Benelli Leoncino 500cc motorcycle launch confirmed for February 2018

DSK Benelli will launch a new naked bike in India by February 2018. The bike will be called the Leoncino, and it will feature retro styling and a twin cylinder four stroke engine. The bike is being homologated at ARAI and will soon be ready for a commercial launch. The launch is expected to happen at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo, an event where the entire Indian media’s attention will be on new cars and bikes.

The bike will be assembled at DSK-Benelli’s factory in Maharashtra through completely knocked down (CKD) kits. This will allow the brand to price the Leoncino competitively. The price of the bike is expected to be under Rs. 4.5 lakhs, and is will undercut the Harley Davidson Street 750 V-Twin. The Leoncino will be sold as a retro naked meant mainly for street riding. The off road spec version won’t be launched in India due to poor demand for such bikes.

The Leoncino’s 500cc engine will feature a parallel twin layout. It will produce a peak power of 49.6 Bhp at 8,500rpm and a peak torque of 45Nm at 5,000rpm. The engine will feature four valve heads, liquid cooling, fuel injection and a wet clutch. The transmission will be a 6 speed manual unit. The bike will have disc brakes on both its 17 inch wheels fitted with tubeless tyres. ABS will be standard.

The suspension will consist of 50mm USD forks in the front and an adjustable monoshock at the rear. Even shorter riders will find the bike easy to ride because of the low seat height of 785mm. The 145mm ground clearance will give it adequate room to clear potholes and speed breakers commonly found on Indian roads. The bike will weigh 207 Kgs, and newer riders will need some time to get used to its weight.