Benelli Leoncino: Road Test Review

After trying the TRK 502 twins some time ago, we wanted Benelli to bring Leoncino to India soon. He drives a radio scrambler in the same 500cc parallel engine, but with the absence of the adventure tourism exhibition and all the other components that made him strong, we thought Leoncino would be a better motorcycle for those who want to continue. For larger capacity machines. Now that it is finally here in India, we can answer the question: Does the Lion Cub (meaning Leonin in Italian) have a roar that fits his murderous style?

Positives:

• Does not contain an impressive size like other Benelli motorcycles.

• Compact dimensions with wide handlebars allow you to easily manoeuver through city traffic.

• High-quality paint finish makes the bike look distinct.

Negatives:

• LED headlights do not light the roads properly at night.

• Exposed wires and cables are a bit annoying for such an elegant product.

• Although the engine itself is running, the Leoncino is not as fuel-efficient as the TRK 502.

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Distinctive Features: Design:

If there is a list of motorcycles for the list of motorcyclists, Leoncino will certainly find it. The thick forks and wide steering wheel are similar to those on Harley-Davidson Street, while the overall shape of the Yunchino will remind you of the Ducati Scrambler.

• The small roller drum adds a unique touch to the design of this motorcycle.

The sleek LED tail lamp and indicators illuminate with new touches on the retro bike theme. The fuel tank tends to fit the teardrop-shaped seat which looks quite elegant. To be sure, the paint finish is the best we've seen on any Benelli motorcycle and gives Leoncino a great feel. The silver color perfectly combines with the classic look of the bike.

Then there is an overdose of black. The tubular steel frame, a tubular steel swingarm, thick suspension units, alloy wheels, and engine are immersed in black. All these black parts give this cute design a slightly sinister look.

I have to admit that I really like the short tail unit with its narrow LED tail lamp that mentions little Husqva
a Svartpilen 401. Even the round circular lamp matches well with the new retro attribute.

On the other hand, the key combination doesn't feel as good as the rest of the bike. It is the same as the one you find in other Benelis such as TRK 502, TNT 300 or TNT 600i. Then there is a packaging problem. For example, wires and cables that run along the motorcycle are not a conce
when viewed from afar, because of their color with black engine components. But look closely and you will realize that they are exposed. We really feel it should have been stored in a more elegant way, especially since it is supposed to be a distinctive (little) bike.

Work environment:

The 785mm seat height and the narrow width of the bike allow drivers from all heights to put their feet on the ground without any problem. Wide girder beams provide great stress to the heart of the bike, but its wide width can make it stretch to reach cyclists with shorter ends, especially when the handlebar is fully rotated on both sides. With a dry weight of up to 186 kg, Leoncino is not light in any way. Moving the bike in the car park requires a little effort, but it is still much easier than any of the other Benelli bikes.

What you will appreciate is the neutral location of the pilot rests. It is also relatively low, which should not be a nuisance when your feet need to reach the ground in forward-stopping traffic.

There is enough room to move in the seat and even the biggest cyclists will not complain about the lack of space. However, what they may complain about is that the driver's seat can feel difficult on long trips.

Technology and Features:

Leoncino has LED lighting all the time: lamp, taillight, and indicators. The backlight, in particular, looks great. However, when it comes to lighting, the front LED does not do a great job in road lighting. The low beam shot is extremely high, the diffusion is missing as well as the intensity.

Benelli Leoncino is equipped with a fully digital LCD kit. The design is ideally distributed with easily readable data in all lighting conditions. The amount of data is very limited because you don't get a blank space reading or distance calculator.

In terms of driver assistance, the Leoncino device contains only a dual-channel ABS but can be changed as standard. You can disable ABS interference on both wheels by pressing the small switch on the left mirror leg.

image source-YouTube

Engine Performance:

As described above, this is the same engine also found in the TRK 502 Adventure Tourer. The engine production remains the same, but Benelli has changed the gear wheel sizes, which gives Leoncino the shorter final ratios. This change was made to make Leoncino easier and faster to travel in the city compared to TRK stationed on the road.

Tu
the gorge firmly and Leoncino comes with a spring on his way. In isolation, the results of the accelerometer test indicate that Leoncino is a reasonably fast motorcycle. Given the strength and limited weight, it works well. However, the TRK 502 is the second fastest from zero to a hundred. The way a bison can overcome a puppy is an anomaly that is difficult to explain. In addition, accelerating the operation of both motorcycles is identical, which further exacerbates confusion, because we believe that the advantage of nearly 40 kg of Leoncino will help it to be more motivating. Our Leoncino test did not feel free to accelerate the TRK we tested in February 2019. Until we get more information from Benelli, we attribute this to a problem with our test bike.

However, in this real world, this problem is more academic than practical. There is enough barrel performance to keep you entertained, and even in the city, Leoncino can carry lower speeds at higher speeds than TRK. The bike can comfortably pull at a speed of 30 km / h in fifth gear, increasing speed quickly without vibration when you open the accelerator.

On the road, this engine is capable of supporting 120 km / h at sixth speed all day with a tachometer that indicates 6000 rpm. It has the ability to make speeds above 150 km / h, but lack of wind protection can deter you from carrying these speeds frequently. Reduce the speed to 100-120 kilometers per hour, and both the bike and the cyclist will be very comfortable.

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Another area where Leoncino does not reach TRK is fuel efficiency. The TRK felt stress-free at high road speeds, but at the same speeds, the Leoncino engine felt it was working harder. Fortunately, the engine feels almost smooth at most speeds. There is a small number of vibrations that creeps into the stirrups of 3,500 rpm. But you rarely notice them until revolutions increase much more. Even when this happens, they are not enough to tremble your feet after a long and quick jou
ey.

Gear changes in Leoncino slippery. However, there was a lot of play on the gear lever links on our test bike, and this requires more gear movement when climbing. Because of this, with the change from first to second speed, we often end up changing to neutrality. Also, without slipping and clutch assist, the clutch lever is too heavy to operate. Using it in stopping traffic ended up being a bit boring.

Fortunately, this puppy has a roar synonymous with Benelli motorcycles. It's loud and growls at over 4000 rpm. Although this bike is only compatible with BS4, we hope it will remain equally intact with the BS6 update.

Of all the Benellis mode
cars we have tried, Leoncino is undoubtedly the most fun to drive. Some components have a simple design, such as oversized tires or a huge 50mm front fork. While these options could have been more aesthetic than Benelli, they do a great job of making the bike feel composed by changing direction. It's not the fastest bike tilted in the co
ers, but the wide bars give it a big impact so no effort is required to do so. On a winding mountain road, you'll definitely love riding this little lion.

For driving quality, at slow speeds, the rear shock feels very tough on Leoncino. Drive on bad roads and you will definitely feel every hit on your way. Front more tolerant, soaking small things. But once the speed is increased, driving improves and the suspension reduces most road defects.

Leoncino has some high resistance braking equipment. It uses this kit well since Leoncino is a quick stopper. It stops about 2.5m from the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 at 100 km / h, and in the same test, it exceeds 3.5 meters less than the TRK 502. Compared with other Benellis, the braking response is really commendable, although we want it to be a little more consistent with the change in driving speed. ABS interference at low speeds should also be better. The system starts very early on loose surfaces this is not a problem when braking with a force of 80-85 km / h, which provides great stability.

Variables:

Benelli India decided to get the standard Leoncino variant only for India. Another slightly off-road version of the same bike is called the Leoncino Trail. The Trail leaves alloy wheels for a 19/17 inch spoke wheel and is fitted with knot tires. Benelli is unlikely to take this option to India in the short term.

Referee:

Leoncino is a very nice motorcycle. It looks great, looks better and pays better. The strict low-speed jou
ey will take some time to get used to, but it is definitely the best Benelli car on sale in India right now. This makes its initial price at 4.79 rupees really lakh. Yes, the Lion Cub certainly has a roar to match elegance and does enough to entice and keep the first buyer of big bikes happy, as long as buying a big bike will not tempt him towards Benelli in the first place.

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