Did a Brand You’ve Never Heard of Just Make the Perfect Entry-Level Motorcycle?

The design and dimensions of this particular bike are so “just right,” let’s all cross fingers it rolls our way soon.

FB Mondial

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By Steve Mazzucchi

Published 2 hours ago

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Moto Morini. Benelli. Morbidelli. These mellifluous motorcycle brands all sound so authentically Italian, you might be surprised to learn that these days, the bikes themselves mostly come from China.

While that might feel like a bummer, it’s not when you consider the fact that without Chinese funds and manufacturing, their uniquely Italian charms would not exist at all.

Silver and black Mondial Spartan 600 motorcycle with gold accents displayed indoors. — The new Spartan 600 combines modern and classical touches to produce strong neo-retro vibes.

That’s also the case for FB Mondial, which boasts nearly a century of history — it was founded in Milan in 1929 — yet these days has its bikes built by Piaggio in China.

Its lovely hand-painted-looking logo lives on, however, as does some fine design, showcased no better than on its latest creation, a middleweight twin-cylinder modern classic bobber/cruiser thingamajig called the Spartan 600.

As good as Goldilocks

Yes, the term gets thrown around a lot, but “Goldilocks-worthy” feels especially fitting here, because the Spartan 600 offers a winning mix of oomph, approachability and style.

That starts with the 554cc parallel twin claiming 65 horsepower at 8,250 rpm and 40lb ft of torque at 6,500 rpm.

Close-up of black Mondial exhaust and footpeg on a black Spartan 600 motorcycle rear wheel. — Branding is pretty minimal, but the silencer does feature that delightful logo.

These numbers are not meant to blow anyone away when the light turns green, but rather to provide a laid-back cruiser rumble that’ll get you where you are going without making a big to-do about it.

The suspension and handling components are equally unfussy yet dependable. The tubular steel frame bounces on an adjustable upside-down fork and a monoshock, while braking is managed by a single disc and four-piston radially-mounted caliper up front and a single-piston sliding caliper out back.

Close-up of a black and gray motorcycle seat with white stitching and "SPARTAN 600" branding on the side panel. — We often think of a bobber as having a single seat, but the name *technically* refers to the shortening (and/or jettisoning) of fenders, so it is possible to have a two-up bobber-style like this one.

The approachability of the bike, meanwhile, really owes to some key specs. Chief among these are a curb weight of 450 pounds and a seat height of just under 28 inches.

Taken together, those two figures significantly drop the intimidation factor for newer and smaller riders.

The tank details are so fine that if you told me a 95-year-old Milanese man named Giuseppe painted them all by hand, I would absolutely believe you.

FB Mondial

Worth noting: Mondial already makes two smaller Spartans, the 125 and 250, but I’d argue that the 600 is more compelling in that it can grow with a newbie and hold its own on bigger roads, rather than quickly becoming undergunned.

These features are complemented by a style that, RideApart observes, “looks like every cruiser baked into one.”

They’re not wrong, and that is not necessarily a bad thing, also. Neo-retro is hot right now, and Mondial captures it without trying too hard.

Front view of a black and silver Mondial motorcycle on a display stand indoors. — Round mirrors and indicators, yes, but the round headlight only appears in bad AI renders that should burn in hell.

Contrary to some coverage, the LED headlight is definitively not round, but the bike does boast some nice retro round bar-end mirrors and indicators, a 4.6-gallon teardrop tank, a solid silver-and-black paint scheme with beige accents and a good-looking matte black single exhaust pipe.

Throw in some reassuring beefy tires — 130/90-16″ at the front and 150/80-16″ at the back — and the only thing stopping me from throwing a leg over this Italian-ish stallion is, erm, a lack of (current) US availability. Siiigh.

Availability and pricing

The Mondial Spartan 600 is scheduled to roll out sometime next year. No pricing has been announced, and the brand is not currently distributed in the US.

Considering other Italian-founded, Chinese-owned brands such as Benelli and Moto Morini have made their way stateside, however, we can always hope.

Silver and black Mondial motorcycle with gold accents and black exhaust on a white background.

Mondial Spartan 600

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About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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