The 2018
Benelli Leoncino is now in Malaysia,
and priced at RM 29,678, including GST and excluding road tax, insurance and
registration. Launched alongside the 2018 Keeway K-Light 202, Cafe Racer 152
and Patagonian Eagle 250, the Leoncino takes the power plant from the Benelli
TRK 502 adventure bike and puts in a retro scrambler-styled chassis.
Carrying a two-cylinder, 500 cc, four-stroke,
liquid-cooled mill with four-valves per cylinder, the Leoncino has a claimed
power output of 48 hp at 8,500 rpm and torque figure of 45 Nm at 5,000 rpm. Fed
by EFI, the Benelli’s lion cub gets power to the ground via a six-speed gearbox
with a cable actuated clutch.
Sharing much of its running gear with the TRK 502,
the Leoncino has the same frame and swingarm as the TRK 502, along with the
suspension. An upside-down fork props up the front end, while an adjustable
monoshock suspends the rear. In the braking department, a pair of hydraulic
four-piston callipers grab 320 mm discs, while a single 260 mm diameter disc
does duties at the back.
ABS braking is standard for the Leoncino, as the
bike is Euro 4 compliant, along with LED lighting and digital instrumentation
in the cockpit. Rolling on 17-inch rubber, the seat height is set at an
accommodating 810 mm, with the Leoncino weighing in at 196 kg and fuel carried
in a 12.7-litre tank.
There are two colour options available for the 2018
Benelli Leoncino – Leoncino Red and Vulcan Black, with the bike set to make an
appearance in Malaysian Benelli dealers by the end of 2017. A two-year or
20,000 km manufacturing is offered.
