Malaguti was resurrected in 2018 with the purchase of the Italian marque by the KSR group. The 90-year-old Italian company re-established itself on the market by depending on pre-existing Chinese production motorcycles that were modified and rebranded with the Malaguti logo, similar to how numerous other companies have done so in the past.
With the Drakon 125, the firm announced the commencement of production of a totally self-built motorbike, notably in terms of design, towards the end of 2019. It was just described as a prototype at the time. For a time, it was assumed that the Drakon was no longer in the cards. That is, until Malaguti unveiled the production version at EICMA 2021, complete with a 13.5 horsepower, Euro5-compliant single-cylinder engine. This model will be available in the second half of 2022 for 4,000 Euros, which is the equivalent of $4,160 USD.
It's definitely fantastic to have a sporty, beginner-friendly 125cc naked bike. However, it turns out that the 125 is not the family's only Drakon. According to recent approval paperwork in China, a Drakon 250 is actually in the works. This information comes from KSR's Chinese partner, Zongshen, to whom a large percentage of the company's models are outsourced. The engine, on the other hand, is likely to be something we've seen before, as Zongshen is a Piaggio group partner, specifically for Aprilia manufacture in China. The Drakon 250's engine is a 249cc single-cylinder unit that produces 27.5 horsepower and 15.8 ft-lbs of torque.
According to the paperwork, the motorbike weighs 150 kilograms, which is only 6 kilograms more than the 125 version, but having twice the power and the same size. The bigger 110/70 front and 140/70 rear tires are mounted on the 17-inch rims. This time, the arrival in Europe of this Chinese-developed model is almost certain, as Malaguti is a European-only brand. Rather, the issue is whether the brand will stop there or whether greater displacements are planned.
