Benelli Leoncino 500

Overview

Benelli Leoncino (pronounced Leon-cheeno) is a scrambler motorcycle that reintroduces a name previously associated with Benelli's lightweight motorcycles. The Leoncino, which translates as "lion cub," is the Italian automaker's attempt to join the retro-style bandwagon, which has rejected many motorcycles from various manufacturers in recent years. The most notable of these is the eponymous Scrambler from fellow Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati.

The Leoncino was first shown at the EICMA in Milan last year, to acclaim. A newly developed 500cc parallel-twin engine enhances its rugged appearance. This is a new platform introduced by the company with the TRK 502 adventure tourer motorcycle, which also serves as the foundation for the Leoncino.

Benelli Leoncino 500 Design and Style

The Leoncino would undoubtedly be on a list of motorcycles for the hipster biker. The Leoncino's chunky forks and wide handlebars are reminiscent of the Harley-Davidson Street-Rod, while the overall shape is reminiscent of the Ducati Scrambler.

The fuel tank slopes downwards to meet the seat in a teardrop shape that is quite elegant. The paint finish is without a doubt the best we've seen on any Benelli motorcycle, and it lends the Leoncino a premium feel. The silver colour complements the bike's classic theme perfectly. Then there's the black overdose. The tubular steel frame, swing arm, chunky suspension units, alloy rims, and engine are all painted black. All the black bits give this otherwise adorable design a slightly sinister appearance. The short tail unit, with its narrow, LED tail-light resembling the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, and the round LED headlamp complement the neo-retro theme.

The switchgear lacks the premium feel of the rest of the bike. It has the same switchgear as other Benellis such as the TRK 502, TNT 300, and TNT 600i. There's also the matter of packaging. When viewed from a distance, the wires and cables running down the length of the motorcycle, for example, blend in with the black engine components. However, they are noticeable if you look closely, which is not elegant given that this is supposed to be a slightly premium bike.

The 785mm seat height and narrow width of the bike make it easy for riders of all heights to get their feet on the ground. Although the wide handlebars provide plenty of leverage for turning the bike, their sheer width may make them difficult to reach for riders with shorter limbs, especially when turning the handlebar completely to either side. With a dry weight of 186kg, the Leoncino is far from light. It takes some effort to move the bike around in the parking lot, but it's still far easier than any of the other Benelli motorcycles.

The neutral placement of the rider's foot pegs is something you'll appreciate. They're also relatively low, which should make it easier to get your feet to the ground in stop-and-go traffic. There is enough space in the seat to move around, and even larger riders will not complain about a lack of space. They might complain, however, that the rider's seat is a little hard for long journeys.

Benelli Leoncino 500 Engine and Gearbox

Liquid-cooled, 4-Stroke, Parallel-twin 500cc engine powers the new Benelli Leoncino 500. A wet, multi-plate clutch and 6-speed transmission system accompany the BS6 engine. The rated output of the BS6 compliant Leoncino 500 is 47.5 HP @ 8500 RPM and a maximum torque of 46 NM @ 6000 RPM.

This is the same engine used in the TRK 502 adventure tourer. The engine output remains unchanged, but Benelli has changed the sprocket sizes, resulting in shorter final ratios for the Leoncino. Benelli made this modification to make the Leoncino easier to ride in the city as opposed to the highway-focused TRK.

When you press the accelerator hard, the Leoncino speeds up with vigour. In isolation, the new Leoncino's acceleration test results show it is a reasonably quick motorcycle. Given its limited power and weight, it performs admirably. From zero to a hundred, the TRK 502 is a full second faster. The bison's ability to outrun the cub is an anomaly that is difficult to explain. The in-gear roll-on acceleration of both motorcycles is identical, which adds to our confusion because we expected the Leoncino's nearly 40 kg advantage to help it be peppier.

There's enough power to keep you entertained, and even in town, the Leoncino can travel at lower speeds in higher gears than the TRK. The bike could comfortably crawl along at 30 km/h in 5th gear and build speed quickly without juddering.

On the highway, this motor can maintain 120 km/h in sixth gear all day with the tacho set to 6000 rpm. It has the potential to reach speeds over 150 km/h, but the lack of wind protection may deter you from doing so regularly. Reduce the speeds to a more manageable 100 to 120 km/h, and both the bike and the rider will be extremely relaxed.

Benelli Leoncino 500 Suspension, Brakes and Tyres

Benelli built the new Leoncino 500 on the Tubular steel trellis frame and the 50mm rebound adjustable USD fork at the front and Preload and rebound adjustable mono-shock at the rear suspension Leoncino 500. Twin 320mm discs with a 4-piston calliper at the front and 260mm disc with a single-piston calliper at the rear handle the brake duties. Benelli has equipped the Leoncino 500 with 17-inch aluminium alloy wheels that come wrapped with Pirelli Angel ST tyres of 120/70-R17 front and 160/60-R17 rear sections.

2024 Leoncino 500 is by far the most enjoyable two-wheeler to ride of any modern Benelli. Some components appear over-engineered, such as the wider-than-necessary tyres and the massive 50mm front fork. While Benelli's decisions may have been purely aesthetic, they do an excellent job of keeping the bike composed when changing directions. It's not the quickest bike to tip into corners, but the wide bars provide so much leverage that it's easy. It'll be a blast riding this little lion down a winding mountain road.

For ride quality, the new Leoncino's rear shock feels a little stiff at slow speeds. You'll feel every thud in your path if you ride on bad roads. The front is more forgiving, soaking up the minor details. However, as the speed increases, the ride improves, and the suspension smooths out most road imperfections.

New Leoncino has some powerful braking equipment. It uses the kit effectively as Leoncino 500 is a quick stopper. It comes to a stop nearly 2.5m shorter than the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 from 100kmph and travels 3.5m less than the TRK 502. When compared to other Benellis, the braking feedback is excellent, though we wish it was more consistent with changes in riding speed. Also, ABS intervention at low speeds needs to be improved. Over loose surfaces, the system engages quite early. When braking hard from 80-85kmph, this is not an issue, as it provides excellent stability.

Key Features of Benelli Leoncino 500

2024 Benelli Leoncino 500 has LED lighting all around the headlight, taillight, and indicators. The tail lamp, in particular, is stunning. However, for illumination, the LED headlamp falls short of expectations. The low beam throw is too high, the spread is insufficient, and the intensity is low. Benelli has fitted the Leoncino 500 with a fully digital LCD instrument cluster from Benelli. The layout is well-organised, and the data is legible in all lighting conditions. Because there is no distance-to-empty readout or mileage calculator, the amount of data is quite limited.

In terms of rider aids, the Leoncino only has dual-channel ABS as standard, but it is switchable. By pressing the small switch on the left mirror stalk, you can disable ABS intervention on both wheels.

Top Speed and Mileage of Benelli Leoncino 500

The top speed of the new Benelli Leoncino 500 is approximately 175 km/h and Benelli Leoncino 500 gets about 25 to 30 km/l of mileage (approximate). The 500cc motorcycle can speed up from 0 to 60 km/h in 3 seconds and from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds (approximate).

Benelli Leoncino 500 Colour Options

Benelli offers the new Leoncino 500 in two colour options: Red and Silver.

Benelli Leoncino 500 Competitors

Bajaj Dominar 400, KTM Duke 390, Kawasaki Z650, Kawasaki Vulcan S, Honda CB650R, Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, and Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 are some of the similar bikes that rival Benelli Leoncino 500.

Conclusion

2024 Benelli Leoncino 500 is a charming motorcycle. It looks fantastic, sounds fantastic, and rides even better. The stiff, slow-speed ride will take some getting used to, but it is unquestionably the best Benelli on the market right now in India. That makes its asking price of Rs 5 lakh even more appealing. Yes, the lion cub has the roar to match the style, and it does enough to entice and keep the first-time big-bike buyer happy, as long as buying a big-sized bike wasn't what drew you to Benelli.