The VLF Mobster 135 has been launched in India at an introductory price of Rs 1.30 lakh ex-showroom. It is brought to our shores by MotoHaus, which is also responsible for importing the line of Brixton motorcycles from Austria. VLF already has a scooter in India, called the Tennis, which is an EV, so that makes the Mobster the first ICE-powered scooter from the Italian marque to reach our shores. Interestingly, thanks to the modular design of the platform, both the Tennis and the Mobster are sold in both petrol- and electric-powered versions abroad; however, we are getting only one flavour each for the two scooters.
Coming back to the Mobster, it is a misleading name as the scooter is powered by a 125cc engine, albeit a four-valve, liquid-cooled one. This single-cylinder motor pumps out 12.1PS and 11.7Nm, which are decent numbers for a scooter that weighs only 122kg. The Mobster rides on 12-inch wheels shod with chunky 120- and 130-section dual-sport tyres, and comes with a ground clearance of 155mm. However, that ground clearance creates a different problem, as the seat height on the Mobster is 797mm, so near as makes no difference, 80cm, which puts it beyond the reach of a lot of people in our vertically-challenged nation.
If you are among the blessed few to be able to use this tall scooter, then you’ll be pleased to know that it comes with dual-channel, ABS, traction control, backlit switchgear and a rather large 8-litre fuel tank, giving it a remarkable (for a scooter) tank range of more than 380km, according to the manufacturer. There’s a bright and legible 5-inch TFT display, which takes care of conveying the information to the rider.
That takes care of the objective stuff, which lets us move on to the subjective, which is the design. The Mobster looks like nothing else on the market. The exposed bolts and screws, with sharp slashes defining a chiselled shape, the tiny floorboard with a raised spine, the sculpted seat—this scooter makes a statement, and as is the case with a strong design language, some people will love and others will not–there’s not going to be a middle ground. We even asked Alessandro Tartarini, the man behind the Velocifero (VLF), about the intricate design of the disc rotors, and he confirmed that those were indeed chosen to amplify the bold styling of the VLF Mobster. If you love the design of this scooter, you will buy it for that alone!
The Indian premium scooter market is heating up quite nicely, and we are eager to see what comes next!
