FB Mondial HPS 300 Deliveries To Begin Soon

FB Mondial, will finally begin deliveries of the HPS 300 in India by January 2019. The HPS 300 is the company’s only offering in India at the moment and is priced at Rs 3.37 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The motorcycle will be retailed via Kinetic Group’s multi-brand two-wheeler venture, Motoroyale. In September 2018, news of the HPS 300’s probable launch in India was well-received on social media. In fact, Ajinkya Firodia, the managing director of Motoroyale, claims to have received roughly 100 bookings for the new motorcycle already.

The HPS 300 will be brought to India as CKD (completely knocked down) kits, which will be assembled at Motoroyale’s manufacturing facility in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. The first set of CKD units has already arrived in India and actual deliveries of the bike are slated to begin in January 2019. While the CKD route allows a manufacturer to start operations quicker, it also has a downside in terms of costs. This explains why the HPS 300 is priced relatively high vis-a-vis the power and equipment it offers.

We asked Cesare Galli, the man responsible for reviving the FB Mondial brand, if there are any plans to increase the HPS 300’s localisation level and thus, bring down its price. He answered that it was too early in the day to talk about localisation and cutting costs. He also added that he preferred to position FB Mondial as a premium brand for now.

While its power figures indicate that it might not be the quickest bike in its segment or price range, the HPS 300 sure is a head-turner. The motorcycle’s design offers a mix of scrambler and cafe racer elements. On the powertrain front, the HPS 300 is powered by a 249cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor that churns out 25.3PS of power and 22Nm of peak torque. A 6-speed gearbox handles transmission duties. While those are average output figures for a 250cc single, the HPS 300’s low weight (135kg dry) could make a difference with respect to performance. The bike will also be accessible for shorter riders thanks to its 785mm seat height.

As for the underpinnings, the bike is suspended on USD fork at the front and twin gas-charged shock absorbers at the rear. Braking duties are handled by discs at both ends (280mm front and 220mm rear). Dual-channel ABS is offered as standard.

The FB Mondial HPS 300 sits in a category all of its own thanks to its looks and pricing. But things are likely to change with the launch of the much-awaited Husqvarna Svartpilen 401. Until then, the HPS 300 will compete against the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and the BMW G 310 R.