India-bound Benelli Leoncino 800 and Leoncino 800 Trail unveiled
The middle-weight motorcycle segment has been seeing a lot of traction lately with manufacturers like Triumph and Ducati unveiling their latest in this space. And now Italian motorcycle manufacturer Benelli has unveiled the new-gen Leoncino 800 in both regular and trail versions, called the Leoncino 800 and the Leoncino 800 Trail. While Benelli India has the Imperiale 400 as its only BS6 offering for now, which will be joined by the TRK tourers in the coming months, we believe the company will also bring the Leoncino 800 and the Leoncino 800 Trail to the country sometime later next year.
In terms of design and features, the 2021 Leoncino 800 continues to have the Lion mascot on the front fender, which has always been the case with the Leoncion models, case in point the Leoncino 250 that was on sale in India. The LED headlight and the fuel tank design look distinct compared to what we have often seen on the Leoncino range. The overall design has a nice mix of retro paired with modern elements, which gives the motorcycle an attractive overall design. Underpinning the Leoncino 800 is a tubular trellis frame with golden 50mm Marzocchi upside-down forks on the front with adjustable rebound and compression as well as an adjustable mono-shock at the rear. To differentiate the Leoncino 800 Trail, this one gets a larger 19-inch front with Marzocchi suspension at front and rear, also gets a taller seat height and knobby tyres.
Powering the Leoncion 800 is a EuroV and BSVI compliant liquid-cooled 754cc parallel-twin engine that makes 77PS of power and generates 69Nm of torque, mated to a six-speed gearbox with slipper assist clutch. While there are no confirmations from Benelli India if it is planning to launch these middleweight twins in the country, they should arrive in 2021 and compete with the likes of the Triumph Bonneville Scrambler and the Ducati Scrambler.
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