PROJECT DRAGSTER 50cc 2014
Since he was ten, Mashi Zamani has been fascinated by the Italjet Dragster. A few years later, he became the owner of one, and now, sixteen years later, he owns five. None of them remain standard, as over the years, they have evolved in Mashi’s hands into what we see on these pages.
Under this name, Leopoldo Tartarini started his own Italian motorcycle factory in 1958. The engines ranged from 98 to 248cc and were primarily 2-stroke engines from the MZ brand. Among the sporty 50cc models, we found Minarelli power sources. In 1966, the name Italemmezeta was replaced by the name we still know today, Italjet. In the seventies, the brand mainly focused on importing and distributing Yamaha motorcycles. This collaboration even led to the creation of a motorcycle, the Italjet Buccaneer 125, which was equipped with a 125cc 2-stroke twin-cylinder engine. It was not only a fun bike for the road but also highly successful in racing, winning the Italian Junior Championship three times in a row. The company, still run by the Tartarini family, faced
tough times in the eighties, but in the nineties, they were fully present in the scooter scene. With models such as the Formula, Velocifero, and this Dragstar, they positioned themselves in the more exclusive scooter class. Prices for these exotic models were well above five thousand guilders at the time. So, for those who found the Malaguti F15, Aprilia SR Replica, and Yamaha Aerox Replica too ‘normal’, there was always an Italjet to buy. These were indeed quite unique appearances. The Formula and the Dragster featured a forkless front suspension. This hub steering was also used at the time on the Yamaha GTS1000 and may have been the inspiration for Tartarini. Unfortunately, they were not as high quality as the example. The scooters often returned to the workshop, and it wasn’t just for a standard service. Cracked fuel tanks, incorrect air filter housings, and other construction flaws gave the exclusive scooter a bad reputation. The classic Velocifero may have also been ahead of its time. Retro wasn’t ‘in’ at all in the nineties. If you rode a Vespa, you were from the alternative scene, so that model wasn’t really a success either. In 1998, Italjet tried again with the Jet Set, a scooter whose styling was very similar to the then just-released Audi TT. It was all to no avail. In 2002, the company went bankrupt. Italjet was revived in 2005 by Leopoldo’s son, Massimo Tartarini, and the company now produces e-bikes, mini-motos, parts, and has had two prototypes of a new Velocifero and Dragster for a few years. Whether these will ever come to market is a big question, but fortunately, we still have enthusiasts who honor the exclusive scooters from the nineties. Mashi Zamani is one of them and went to great lengths to realize his dream.
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