Benelli Leoncino 500

The Leoncino (pronounced Leon-cheeno), meaning the Lion Cub. Designed by the fashion gurus at CentroStile Benelli.

Leoncino is a tribute to a legend of Italian motorcycling that has made the history of Benelli and that today, thanks to the new CentroStile della Casa di Pesaro, finds its identity and its strong personality in the modern world.

Designed to perfectly match the motorcycle’s sharp forms with harmonious lines all the while representing the pure emotion that Benelli is famous for, the Leoncino will flaunt unique styles of riding to give the riders a modest, yet a tasteful take on the young generation of bikes.

The curvy fuel tank, round headlight, stubby mudguard and floating tail section is an intelligent fusion of old-school design with modern touches that will appeal every enthusiast. The LED package takes care of all illumination duties on the motorcycle, and the highlight has to be the Lion of Pesaro which sits atop the front mudguard.

The saddle is both accessible and linear, perfectly follows the lines of the bike along the exhaust and tank design, which gives the Leoncino balanced and modern proportions. The lines get even extenuated when you notice the frame, a trellis in exposed steel tubes, integrates itself into the design forming along the fuel tank.

The Leoncino tends to have a more sophisticated look due to the alloys and street radials and comes packed in a formal, sporty, contemporary language. Both engine and the trellis frame gets the black theme along with the padded Alcantara pilot seat to give the permeated X factor.

The Lions will get a heart in the form of a twin-cylinder, four-stroke engine, liquid-cooled, 500cc, with a maximum power of 48 hp at 8500 rpm and maximum torque of 33 lb-ft that comes in at a low 5000rpm. This early surge of torque will enable the Leoncino to get off the block quicker and also give the scrambler a strong mid-range power band while on the move.

Featuring wet sump lubrication, electronic injection, overhead double camshaft timing system and 4 valves per cylinder, this mill promotes to be a fluid and reactive engine, which response very well in acceleration. It also features a 37 mm dual throttle body, clutch in an oil bath and a 6-speed gearbox completing the picture of a motor-safe and modern transmission wile duly abiding Euro IV emission norms.

Given the genre of these motorcycles, the riding position is quite upright with the slightly raised handlebar and footrest position. The saddle will provide sufficient cushion, and its contour puts the rider at ease and comfort. The frame is of the trellis type lattice of steel tubes on whose terminal part is hidden under the tank. All of this leads to more control over the bike, with enough room to move around and stand up on footrests when the situation demands for it.

The Leoncino was born to live in the city. It adopts 17” alloy wheels running with 120/70-ZR17 at the front and 160/60-ZR17 for the rear, guaranteeing grip, stability and performance in any condition. Upside handles suspension duties down 45mm adjustable forks, and a laterally mounted shock absorber controls the rear swingarm’s movement. Braking the speeds are with 4 piston brake calipers gripping 320mm disc at the front and a 260mm disc with a single piston caliper at the rear with ABS as standard.

t runs on the same powertrain made of the 399 cc, air-cooled, L-twin engine that cranks out 40 ponies at 8750 rpm and 25.5 pounds of grunt at 8000 rpm, sufficient power for fun while staying well within the manageable range. The same six-speed transmixxer is also employed here.

The Hashtag also shares the chassis, wheels, suspension and braking units with the Sixty2. Featuring a twin upper spar steel Trellis frame and swingarm, the frame provides sufficient sturdiness for throwing around the machine on uneven rocky surfaces. 41 mm, Showa right-side-up forks and Kayaba coil-over monoshock handle the suspension with the right mix of comfort and performance. Whereas braking is taken care of 320 mm disc with a twin-pot caliper up front and 245 mm disc with a single-pot caliper in the back are sufficient. Bosch 9.1 MP ABS system with an internal pressure sensor give maximum stopping performance.

Source Top Speed