelli’s owners, the QianJiang Group. According to Motorrad Online, that also means Italjet will be able to offer an A2-legal version of this scooter, to fit into the graduated licencing system.
Because it’s originally a motorcycle engine, this powerplant comes with a six-speed gearbox that includes a bike-style foot shifter instead of a twist-and-go throttle. Final drive is via chain, not belt. Top speed, according to Italjet, is more than 190 km/h.
The rest of the scoot is exactly what you’d expect. It’s a stretched-out step-through (maxi-scooters tend to be longer, to fit that engine into the chassis). There are 15-inch wheels front and back, and the chassis is visibly beefed up to handle the extra power, with dual Brembo brake calipers up front mated to 270 mm discs, and another Brembo caliper in rear with a 230 mm disc. ABS, of course, is standard. So is an Akrapovic exhaust, and the suspension is from Ohlins.
We do get this image of the beefed-up Dragster 700 chassis, which looks a lot more capable than any other scoot we’ve seen recently. Photo: Italjet
Aside from the engine, it seems the rest of the Italjet Dragster 700 is built in Italy, or at least assembled there (most motorcycles these days are built from parts collected all over the world, and it seems Italjet spec’d high-quality parts for this one).
Motorrad Online reports base price will be 12,900 euros, which works out to roughly $14,000 USD. The Dragster 700 is supposed to be officially revealed at EICMA in 2024, and given the vagaries of our world economy, perhaps the MSRP will change by then anyway.
And if you want to buy one in the US? Genuine Scooters in Chicago has planned to bring Italjet machines into the US before, but we’ve heard nothing so far about this one.
