Mondial HPS 125 Ubbiali Limited Review: The Numbered Cafe Racer, Carlo Ubbiali, Specs, What the Tests Found and What It Would Cost in South Africa
The Mondial HPS 125 Ubbiali Limited is a numbered tribute to the first world title an Italian factory ever won in the 125cc class, wrapped around a learner-legal cafe racer that Motorcycle News called a stylish rascal and gave three stars. It carries a liquid-cooled twin-cam 124cc single, a six-speed gearbox, a 40 mm upside-down fork, twin piggyback shocks, a radial four-piston front caliper with ABS, spoked 18 and 17 inch wheels, twin shotgun exhausts, a 7 inch TFT dash and a quilted blue seat with Carlo Ubbiali’s name stitched into it. Only 999 were built, 42 of them for Britain, and in 2025 the last of them are being cleared at £2,699 against a launch price of £4,249.
Mondial has no importer in South Africa and never has had. This review covers what the bike is, who Ubbiali was and why Mondial matters, what the limited edition adds, what the British tests and the one owner on record found, what it would cost to run here, why it matters that it is a 125, and how it compares with the learner bikes a Code A1 rider can actually buy.
This is a research based review. Scooter125 has not ridden the HPS 125 Ubbiali and the bike was not supplied by Mondial or a dealer. Specifications come from Mondial UK’s 2025 model page, the Italian and German press coverage of the 2021 launch, the 1000PS database and Motoplanete. Riding impressions come from Motorcycle News’ Jim Moore, BikeMatters’ Felix Rowe for Lexham Insurance and the single owner review on Motorcycle News. South African pricing is our estimate and is labelled as such. The running cost sums are our own, at the October 2026 fuel price.
What you need to know first
The HPS 125 Ubbiali Limited is a 124.2cc liquid-cooled single with double overhead cams, four valves, 58 mm by 47 mm, 12.6:1 compression, Dell’Orto fuel injection and a six-speed gearbox, making 10 kW (13.4 hp) at 9,750 rpm and 10.5 Nm at 8,000 rpm. It has a tubular steel double-cradle frame, a 40 mm upside-down fork with about 90 mm of travel, twin shocks with 120 mm, a 280 mm front disc with a radial four-piston caliper and a 220 mm rear with a single-piston caliper, ABS on both, spoked wheels on 100/90-18 and 130/80-17 road tyres, a 785 mm seat, a 1,370 mm wheelbase, a 9 litre tank and 130 kg dry, about 137 kg with fuel.
The Ubbiali edition of October 2021 is mechanically the standard Euro 5 HPS 125 in a silver and light blue livery with gold details, the number 9 for his nine world titles on the side plates, a numbered metal plaque, a blue quilted seat with his name embroidered, higher and wider bars, black spoked rims and CST road tyres. It listed at £4,249 in Britain, €4,480 in Italy and €3,899 in Germany; Mondial UK now sells the remaining 2025 stock at £2,999 unregistered or £2,699 pre-registered. Motorcycle News gave it three stars across the board: cafe racer looks and genuine racing pedigree, let down by basic non-adjustable suspension, a thin seat, a top speed that barely tops the national limit and a launch price almost £4,500 on the road. BikeMatters found it one of the best-looking 125s on sale with a weak bottom end, a firm ride, adequate brakes and a seat that hurt after an hour. The one owner on Motorcycle News gives it four stars and reliability five.
There is no South African importer. Our estimate, if a dealer landed one at the current British clearance price, is R60,000 to R70,000 and it is labelled as such throughout.
What the HPS 125 is, and who Mondial are
F.B. Mondial was founded in Milan by the Boselli brothers and was, for a decade after the war, the best 125cc racing factory in the world. Nello Pagani won the first 125cc world championship for them in 1949, the twin-cam Mondials won the class three years running, Carlo Ubbiali added the 1951 title, and in 1957 the factory took both the 125 and 250 championships before withdrawing from racing with the rest of the Italian industry that autumn. Count Giuseppe Boselli left the business through ill health in the sixties, the road bikes faded, a Honda-engined Piega superbike appeared briefly in 2001, and in 2014 his nephew Pierluigi Boselli revived the name with a range of small-capacity bikes designed in Italy and built in China. The HPS 125 arrived in 2015, the HPS 300 in 2017 and the Sport Classic in 2019.
HPS stands for Hipster, which tells you the target: a 125 with the stance of a sixties cafe racer, a tank and seat unit that look like a race bike’s, gold forks, spoked wheels, a bash plate and shotgun pipes, for a sixteen-year-old who wants to look like a seventy-year-old’s photograph. Motorcycle News put it well: shotgun twin exhausts and a diamond-pattern leather seat are not what you expect on a 125 in 2023, and they are a welcome distraction from the drearier end of the learner market. The Ubbiali Limited takes that bike and dresses it in the factory’s own history.
Carlo Ubbiali and the 1951 title
Carlo Ubbiali was born in Bergamo on 22 September 1929 and died there on 2 June 2020, aged ninety. He won his first world championship in 1951 on a Mondial 125, clinching it at Monza in the last race of the season, the year before Mondial’s run in the class ended. In 1953 he moved to MV Agusta and won five more 125cc titles, in 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1960, and three 250cc titles, in 1956, 1959 and 1960, nine in all from 71 Grand Prix starts, 39 of which he won, with five Isle of Man TT victories along the way. He retired at the end of 1960, at thirty, as the most successful small-capacity rider there had ever been, and was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2001.
The Ubbiali Limited was announced in October 2021, seventy years after that first title and a year after his death. The livery is a reading of his 1951 bike, the 9 on the side plates is his title count, and the embroidered name on the seat is the kind of detail Mondial does well. It is the only motorcycle on this site named after a world champion who actually rode for the factory that built it.
What the Ubbiali Limited adds
Mechanically it is the standard Euro 5 HPS 125 ABS, which Mondial updated in 2021 with Dell’Orto engine management, revised suspension settings, repositioned footrests and the 7 inch TFT dash. On top of that the Ubbiali gets the silver and light blue paint with gold finishes, the numbered plaque on each bike, the number 9 side plates, the blue quilted seat with yellow stitching and the embroidered name, black spoked rims, CST road-pattern tyres in place of the standard bike’s block treads, and a slightly higher and wider handlebar for a more relaxed position. A LeoVince racing exhaust with its own engine map was the one factory option.
Nine hundred and ninety-nine were built. Britain’s allocation was 42, France’s first batch 78, Spain’s 42 and Italy’s 70, which is why the Italian press reported the smaller number. The premium over the standard bike was £50 in Britain, €100 in Germany and €400 in Italy. Four years on, Mondial UK is clearing the last 2025-registered examples at £2,699, a thousand pounds under the standard bike’s original price, which the one owner on Motorcycle News calls the figure to remember.
The 125cc twin-cam engine
The engine is a 124.2cc liquid-cooled single with double overhead cams and four valves, 58 mm by 47 mm and 12.6:1 compression, fuel-injected through Dell’Orto management and driving a six-speed gearbox through a wet clutch. Those are the dimensions of the Zongshen-built unit that powers Aprilia’s 125s, and the Mondial is built in the same country, which is our observation rather than Mondial’s. Motorcycle News describes it as a single overhead cam engine; the owner, Mondial’s own sheet and every database say twin cam. The claim is 10 kW (13.4 hp) at 9,750 rpm and 10.5 Nm at 8,000.
Motorcycle News found a modest motor with low gearing that helps in-town acceleration, a slick six-speed gearbox and a light clutch, and a top speed of around 70 mph depending on conditions and rider. BikeMatters agreed on the gearbox, which it found precise though clunky-sounding, and was blunter about the delivery: the bike is not fond of the lower rev ranges, acceleration is good to about 45 mph and then slows noticeably to 60, the comfortable cruise is 60 to 65 mph and 67 mph is the top with a very vibey engine at that point. Both were disappointed by the noise; for all the shotgun pipes, the engine note does not sound as good as it looks, which is what the LeoVince option is for. At Highveld altitude an engine loses roughly 15 percent, so in Gauteng this is about an 8.5 kW motorcycle, which is a town bike.
Chassis, suspension and brakes
The frame is a tubular steel double cradle. The fork is a 40 mm upside-down unit, gold-anodised, with about 90 to 97 mm of travel depending on which Mondial sheet you read, and the rear has twin piggyback-reservoir shocks with 120 mm; neither end is adjustable, and Motorcycle News named the suspension as the place where Mondial saved its production money: basic, non-adjustable, and the reason ride quality is not impressive. BikeMatters called the ride quite firm, by no means bone-breaking but certainly not plush, and found the bike planted in corners and enjoyable on country lanes.
The brakes differ by source. Mondial’s 2021 specification and its 2025 British page list a 280 mm front disc with a radial four-piston caliper and a 220 mm rear with a single-piston caliper, ABS on both; Motorcycle News lists a 260 mm disc and a two-piston caliper, and the owner wrote in to correct it to the four-piston unit. Motorcycle News called them perfect for a 130 kg machine; BikeMatters called them okay and definitely not the best it had seen on recent 125s. The wheels are black spoked rims, 18 inch front and 17 rear, on CST road tyres, which the Ubbiali got in place of the standard HPS’s block-tread rubber and which BikeMatters credited for the planted feel.
How it rides
Both tests agree on the character. At 130 kg with wide bars the Mondial is light at low speed and spritely, in BikeMatters’ word, with a decent power-to-weight ratio for the class; Motorcycle News says it is most at home around town. It is a bike that likes to be revved, that rewards a rider who keeps it above 7,000 rpm, and that runs out of ideas on the open road where 65 mph is comfortable and 70 is the ceiling. The gearbox is the best part of the drivetrain and the exhaust note the most disappointing.
What both tests also agree on is that the point of the bike is how it looks and how it makes its rider feel. BikeMatters called it an undeniably fantastic-looking bike full of unique features and one of the best-looking 125s available; Motorcycle News said the overall build has an air of class about it despite the budget suspension, and then added the British caveat that it is doubtful the many exposed metal surfaces will take well to a winter. In a dry Highveld or Cape climate that caveat weighs less.
Seat height and comfort
The seat is 785 mm on Mondial UK’s sheet, 795 to 805 mm on the European ones, which puts it a little higher than a Honda Ace and well below any trail bike. The higher, wider Ubbiali bar gives a more upright position than the standard HPS, and the footrests were moved for the 2021 update to make room. The seat itself is the limit: thin, in Motorcycle News’ word, with comfort that is not great on poor surfaces but bearable in town; BikeMatters lasted an hour before wanting to pull over, and the owner says you cannot ride for too long but that it is no different from most 125s. There is no wind protection and no pillion worth mentioning.
Dash and equipment
The dash is the surprise: a phone-sized 7 inch colour TFT with automatic brightness, showing speed, revs, fuel level, temperature, time, mileage, two trips and warning lights, which Motorcycle News called neat, clear and easy to use and BikeMatters called fantastic and wildly out of place on a retro machine. Lighting is LED with a projector headlight and sequential indicators. ABS is standard on both wheels. The switchgear is basic, with no hazard lights and, by BikeMatters’ account, no dip switch of the usual kind. There is no rack, which Motorcycle News noted costs £138 as an accessory and matters for commuting, and no storage. The warranty is two years and the service interval 4,000 miles, about 6,400 km.
What the tests and the owner say
Motorcycle News rated the Ubbiali three out of five in every category. Its case for the bike is the looks, the racing pedigree, brakes that suit the weight, light controls, a good dash and a residual value that the small numbers should protect; its case against is the basic suspension, the thin seat, the exposed metal, a top speed that barely tops the national limit and almost £4,500 on the road for it, when a Yamaha XSR125 cost £4,800 and a Honda Dax £3,749. BikeMatters’ Felix Rowe, testing for Lexham in June 2023, reached a similar place from a kinder angle: one of the best-looking 125s available, a strong performer for the class but not the best, brakes that are adequate, a firm ride, a sore backside after an hour, 40 mpg while running in with 150 to 190 miles a tank expected after, and a question mark over long-term durability and resale for a Chinese-built chassis and engine with an Italian badge.
One owner has reviewed a 2025 bike on Motorcycle News, at four stars overall with reliability and value at five. His points are practical: it is a four-piston front brake and a twin-cam engine, whatever the magazine says; the engine is proven and the gearbox slick; there have been no breakdowns; the equipment is basic but quality; you cannot ride it for long, like any 125; and the price to remember is £2,999 pre-registered, a thousand pounds under what Motorcycle News quoted. He calls it the most stylish 125, and he bought it from a dealer who gave good service. One review is not a reliability record, but the engine’s wider family, which has served in Aprilia’s 125s since 2018, has a known pattern: the mechanicals last and the finish and electrics are what to watch.
Price and availability in South Africa
Mondial has never had a South African importer, and we found no HPS of any kind, new or used, on the local classifieds. An Ubbiali Limited here would be a private import, almost certainly one of the 42 British bikes, and with 999 built worldwide the chances of one arriving are slim.
For an estimate, Mondial UK’s 2025 clearance prices of £2,699 pre-registered and £2,999 unregistered are about R59,000 and R66,000 at current exchange rates, and the original £4,249 was about R93,000. Our estimate is R60,000 to R70,000 for a new or nearly new example if a dealer landed one, before shipping, duty and homologation, and it is labelled as such. That would place it between the Honda XR125L and the KTM 125 Duke, which is exactly where it sits in Britain. We will update this page if a rand figure appears.
What it would cost to run
Petrol is at a record. The October 2026 adjustment took inland 95 unleaded to about R30 a litre. With 12.6:1 compression the Mondial wants 95; inland 95 is fine.
Mondial claims 2.4 litres per 100 km, Motorcycle News lists 90 mpg, which is 3.1, Mondial’s British site says 80 mpg, which is 3.5, and BikeMatters saw 40 mpg while running in. We have used 3.2.
- A full 9 litre tank costs about R270.
- Range is roughly 280 km; Motorcycle News quotes 180 miles and BikeMatters expects 150 to 190 once run in.
- Fuel costs about R0.96 a kilometre.
- A 40 km round-trip commute costs about R38 a day, or roughly R845 over 22 working days.
Motorcycle News quotes about £140 a year in servicing, which is around R3,000, with services every 6,400 km; the owner pays the same. Parts would come from Britain or Italy by post, which is the real running cost of an orphan brand, and the thing to budget for is a LeoVince pipe if the stock note bothers you. Insurance on an imported, limited-edition 125 for a sixteen-year-old will be the awkward number.
Licence requirements: Code A1 from 16
This is the HPS 125 Ubbiali’s reason to exist in South Africa, as it is everywhere. Its 124cc engine puts it in Code A1, the licence for motorcycles up to 125cc, which you can get from the age of 16 after a learner’s licence and the A1 test. Every cafe racer with more performance, from Mondial’s own HPS 300 and the Royal Enfield Continental GT up, needs a Code A from 18. For a sixteen-year-old who wants a bike that looks like a Grand Prix machine from 1951 and has ABS, a TFT and a six-speed gearbox, this is one of perhaps three candidates in the world, and the only one with the champion’s name on the seat. Our guide to what a motorbike licence costs in South Africa covers the fees and the tests.
As a first motorcycle the Mondial has the right habits: a light clutch, a slick gearbox, light steering, ABS on both wheels and soft power that gives a learner time to think. The things a learner has to be taught are that it needs revs to go, that the firm suspension will skip on a bad surface, and that it is a town bike that should not be asked to hold 110 km/h on an open road.
HPS 125 Ubbiali versus the alternatives
South African prices are the importers’ list prices or dealer prices on Scooter125 at the time of writing and change often. The Mondial, Aprilia, Benelli and Bluroc figures are our estimates.
Honda Ace 125
R23,499 from Honda South Africa. The commuter that does the same licence job for a third of the money, with none of the style and a dealer in every town. Read our Honda Ace 125 review.
Honda XR125L
About R37,900 new on Scooter125. The air-cooled trail bike most South African sixteen-year-olds actually buy. Slower, plainer, cheaper to fix and backed by Honda.
KTM 125 Duke
R101,999 from KTM South Africa. The 15 hp 125 with a TFT, ABS, a slipper clutch and a dealer network, in a modern naked body. Faster, better suspended and R35,000 more than our Mondial estimate.
Aprilia SX 125
Not priced here; our estimate is R80,000 to R90,000. The same engine dimensions in a supermoto with a 300 mm disc, and an owners’ reliability score of 2.2 that is the lowest on this site. Read our Aprilia SX 125 review.
Benelli TNT 125 and Bullit Hero 125
Not imported; our estimates are R50,000 to R60,000 and R55,000 to R65,000. The other two character 125s we have reviewed, one a mini naked with 12 inch wheels and one a Belgian scrambler, both cheaper than the Mondial and neither as finely detailed. Read our Benelli TNT 125 review and our Bullit Hero 125 review.
Browse every 125cc motorbike for sale on Scooter125 and the commuter bikes for sale, where the Mondial’s rivals live.
Full specifications
Figures from Mondial UK’s 2025 model page and the 2021 launch material. Where Mondial’s own sheets or the tests differ, both are given.
| Engine | 124.2cc liquid-cooled DOHC 4-valve single, Euro 5 |
| Bore x stroke | 58 x 47 mm |
| Compression ratio | 12.6:1 |
| Power | 10 kW (13.4 hp) at 9,750 rpm |
| Torque | 10.5 Nm at 8,000 rpm |
| Fuel system | Electronic fuel injection, Dell’Orto management |
| Gearbox | 6-speed, wet multiplate clutch, chain final drive |
| Frame | Tubular steel double cradle |
| Front suspension | 40 mm upside-down fork, non-adjustable, 90 to 97 mm travel |
| Rear suspension | Twin piggyback shocks, non-adjustable, 120 mm travel |
| Front brake | 280 mm disc, radial 4-piston caliper, ABS (Motorcycle News lists 260 mm, 2-piston) |
| Rear brake | 220 mm disc, single-piston caliper, ABS |
| Wheels and tyres | Black spoked 18 and 17 inch; CST road tyres 100/90-18 and 130/80-17 |
| Length x width x height | 2,016 x 765 x 1,060 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,370 mm |
| Ground clearance | 155 mm |
| Seat height | 785 mm (UK sheet); 795 to 805 mm (European sheets) |
| Weight | 130 kg dry; 133 kg kerb; about 137 kg with a full tank |
| Fuel tank | 9 litres (9.5 on European sheets) |
| Consumption | 2.4 litres per 100 km claimed; 3.1 to 3.5 in use |
| Top speed | About 110 km/h; 130 claimed |
| Dash | 7 inch colour TFT with automatic brightness |
| Lighting | LED projector headlight, LED tail, sequential indicators |
| Edition | 999 numbered worldwide, 42 for Britain; silver and light blue with gold, number 9, embroidered quilted seat |
| Warranty | 2 years; service every 4,000 miles |
| UK price | £4,249 at launch; £2,999 unregistered or £2,699 pre-registered in 2025 |
| South African price | Not imported; our estimate R60,000 to R70,000 |
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Mondial HPS 125 Ubbiali in South Africa?
It is not imported, so there is no rand price. Mondial UK is clearing the last examples at £2,699 to £2,999, which points to R60,000 to R70,000 here before an importer’s costs. The figure is our estimate.
How fast is the Mondial HPS 125 Ubbiali?
About 110 km/h. Motorcycle News says around 70 mph, BikeMatters saw 67 mph, and the comfortable cruise is 100 to 105 km/h. Mondial claims 130.
Can a 16-year-old ride the Mondial HPS 125 in South Africa?
Yes, on a Code A1 licence, which covers motorcycles up to 125cc from age 16. The HPS 300 needs a Code A from 18.
Who was Carlo Ubbiali?
An Italian rider from Bergamo who won nine world championships between 1951 and 1960, the first of them on a Mondial 125, and 39 Grands Prix from 71 starts. He died in June 2020 at ninety.
How many Mondial HPS 125 Ubbiali were made?
999, each with a numbered metal plaque. Britain received 42, France 78 in its first batch, Spain 42 and Italy 70.
Does the Mondial HPS 125 Ubbiali have ABS?
Yes, on both wheels, with a radial four-piston front caliper on a 280 mm disc.
Is the Mondial HPS 125 reliable?
The one owner on Motorcycle News rates reliability five out of five after a year with no breakdowns. The engine shares its design and dimensions with the Zongshen-built unit in Aprilia’s 125s, whose record is mechanically sound with finish and electrical complaints. Motorcycle News warns that the exposed metal will not enjoy a wet winter.
Where is the Mondial HPS 125 built?
It is designed in Italy by the revived F.B. Mondial under Pierluigi Boselli and built in China, as BikeMatters and Motorcycle News both note.
The verdict
The HPS 125 Ubbiali Limited is the most beautifully detailed 125 we have written about, and the only one with a real racing bloodline: a numbered tribute to the first Italian 125cc world title, from the factory that won it, with the champion’s name on the seat and his number on the flanks. It has a twin-cam engine, six gears, ABS, a radial caliper, a TFT and a slick gearbox, it weighs 130 kg, and it makes a sixteen-year-old look like the photograph on the wall of a Bergamo cafe.
The reservations are the ones every test found. It needs revving and tops out at 110 km/h, the suspension is where the money was saved, the seat hurts after an hour, the exhaust sounds ordinary, the switchgear is basic, and at its launch price it cost nearly as much as a Yamaha XSR125 that is better in every measurable way. Motorcycle News gave it three stars and was right to.
At the 2025 clearance price the sums change, which is why the owner calls it the most stylish 125 and a bargain in the same review. If one of the 999 ever reaches South Africa near our estimate, it is a more charming first motorcycle than anything new at the price, for a rider who wants the look more than the last 10 km/h. If the licence is the point rather than the bike, the Honda XR125L does the job for R25,000 less with a Honda dealer behind it. Start with the 125cc motorbikes for sale on Scooter125.
Sources referenced
- Mondial UK (MotoGB), “2025 Mondial HPS 125cc Ubbiali” model page: specification, prices and finance
- Motorcycle News, Jim Moore, “Mondial HPS 125 Ubbiali Limited (2023-on) review”, updated 12 January 2023, and one owner review, March 2025
- Lexham Insurance, Felix Rowe (BikeMatters), “FB Mondial Ubbiali 125 road test review”, 2 June 2023
- Moto.it, “Mondial HPS 125 Ubbiali Limited”, 5 October 2021; InSella, “FB Mondial: Limited Edition dedicated to Ubbiali”, 20 October 2021; Motorrad, “FB Mondial HPS 125 Ubbiali Sondermodell”, 4 October 2021
- 1000PS, “FB Mondial HPS 125i Limited Ubbiali” technical data; Motoplanete, HPS 125 Ubbiali 2021 specification sheet
- Motorcycle Finder UK, “FB Mondial HPS 125 Limited Edition”, 2018
- Wikipedia, “Carlo Ubbiali”: career record
- A MotoGB Facebook post was supplied as a source but could not be read
- Honda South Africa and KTM South Africa pricing; Scooter125 dealer listings for the Honda XR125L
- Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, October 2026 fuel price adjustment
