2016 EICMA Motorcycle Show: Benelli Leoncino Launched

Benelli had wowed us by showcasing the Leoncino concept at the 2015 EICMA motorcycle show and we must admit it was among the prettiest motorcycles to be unveiled at the bike show. Now, a year later, the Italian bikemaker launched the production version of the Leoncino and we are glad to report it has maintained the beautiful lines. Designed by CentroStile Benelli, the Leoncino is actually a reimagination of one of the marquee’s most beloved brands albeit with a retro-modern styling. The curvy fuel tank, round headlight, stubby mudguard and floating tail section make it an attractive looking motorcycle. The design highlight has to be the Lion of Pesaro which sits atop the front mudguard. 

The Benelli Leoncino will be offered in two variants – standard and trail. The Leoncino Trail will have 19-inch front wheels (17-inch on standard), spoke wheels and off-road tyres for trail riding. The Benellli Leoncino will be powered by a new 500cc displacement liquid-cooled, parallel-twin motor that delivers 48PS of power. and 45Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox and abides by Euro 4 emission norms. Suspension duties upfront are handled by an upside down 50mm fork, mated to 4 piston brake calipers gripping 320mm discs. At the rear monoshock does duty and braking is handled by a 260mm disc with a single piston caliper. ABS will be standard and the bike weighs 186kg while fuel tank capacity stands at 13.5 litres for the Standard model and 20 litres for the Trail version. Saddle height is 820mm for the Leoncino Trail, while the Stnadard model is more accessible at 785mm. We can expect the Benelli Leoncino to makes its way to the Indian market by mid-2017 or late next year and it will be assembled in India.