Benelli Leoncino 500: a tribute to history and a piece for the relaunch [ROAD TEST VIDEO]

A model that is a clear homage to a myth of Italian motorcycling, which made the history of the Pesarese company. Benelli is now focusing heavily on the relaunch, with an increasingly interesting range.

Maybe not everyone knows him today, but Antonio Benelli he was the first and greatest of the Italian riders, who triumphed on all the tracks of the world, riding a Benelli motorcycle. In short, the most celebrated rider from Pesaro, at least before the 9-time World Champion Valentino Rossi. The Leoncino focuses precisely on history, taking its name from the 125 produced in the 50s. Leoncino is not just a new model, but an authentic and pure concept, which thanks to the new Style Center of the Pesaro company, finds its identity and its strong personality in the modern world, taking inspiration from model of the 1956, which brought about the greatest successes for the Italian company.

Made in China, but with design and development done in Italy in the historic headquarters of Benelli, the twin-cylinder Leoncino has an attractive look, expresses sportiness and elegance, but also care and quality, as demonstrated by the beautiful instrumentation with a refined blue backlight, well-complete with information and with an LED rev counter. The Leoncino is easy to drive, comfortable and excellently finished. It is therefore capable of being appreciated by a very large clientele, as confirmed by Benelli's Italian Sales Manager, Gianni Monini.

The heart of Leoncino is the brand new four-stroke twin-cylinder, liquid cooled, almost 500 cc, entirely developed by Benelli. It has distribution to double camshaft ahead, 4 valves per cylinder and a 37 mm throttle body. Driving it gave us moments of great fun, it is in fact an engine responsive, fluid and responding well under acceleration as soon as you apply the gas, without ever putting the driver of the Leoncino in difficulty. Able to 48 horses at 8.500 rpm and a torque of 45 Nm at 5000 rpm, it is a motorbike within everyone's reach, even those who only have an A2 licence. Euro 4 and combined with a 6-speed gearbox, with precise engagements and a light clutch even for city use.

The frame of the Leoncino is a trellis made of exposed steel tubes, with low mounts on the engine and a tank that seems almost supported, perfectly integrated into the design of the bike. The saddle is close to the ground, placed at 815 mm, while we found the riding feeling excellent. The handlebars offer a dominant position, with the pleasant sensation of having full control 207 kg in running order. The nice 17" rims wear tires Pirelli Angel, in sizes 120/70 and 160/60.

At the front we find an upside-down fork with 50 mm diameter legs, while at the rear the choice fell on a swingarm with lateral monoshock. Both suspensions are adjustable. A. is mounted on the front axle double disc with a diameter of 320 mm, with four-piston radial calipers; behind, however, a 260 mm disc and a single-piston caliper. Good functioning of theABS, which contains the stopping spaces and never becomes invasive, as well as providing the possibility of excluding it.

A motorbike that focuses heavily on aesthetics, truly captivating, but which can be ridden well, with an excellent, quality and well-balanced chassis and a "right" engine, nothing exaggerated, but capable of a nice liveliness and with a full and round from the bottom. You pay 5.990 euros for everything, a truly inviting price for one of the most interesting models from the Italian company. We tried it in this black color, but you can also choose green, silver or the beautiful red that we saw at Eicma last year.
For the test we used a Dainese jacket, trousers, gloves and shoes, and a Cast MT II helmet (two). For all the details, remember to read the complete test on the Motorionline pages.

Our test

On the roads of Romagna we tested this new Benelli Leoncino, on a mixed route. Climbs and descents, many curves and a decent asphalt at times, but slippery in others. We also traveled along a road that crosses a forest, with decidedly bumpy asphalt. The right compromise therefore to test the qualities of this new entry from the Pesarese cash register.

As soon as you get on the saddle, a few kilometers are enough to understand how easy this Leoncino is, even for the less experienced. The driving position is comfortable and natural, thanks to a low saddle (alone 785 mm from the ground) and to the low-bend, wide handlebar which allows for a comfortable and relaxed grip, perfectly feeling the reactions of the front. The very sharp design and narrow sides help you put your feet on the ground safely, maneuvering the bike from a standstill without any effort. The classic triangulation of handlebars - footrests - saddle is well studied and therefore the driving position is comfortable and never tiring. The instrumentation is clearly visible, it shows us the complete information on the LCD screen; we find the rev counter, odometer, gear indicator in the centre, temperatures, fuel level, time and finally the ABS warning light.

On small radius hairpins, where speeds are low and short gears are used, the small Leoncino 500 does not disappoint, it is quick to descend into bends and quick to exit curves. The power delivery is just a little sluggish at low speeds, but already from 3.000 rpm it picks up well, with regular engine power delivery and no jerks, demonstrating that even with 48 HP you can really have fun. As we gain more and more confidence, we try to force the pace in the corners, to put our Leoncino to the test. Even at higher speeds, it is still fun but safe, transmitting a good feeling to the rider, thanks to the well-calibrated suspension and the well-distributed weights of the bike.

In particular, it is in the cornering phase that is reactive and precise, with the front end always glued to the asphalt. The Leoncino can be fun and sincere, very stable and surprising for the speed it displays in changes of direction. The gearbox is always very precise, both uphill and downshifting, even without using the clutch (which we advise you not to do for road use, but which helps to understand the "goodness" of the transmission). A feature that allows you not to have to manage gear imperfections and therefore concentrate on driving, taking advantage of all the stability of the Leoncino when entering corners.

The rear shock absorber responds well to stress, with a "soft" calibration, at least during our test. If we really wanted to find nitpicks, on irregular sections it is the hydraulics of the front fork that go into a bit of a crisis. It works well, but there is a fairly dry response, a less rigid standard calibration would be preferable, but it is perhaps a question linked to everyone's driving style. L'ABS (can be switched off) It is not invasive at all, it intervenes when needed and, if you overdo it when braking, the system's response is truly excellent. Here too, if we want to look for a flaw, the response is immediate and progressive at the front, but in some cases the system was found to be inefficient, especially when the route begins to be challenging. The rear brake, however, is well sized and even the master cylinder does not require excessive effort. Stability is good in a straight line, where the speed peaks are very respectable and where the lack of significant aerodynamic protection is not annoying. Our opinion on the vibrations is also excellent, very modest both on the handlebars and on the footrests. They are only felt on the handlebars when the gears are pulled, otherwise they are essentially absent.

Finally, a small note on the visibility of the rear position light. During our test we noticed that, in the Leoncino that preceded us, it was not very visible, while the Stop has a decidedly greater intensity and can be perceived well even from a distance.

Tester clothing:
Jacket: Dainese HF D1 Leather Jacket
Pants: Dainese BONNEVILLE SLIM
Shoe: Dainese STREET ROCKER D-WP
Gloves: Mtech– Hero
Helmet: Cast MT II