Benelli India teases new motorcycle - is it the Leoncino 500?

Team OD Updated: October 01, 2019, 10:16 AM IST

Benelli India has been hinting at the launch of a new motorcycle with teasers on their social network handle. If rumours are to be believed, Benelli could bring in the Leoncino 500 to the Indian market in the coming months.

The Benelli Leoncino 500 internationally gets two variants. One is the standard, and the other being the Trail. As the name suggests, the Benelli Leoncino Trail is the more off-road focused version of the two, which is unlikely to be brought in the country.

Benelli Lenocino 500 OVERDRIVE A screen grab of Benelli's social network handle teasing the new motorcycle

Expect the Benelli Leoncino 500, the more road-biased version to be offered, and the motorcycle will be positioned below the TRK 502. Expect the pricing to be between Rs 4.4.5 lakh ex-showroom India. When brought to India, the bike will rival the Kawasaki Z650 and the CFMoto 650NK.

Benelli Lenocino 500 OVERDRIVE The image of the intentional spec Benelli Leoncino, India spec may differ.

The Leoncino is a street naked motorcycle and gets traditional styling attributes. A projector headlamp unit upfront. The bike also features a metal ornament in the form of a Lion on the front fender to indicate its the name means. The instrument cluster is all-digital and is designed in a pod style. Also, the handlebar is low and the tail section sees minimum body panels.

Benelli Lenocino 500 OVERDRIVE The metal ornament on the front fender of the Leoncino

The engine is a 500cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled unit that churns out 47.5PS at 8,500rpm and 45Nm of torque at 5,000rpm. The gearbox on offer is a six-speed unit. Other cycle parts include a 320mm twin-disc-setup int he front and a 260mm disc in the rear with ABS (Antilock Braking system). The bike gets beefy 50mm front USD(upside down forks) and an adjustable shock absorber in the rear.