The Derbi Mulhacén was a family of retro scrambler motorcycles built by the Spanish firm Derbi from 2006 to 2013 in 659 and 125 cc form. The larger model marked Derbi’s return to big-capacity motorcycles, with a Yamaha single-cylinder engine; the 125 was aimed at younger riders and used a Piaggio four-stroke.
Derbi Mulhacén at a glance
| Maker | Derbi, Martorelles (Spain) |
|---|---|
| Production | 2006–2013 |
| Models | Mulhacén 659 and Mulhacén 125 |
| Type | Retro scrambler |
| 659 prototype | Intermot Munich, September 2004 |
| 659 production model | EICMA, November 2005; on sale spring 2006 |
| 659 engine | Yamaha single-cylinder, 659.7 cc, liquid-cooled, 5-speed |
| 659 power | 47 hp at 6,250 rpm; 55 Nm at 5,500 rpm |
| 659 dimensions | 2,120 mm long, 1,386 mm wheelbase, 162 kg |
| 659 brakes and suspension | Marzocchi 43 mm fork; Brembo radial caliper and radial master cylinder; Sachs rear shock |
| 659 tank and seat | 12 litres, about 170 km range; seat 835 mm |
| 125 engine | Piaggio 125 cc four-stroke, DOHC four-valve, 15 hp |
| 125 weight | 110 kg |
| Designer | Klaus Nennevitz |
based on one source; the Italian Wikipedia article is the only detailed account of the Mulhacén.
History of the Derbi Mulhacén
The Mulhacén 659 marked Derbi’s return to large-capacity sporting motorcycles. Its prototype was shown at the Intermot fair in Munich in September 2004, a scrambler with a 660 cc Yamaha single-cylinder engine in classic style and tall knobbly tyres. Production was announced in 2005 and the firm began road testing, showing the prototype to the press ridden by Pablo Nieto of the Derbi Racing Team, then racing in the 125 class of the world championship. The final production model was presented at the EICMA show in November 2005 and went on sale in the spring of the following year; to promote it Derbi set up a dedicated website for online pre-orders.
The 659 was compact, 2,120 mm long with a 1,386 mm wheelbase and a weight of only 162 kg. Its 659.7 cc liquid-cooled four-stroke single was built by Yamaha at the Minarelli plant, paired with a five-speed gearbox and electric starting, and produced 47 hp at 6,250 rpm and 55 Nm at 5,500 rpm to Euro 2. The front suspension was a 43 mm Marzocchi fork, with wave discs and a radially mounted Brembo caliper and radial master cylinder; at the rear a Sachs monoshock sat on the right side of the cast aluminium swingarm and worked through a linkage. The 12-litre tank gave a range of about 170 km. The styling was a retro scrambler design by Klaus Nennevitz, with 18-inch wheels, dual-purpose tyres, a large exhaust and a seat 835 mm from the ground.
A year after the launch, at EICMA 2006, the range gained the 659 Cafè and a 125 cc version with a Piaggio engine aimed at younger riders. The 659 Cafè had 17-inch wheels with road tyres, its own brake discs, a single seat and black paint, with retro details inspired by café racers; it went on sale in 2007, and in 2008 the engine was updated to Euro 3. The 659 left production in 2010 because of low sales.
The 125 went on sale in spring 2007. It was more compact than the 659 and had its own chassis: a 37 mm hydraulic fork with 99 mm of travel at the front and a monoshock on a steel swingarm at the rear, a 280 mm front disc with a twin-piston caliper and a 218 mm rear disc, and 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels. Its engine was the Piaggio 125 cc four-stroke, a liquid-cooled double-overhead-camshaft four-valve single producing 15 hp at 9,250 rpm, with a six-speed gearbox and a weight of 110 kg. In summer 2008 the 125 Cafè appeared, with black paint, a red frame, a two-up seat and styling close to the 659 Cafè. The 125 stayed in production until early 2013, when the historic Derbi factory at Martorelles closed, three years after the 659.
After production ended, the Austrian KSR Group bought the production rights for several Derbi models from the Piaggio group, which owns the Derbi brand, including the Mulhacén 125 Cafè. At the end of 2018 the model was shown at EICMA under the name Malaguti Monte Pro, and in spring 2019 production began in China at Zongshen’s Foshan works. The Malaguti is the same machine with the same Piaggio 125 engine, now built in China to Euro 4, with differences only in styling details.
Design and features
- Yamaha single: the 659.7 cc engine was built by Yamaha at Minarelli.
- Retro scrambler style: Klaus Nennevitz design with 18-inch wheels and a large exhaust.
- Light and compact: 162 kg for the 659, 110 kg for the 125.
- Cafè versions: road-tyred 659 Cafè and the black-and-red 125 Cafè.
- Second life in China: the 125 Cafè became the Malaguti Monte Pro in 2019.
Derbi Mulhacén versions
- Mulhacén 659 (2006–2010): the original Yamaha-engined scrambler.
- Mulhacén 659 Cafè (2007): 17-inch road wheels, single seat, black paint.
- Mulhacén 125 (2007–2013): Piaggio four-stroke, smaller chassis, 15 hp.
- Mulhacén 125 Cafè (2008): black paint, red frame, two-up seat.
- Malaguti Monte Pro (2019): the 125 Cafè built in China by Zongshen.
The Derbi Terra was the firm’s small enduro of the same years, and the Senda its 50 cc supermotard. More motorcycles are in the Derbi collection.
Sources
- Derbi Mulhacén, Italian Wikipedia: prototype, engines, versions, end of production
