You’d be forgiven for having never heard of Mondial. They were one of the most successful Italian motorcycle companies in the post war period, being particularly dominant in small capacity Grand Prix racing in the 1950s, but like so many businesses of the time they fell by the wayside and lay dormant for years.
Around a decade ago the decedents of the original founders set about reviving the Mondial name and came up with a series of 125cc machines which were assembled in China but which featured fashionable Italian designs. The results have been well received, even if they’re still a relatively rare sight on British roads.
That said, I’ve heard some good things about Mondials from friends in the trade, so when the opportunity came to try out the latest Piega 125 I jumped at the chance.
First impressions are good. The Piega is distinctive looking, and certainly more premium than the £3299 price tag it carries might suggest. Having been launched at a grand more when launched last year, the realignment pitches it well below the upmarket offerings from the likes of Aprilia and KTM, and more in line with basic commuter rides like the Honda CB125F. If you’re willing to take a pre-registered model, you’ll find a new one for less than £3k. It’s a very attractive proposition, on paper at least.
Although built in China, the design is Italian and that shines through. I’ll be honest and say that I still sit on the fence when assessing the look. Where some past efforts from Mondial have been overtly retro, the Piega 125 is a bit of a magpie, stealing contemporary design elements from other manufacturers.
The stacked LED headlamps have a bit of Suzuki about them and the winglets (solely a design element) could have been born on a Ducati or BMW superbike. The back end is very clean and feels not dissimilar to other naked roadsters, like the Yamaha MT range. Mondial call it ‘futuristic’ and while the Piega’s look is not particularly radical, it’s certainly modern in its appeal.
My gripe is that some of it’s just a bit… fake. From the carbon fibre effect mudguards and belly pan to the ‘Hypernaked’ logos, to the blue frame finisher that makes it look a bit like a Yamaha Deltabox chassis and the winglets, which are optimistically dubbed ‘Enhanced Aerodynamic Downforce’ on the stickers, it does feel a little bit over designed to me. I think I came to the conclusion that I respect what they’re trying to do, even if it doesn’t quite hit the mark for me personally.
Climb on board and you’re met with ergonomics which feel like a modern streetfighter, like a KTM Duke or Yamaha MT-09. You sit tall, with no bodywork protecting you from the elements, with only the comprehensive TFT dashboard for company. The light sensitive dash is very good, much better than I’d expect at this price, and has readouts for gear indicator, clock and fuel – in addition to the usual revs, speed and odometers.
Reviewing 125s is either very easy, or very difficult, depending on how you look at it. Being built to learner licence laws, the performance of the Piega will always be nothing to write home about. By law, they’re limited to 11kw and the Mondial uses most of that, with a claimed maximum power of 10.5kw (14bhp) from the Piaggio derived engine.
Whereas a lot of trendy Chinese built 125s use evolutions of ancient air-cooled designs, Mondial have access to a more modern liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine. It’s a design previously used in Aprilias and is thoroughly modern, with liquid cooling, Dell’Orto fuel injection and an electric starter.
Press that starter and the Mondial whirrs inoffensively into life, in line with pretty much every other 125 out there.
And indeed, this is where reviewing 125s can be difficult. To ride, it could be any modern 125 – and that’s a complement. The handling is light, the clutch action easy. The gearbox on our box fresh test bike was relatively positive and crisp too. This is, after all, a derivative on an engine which could be found in the Aprilia RS 125 – and no-one complained about that! We tested the Piega at 70mph, so performance is up there with the best 125s on sale today.
Mondial might be a relatively unknown brand but the Piega is reassuringly normal to ride.
Weighing only 135kg, it’s light and agile. The chassis is up to the job, although the set-up is very much on the stiff side for my liking. The 40mm upside down front forks look the part, although the suspension is firm. I get why they’ve done it this way, as they want to create the impression of a sporty motorcycle, but the downside is that you feel every single imperfection on the road. As is the case with pretty much every 125, the Piega can feel a bit buzzy at speed and it can be a bit vibey when flat out. It’s not the end of the world, but there are certainly more refined 125s out there.
While I’m doing the negatives, the brakes weren’t really to my liking either. The lever action was firm and gave little feeling under hard braking. They work well enough, and perhaps will bed in after more miles, but they did detract from making the Piega a more engaging motorcycle to ride.
Because, for all I feel I have been quite critical of the Mondial, it’s actually a very decent motorcycle. The looks are distinctive, the performance good (by 125cc standards) and the price very competitive. I love the riding position and genuinely enjoyed riding it. It’s much more than a mere commuter or learner bike and brings something unique to the market. It puts a smile on your face and starts a conversation like virtually no other 125 can.
Indeed the Mondial Piega is a really interesting motorcycle, which offers levels of equipment, style and performance beyond what you’d expect at the price. It might be a bit left field against the more established brands but it looks good, rides well and undercuts them quite significantly on price too. If you’re in the market for a sporty naked 125 and want something a bit different, the Mondial Piega 125 is definitely worth a look.
Mondial Piega 125 specification
Price: £3,299
Engine: 124cc
Power: 14bhp (10.5kW) @ 9,750rpm
Torque: 10.5Nm @ 8000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, chain drive
Suspension: (F) 40mm USD forks (R) single shock absorber
Wheels: Cast aluminium, (F) 17” x 2.75”/ (R) 17” x 3.5”
Tyres: (F) 110/70 x 17, (R) 140/70 x 17
Brakes: (F) 300mm disc, four-piston radial caliper, (R) 220mm disc, one-piston caliper. ABS
Weight: 133kg
Wheelbase: 1,340mm
Seat height: 820mm
Fuel tank: 9.5 litres
Fuel consumption: 95mpg (estimated)
Service intervals: 3,700 miles/12 months
Warranty: 24 months
Contact: www.fbmondial.com
