A photograph of the upcoming 2020 Benelli Leoncino
800 has surfaced online. The motorcycle is ready to debut, and we expect to see
the product at the 2019 EICMA motorcycle show in Italy (5-10 November).
The Leoncino 800, which made debut in a concept form
at last year’s EICMA motorcycle show, will be the largest scrambler from the
Chinese-owned Italian-brand. The upcoming product will compete with the
Scramblers from Ducati and Triumph Motorcycles. The production-spec model looks
nearly identical to the concept motorcycle, although it features an alloy wheel
setup instead of wire-spoke units. There could be an off-road biased version of
the motorcycle that will come equipped with wire-spoke wheels. The road-biased
motorcycle that is visible in the leaked photograph features 17-inch wheels on
both ends.
The motorcycle is built around a trellis frame.
Styling cues include an oval-shaped, LED headlight along with a fly-screen at
the front. The fender, similar to existing Leoncino models, includes the Lion
of Pesaro motif. While the instrument console isn’t visible in the photograph,
we expect to see a fully-digital unit in the cockpit. The shape of the fuel
tank is nearly identical to the concept motorcycle. A single-piece saddle follows
the fuel tank. The tail section features a rear tyre hugger mounted number
plate holder that lends a clean look from the back.
Hardware specifications comprise meaty, inverted
forks at the front and a monoshock at the back to handle the shock absorption
tasks. Braking power comes from twin rotors at the front and a single disc at
the back. Expect the Leoncino 800 to arrive with a switchable ABS tech.
Details about the engine specifications are scarce,
although we could see a revised version of 752S’s motor on the Leoncino 800.
The 752S, for reference, uses a 750 cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, 8-valve
engine that makes 77 bhp of peak power at 8,500 rpm and 67 Nm of max torque at
6,500 rpm. The Leoncino may arrive with an 800 cc mill that will deliver relatively
higher power and torque output numbers. The Scrambler may share the motor with
a bigger TRK model.
