It’s back! The return of the legendary sports scooter the Italjet Dragster.

If you’re slightly older like me, you will remember the original two-stroke Dragster from the late ’90s being an absolute weapon, so I am so overjoyed to eventually get this bike in and give it a full road test review.

So with that being said, let’s get into it, shall we?

One of the best things about the Italjet Dragster is its styling and in my opinion, it looks like a work of art.

The Dragster is stealthy, modern, and very aggressive with that hyper-naked styling whilst still looking like the original Dragster.

The Dragster comes equipped with LED lights all around the bike, projector headlights, sequential indicators, a tailored fitted seat, and much more. The attention to detail in how its been designed means that the finish is just absolutely fantastic and premium all around.

When it comes to the body, the Dragster has an exposed trellis frame, with the front and back suspension on show, making this bike look incredibly sporty and looks similar to a racing cockpit. I think it's safe to say you wouldn’t typically associate this with a normal road-going scooter.

In terms of colourways, I reviewed the black and grey version of the Dragster, however, Italjet also has a red and white colourway option if you want an even sportier look, or if you’re looking for something a little brighter then the amphacite and yellow colourway may be the one for you.

Overall, we here at BikeMatters are in love with the look of the Dragster, it certainly has that sporty, impressive road presence that we all know and adore.

When it comes to the engine, the Dragster packs a 181cc, single-cylinder four-stroke, four-valve double overhead cam liquid-cooled motor, pumping out 17.5hp at 8,250 rpm and 17nM of torque at 2,650 rpm.

So what does the engine spec actually mean when you get this bad boy on the road? Well, this is the 200cc version and I have to be honest with you, the engine for me is disappointing. It is definitely a bit too on the tame side for me, but when you’re buying a Dragster you’re purchasing it because it looks awesome and performs awesome - but that engine is a bit of too standard for my liking.
While acceleration is okay, the Dragster will build up to 40mph respectfully, however, when you’re reaching 40-60mph is a bit slower.

In terms of top speed, I managed to get the Dragster to 67mph which is decent, but I would have loved to get to at least 75mph especially considering this is a 200cc machine. Considering there are quite a few 125cc out there that can match this performance in terms of acceleration and speed such as the Piaggio Medley (which we have also done a review on if you’d like to take a look!).

As I alluded to earlier, 200cc is a really strange category in the UK at the moment due to the fact a CBT can only go up to a 125cc machine, so I think most people in the UK will choose to opt for the 125cc version instead of the 200, which only has about 5hp difference between the two.

Hopefully, in future versions, we can get an even quicker Italljet Dragster…

Now the fuel tank of the Dragster is hidden under the seat and can hold up to 9L of fuel which I think is pretty decent going.

Coming to fuel efficiency, I reckon you could get about 70-80 miles per gallon if you ride it fairly sensibly. I didn't though, as I’ve been ragging it around Norfolk trying to see its true potential, so for me, I was reaching more like 55 miles per gallon.

Onto the frame, the Dragster is made up of a trellis chrome molybdenum frame (10 points if you know how to pronounce this correctly).

The scooter itself weighs 140kg, which is slightly on the porkier side of things, but when you look at what has gone into the design of the Dragster, you begin to understand why.

Onto the wheels, as you’d expect with such a small scooter, we do have smaller wheels. At the front, we have a 12-inch wheel and to the rear, we have a 13-inch wheel both encased by Pirelli scooter angel tyres. So when you’re doing 65mph on a dual carriageway, while it might be a small wheeled scooter, it feels well-planted indeed.

The seat height on the Dragster comes in at 770mm high, which makes it lovely and accessible meaning even I can flat-foot it - which is a good sign for all the shorter riders out there!

The seat itself again just like the rest of the bike, is a work of art. It has been designed with a carbon fibre look and red stitching throughout means this seat looks tailor-made. It really stands out and looks awesome, while also tucking you in nicely. You do also have the option of being able to carry a pillion if you fancy it, however for me, I’m not sure if I would.

Now when it comes to the design of the Dragster, your feet are going to be sitting flat on the boards there. You can’t really have them on the back of the leg shield or elsewhere, so it does limit you slightly.

Felix, our other bike tester at BikeMatters is around 6ft tall and managed to get on okay with the Dragster, however, he did say it was a little bit more on the cramped side nor was it the best posture for him to be sitting in, so this is something to be wary of if you’re a taller rider…

Moving onto steering, this is a little different from your average scooter. The Dragster comes packed with hub centre steering, all designed to give this scooter a completely different feel and reduce the vibrations running through those bars. But overall, it does the job really really nicely.

With hub centre steering though it does feel weird when manually handling it or when going at very slow speeds, making the Dragster feel heavy and like you haven’t got enough air in your tyres. But when you get going on this thing, my oh my, it is wicked fun. This scooter is so agile and easy to navigate, it is an absolute hoot.

Annoying though, one downside is that this Dragster only comes with a centre stand as standard. So if you’re wanting a side stand, this will come as an optional extra.

Now, as you might expect with the Dragster, the suspension setup is a little bit different.

At the front of the scooter, we basically have a single-sided swingarm, formally known as an ISS or independent steering system, which is then backed up by that monoshock which is adjustable. Coming to the rear, we have another mono shock.

So what does the suspension actually mean in terms of the performance of the bike on the road? Well, it makes for a much firmer setup as you’d expect with a sporty scooter like this, especially with a firmer seat.

On rougher roads, you will feel lumps and bumps there is no doubt about that, but my is it rewarding. When out in the city or town, or riding on country lanes the setup on this thing is so rewarding and feels so sporty and agile.

When it comes to the brakes on this Dragster, they really are very impressive. While the size may not blow you away, performance-wise it is so good!

At the front, we have a 200mm wavy braking disc with a two-piston Brembo calliper, while at the rear we have a 190mm wavy braking disc with a single-piston Brembo calliper, backed up with two-channel ABS.

The brakes themselves are absolutely fantastic, they are spot on. The levers feel quality and as soon as you start pulling in you can feel nice and progressive braking. The front brake alone is superb, but when you use both brakes together it brings you to an instant halt. I’m certainly not disappointed at all with this part of the Dragster.

Now onto the dash and switchgear, the switchgear is pretty darn impressive. It sports a slightly different design to what you’re typically used to, but it is very nice, fancy and really good quality, feeling decent to the touch - emphasising those all-rounder premium feels.

The dash itself is very minimal. Yes, it is clear and easy to read, I didn’t have any issues with the glare. It comes equipped with a clock, a typical speedo, fuel gauge, odometer, as well as your standard dash warning lights as well.

So, whilst it’s nothing fancy, and there's no app integration or full-colour TFT, or anything like that. It is a bit basic, but it most certainly does the job and does it well.

Next up, we have the technology.

While I basically have covered it in this review already, we have the ISS braking system, LED headlights, ABS, and a handy little USB charging for your mobile phone or SatNav.

Let’s talk money.

So how much does the Italjet Dragster 200 cost exactly? Well, as you might guess from my review so far and how often I have mentioned the word premium, this is not a cheap scooter. This 200 version will take you back £5,299 + OTR fees.

However, if you’re after the 125cc version which is practically the same scooter with just a slightly different engine, you are looking at £4,999 + OTR fees.

There is no denying that this is a premium scooter, but I do wonder how many people will buy this just to be part of their collection.

Kicking off the positives has to be the look of this scooter, it is undeniably an absolute masterpiece. Everything is so well-engineered and designed, there is nothing available on the market quite like this.

When it comes to steering and handling, while it might be quirky at lower speeds thanks to the hub centre steering, when you get going it comes into its own. That cockpit feel to the scooter makes the steering an absolute riot regardless of whether you’re going round country bends or filtering through towns and cities, I strongly believe you’ll have a constant smile on your face.

Firstly, while I am only 5ft6 and I got on really well with this scooter, my concern is if you’re a taller rider you will need to check out the scooter compatibility first because you might get a little bit cramped.

Another downside for me is the engine, it is a little bit too sluggish and tame for me and for what I was expecting. I really would love for that to be addressed and improved on future versions of the Dragster

Last but not least, is the price tag. Yes, it is premium, however, the £5,299 price tag is not cheap and it certainly isn’t going to be for everyone.

I hope you enjoyed my full road test review on the new Italjet Dragster 200.

If you have your very own Italjet Dragster, or perhaps another scooter you need to insure - make sure to get a  scooter and moped insurance quote direct with Lexham!