2018 Benelli Leoncino launch review

In September 2017 Bikesales published an article titled ‘6 examples of how Benelli has cleverly rebranded’, and we started it off by mentioning how the company had abandoned its previous penchant for producing high-end exotica in favour of sub $10K LAMS-approved machinery. And the fact that Benellis are now designed in Italy but made in China not only allows them to maintain competitive retail prices but it also goes a long way to guarantee longevity, too.

Of the sixes bikes mentioned in the aforementioned story, we’ve ridden three of them over the last few months: the TnT 125, TRK 502 and now the extremely impressive  Benelli Leoncino sports naked – or heritage sports naked if you prefer.

The Leoncino, which means ‘lion cub’ in Italian, uses the same fuel-injected 500cc parallel-twin as the TRK 502, but tips the scales 50kg lighter (170kg dry) and is obviously a vastly different styling exercise. The bike isn’t the first with the Leoncino moniker to come out of the Benelli factory, with the first one -- a 125cc machine -- manufactured in 1952.

Now on sale in Australia for $8990 ride away in a choice of three colours – red, silver or black – the Benelli Leoncino will soon be joined by more siblings in the shape of the Leoncino Trail (due July 2018) and the Leoncino Sport (due late 2018). All three fall under the local LAMS laws.

The Leoncino may have taken its time to call Australia home – it was first released at the 2015 EICMA motorcycle show in Milan – but not only is it a very impressive machine to ride, but it’s drop dead gorgeous as well. It’s just a stunning silhouette, from the headlight to the tank, one-piece seat, twin-outlet muffler and taut tail piece, while the blacked-out engine cuts an impressive stance as well.

And there’s the lesson: just because Benelli has future-proofed itself with affordable machines responding to the most lucrative segments of the market, that doesn’t mean style has gone out the window.

Fruity tones
The raspy note was a most impressive entry point to the Leoncino when I fired it up for the one-day ride from Melbourne to the Yarra Ranges, east of the Victorian capital. The muscular tone surprised more than a few of us, and the aural sensation was reinforced that afternoon as the Leoncino was stitching a series of tight and twisty corners together. One scribe said the Leoncino sounded like a Honda RC30!

The bike also has wide bars, which hits home as soon as you sit on the bike. That doesn’t make for an uncomfortable riding position though, as they are also swept back far enough that the riding position is quite upright.

The parallel twin engine impressed me from the start. The clutch action is soft, the fuelling is crisp, it purrs along at low speed with only a slight feather of the soft clutch required at low speeds, and from about 5000rpm it shows a fair bit of fighting spirit. In fact – and this is very much the feeling I get from Honda’s 500cc parallel twin range as well – riding a bike like the Leoncino is some of the best fun you’ll have on two wheels.

The rev limiter kicks in at 8500rpm, so there’s a 3000rpm zone where you can really get your kicks – and it kind of becomes addictive after a while.

The Leoncino produces a claimed 47.6hp at 8500rpm, and 45Nm at 5000rpm.

BENELLI LEONCINO PRICING AND SPECS

Vibes? It wouldn’t be a parallel twin without a few, but there’s nothing in the Leoncino mix that is remotely irritating – to the extent that the vibes became a mental side note after a few minutes in the saddle. Truth be told – I was too caught up in car drivers taking double takes at the Leoncino, as it cuts a handsome path on the open road with that gorgeous tank and clean lines.

The machine is designed by CentoStile Benelli, which has its headquarters in Pesaro, Italy.

The tank looks quite bulbous from the side, but from the pilot’s seat it is quite narrow – in fact, the whole waist on the Leoncino is quite compact – and allows the knees to really get a grip.

That’s a good thing for the twisties, where the Leoncino more than holds its own. It’s a hoot keeping the parallel twin on the boil, and the handling is quite neutral. The steering isn’t super-fast, but tight corners and fast switchbacks didn’t present any problems for the little terrier, either.

The bike tracks on Pirelli Angel tyres, while it has 50mm upside-down forks with rebound adjustment and a laydown linkless rear shock with adjustment for preload and rebound. The suspension is connected to a steel trellis tube frame.

The ride is quite firm, which only adds to the sporting flavour. Occasionally that means some of the high-compression hits are a little uncomfortable, especially in concert with the hard-ish seat, but that stiffness is not something I’d like to see removed from the Leoncino script.

We certainly tested out the brakes, and they are both strong and have good feel biting the dual 320mm discs. The Leoncino has switchable ABS.

The gearbox gets a pass mark – it’s not always super positive in its engagement, but missed gears certainly weren’t a part of the equation.

Summing up
The Leoncino also has LED lighting and daytime running lights, and it’s backed by a two-year warranty and roadside assist.

Where does the competition come from? If it’s heritage styling then the Suzuki SV650X and Yamaha XSR700 are the obvious standouts, but they’re priced at $9490 and $10,999 respectively (plus ORC) – so a fair chunk of coin ahead.

That kind of puts the Leoncino is a sub-category all on its own, so it’s automatically boss cocky! That’s underselling what a compact, robust, vibrant and entertaining machine the Leoncino really is.

Benelli is making bikes that people can ride – easily and aggressively if you really want to – and the Leoncino is a prime example.

We’re so keen on it we’ve put in the hard word for a long-termer!