2021 Benelli Leoncino Review | Rider Magazine
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
- We ride the 2021 Benelli Leoncino, the historic Italian brand's latest middleweight roadster aimed at entry-level and intermediate riders with its affordable price of $6,199. If that isn't enough, the attractive Italian styling and high-quality paint finishes may pique your interest.
Powering the Benelli Leoncino is a fun 500cc parallel-twin engine equipped with a smooth 6-speed gearbox, offering an approachable level of performance that is accommodating for new and veteran riders alike. Thanks to its tractable power delivery, riders can zip around the streets, canyons or freeways with total confidence.
The stout and stable chassis of the Leoncino is another confidence boosting aspect that new riders will surely appreciate. Equipped with a 50mm USD fork featuring rebound damping adjustment and a shock with a remote preload adjuster and rebound damping, the Leoncino's chassis is taut, making it poised in the canyons and trades some agility for pure stability.
New riders and those with shorter inseams will appreciate the Leoncino's low 30.9-inch seat height, which will allow anyone sat behind its wide handlebar to plant their boots firmly on the deck.
Braking duties are handled by Benelli-branded 4-piston calipers and sizable 320mm rotors that have plenty of stopping power. In the rear, a 2-piston caliper and 260 rotor work well for adjusting lines or low speed maneuvers. Switchable ABS is standard.
All in all, the 2021 Benelli Leoncino is offers great value without too many downsides. Road Test Editor Nic de Sena put the "little lion" through its paces to bring us this review!
Have any questions about the 2021 Benelli Leoncino? Drop them down below!
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Looking at the comments, perhaps it needs to be mentioned that all bikes dyno HP is less than stated HP on any make or model. It seems several of the commenters don't realize how all brands use engine hp not "To he wheel" hp. Maybe mention this in future videos? It seems people think the brand is being dishonest, when in fact your find this same discrepancy on all major brands. I did see you spelled that out below. Anyway cheers and safe riding all.
good review .I purchased a Trail version last year. Love it, handles better than most of the 28 bikes I have owned in 40 years . No problems with gear selector . After 1500 miles suspension got a bit softer which helped over bumpy roads although rear shock could be on the shopping list.
It does have a great power delivery ,always fun and does not seam lacking in power on A and B roads in Devon after my Ktm 1050 . Fuel efficient 70 MPG and comfortable Highly recommended
.
Hi there, I'm thinking about getting the Trail version myself in a month or so. Have you been on M roads with it much? Done much off-roading?
Sorry, you're a bit nuts talking about the shifter. It's the smoothest, most positive shifting transmission of any bike I've ever owned. Nothing I own is so easy to find neutral. There are real replaceable heim joints on the shifter mechanism and I've never once missed a shift. I can't even say that about my 2017 Yamaha SCR950. What you didn't even touch on is the poor gas mileage (I'm getting 40mpg, but my bike isn't fully broken in yet), the wildly inaccurate speedometer (which fortunately can be reprogrammed to display the correct speed), or how wonderfully smooth the motor is at highway speeds. A solid mention of the Trail version, with taller suspension and wire wheels should have been important too. Just like the article in Rider, this video is less than half the story about the bike.
Hi; how can you reset the speedometer?
I enjoy the way you explain the bike, very conversational and informative.
Very impressive lean angles at the photo gallery! Congratulations! 🤓💪
The 360 degree crank is unique. Both pistons go up and down at the same time. So it has good torque, and the ability of higher rev's at the same time. Best of both single and twin cylinder motors. I am really thinking of buying this bike.
Fantastic review. Subscribed.
Thanks for the review! I’m leaning more towards the trail version. Are the differences significant? I plan to buy my first bike hopefully within the next few months, depending on availability. I’ve narrowed it down to this trail version and the Husqavarna Svartpillen 401. Seems like you get a bit more bang for your buck with the Svartpillen (slightly), but with a smaller engine. But also a smaller price tag. Those are the two major trade offs as far I can tell from my research. Love them both. Open question to all : If you had to choose, which would you choose and why? I should say I live in a highly congested metropolitan city on the east coast of the US (not much highway driving, but some). Streets vary from smooth, to cobblestone, to land mines disguised as potholes. Thanks to all that reply!
Hi i’m on the same boat i spotted a Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 on campus the other day and have been researching some of its competitors. Somethings about me i’m at 5’2 female and will be mostly using the bike for commuting and getting around campus! I’d love some input from y’all. (this will be my first bike)
Looks beautiful
Nice video👍. Does benelli leoncino 500 have cornering ABS?
I ride a European Spec 2019 Leoncino 500 I bought new 2 years ago here in Israel. It had no issues at all and I even took a 700km trip from Tel Aviv to Eilat last July through the hot Arava desert and bike did it with no effort. I didn't know they sell these in the USA. Well done Benelli, well done. I'm waiting for the new Leoncino 800 to arrive 🤠
Do u still have the bike? How far have u taken it?
@@ilhamsabirin4673 I do have it. It can go about 25km/L and the tank is 14L.
@@Niro.C nice.. what things u like and u don't like about the bike?
@@ilhamsabirin4673 great design, good materials, good brakes, great sound, good power delivery, reliable bike. I don't like that it is a heavy bike for a 500cc bike (208km) and only 14L fuel tank.
@@Niro.C alrite.. u do get 25km/l when riding it hard? How much do u get when riding normally?
what do you think about engine?is this for long therm use?
Legal demais👍
Good review and pretty accurate. These bikes are built principally for India based consumers where the market is vast. The poor roads out there mean the bikes must be over built to survive. Benelli will hopefully get a handle on the weight of their bikes as they are just too heavy for the European market in the long term. Price will get you in the door, but interest will soon wain in the brand, if they continue building "Over weight, heavily constructed" machines. (I believe the swing arm on the TRK 502 is going to be alloy in 2023.)
Ill be buying my first bike in april or may. I took a seat on one of these a few weeks ago, and I'm uncertain at 6'3 (mostly legs and arms). A little cramped from the knee down with a bit more agressive of a riding position. Handlebar width was nice though. Also, concerned about selling if I decide to upgrade down the road. I'll come back to this post at the end of summer if I decide to go for it.
Hey Nick,
Taller riders like yourself may feel a little cramped on roadsters of this size, although I still think it could be workable. It is something to consider because I stand at 5'10'' and my experience won't translate directly to yours.
My suggestion would be to start looking at motorcycles in the dual-sport and ADV category, mainly because they often feature taller seat heights and are more accommodating to riders of your size.
Hope this helps,
- Nic
@@RiderMagazine Thanks! I've still got it in mind. I also sat on the TRK502, and that was much more comfortable. Quite top heavy, though. I've still got time to do some sitting around, but the price points Benelli offers are rather tempting.
Thanks again!
Please review benelli trk 502
This 2021-2024
Smash Hit: The Rider
2021 Benelli Leoncino Review | Rider Magazine
Great information and presentation, could really use a quick edit or re-take at 3:50 though, I think my ears are bleeding 😬
Is the motorcycle easily customizable? Like are parts compatible to it readily available and such? Newb here.
Hey Mark,
That's a great question! Doing a little bit of research, it seems that there are several accessories available from Benelli like luggage options, luggage racks, windscreens, footpegs, mirrors and even a slip-on exhaust muffler. Check out the official Benelli Moto Shop for those.
There also appears to be a decent amount of aftermarket support for the Leoncino, with parts available through major motorcycle retailers.
Hope this helps,
- Nic
@@RiderMagazine Thanks for the reply! Very informative :)
There are TONS of parts on aliexpress.com. I picked up leather bags on quick-release mounts, a skid plate, adjustable levers, a tail tidy, a midpipe to replace the SUPER heavy collector (13 pounds!), euro-spec front turn signals (the US-spec have really long stems and bounce around stupidly), a Givi Tanklock ring, a luggage rack, OEM hand guards, and more. There are also several different types of crash bars, a metal countershaft sprocket cover (instead of plastic), windshields, and little aluminum covers for key parts like the rear master cylinder and the sidestand safety switch. Everything is very inexpensive, you just have to wait a month to receive it. (Most of that is customs and current USPS backlog)
Nice review.. according to some reviewers this bike pulls like it's bigger than 500cc.. do u agree?
Just bought one and yes, torquey motor.
@@GrimYak alrite.. What is your favourite things about the bike?
Depends on the 500. A 1984 VF500F Interceptor or VF500C Magna? No. But it's got more grunt than a 2002 Honda 750 Shadow. It's about equally matched to the CB500X. More low end and less top end than the CB500X
It’s torquey for sure, similar power curve to a MT07, just less power everywhere. I own one a 2022 Trail model and in my opinion a Ninja 400 feels a fair bit quicker, especially at higher speeds where it definitely has a major acceleration advantage. The Benelli is definitely a little more torque first, the Ninja is a little more of a high rpm screamer. Past 80 mph the Ninja pulls quite a bit harder, below that they are fairly similar. The Ninja also weighs 100 lbs less then the trail model and dyno’s 7 more whp…
I think this looks promising. It does need to lose weight but it's the best sounding parrallel twin to date. Does it have a 180 or 270 degree crank?
Found it. It's a 360 degree crank like the BMW F series. Very interesting!
I weighed my Leoncino Trail, and it came in at 447 pounds with an almost-empty gas tank. I started messing around, and found that the exhaust collector alone is 13 pounds. The hugger fender plate mount thingy is 3. A $25 tail tidy and a $60 midpipe saves 15+ pounds. You'll save even more if you replace the stock muffler, but it'll be REALLY loud. It's loud enough with the collector out of the picture.
@@ChopperCharles that’s great info, thank you. It’s been about 3 months since your post, have you found any additional areas to trim down any more weight?
@@benvernick You know, I haven’t at all. I’ve just been riding the bike and enjoying it. I’ve got 5000 miles on it now and have taken it some really gnarly places. Yes it’s heavy, but it’s tourquey and fun and I love it. I’m really glad i bought it..
@@ChopperCharles what tail tidy did you use if you don’t mind? I have an RE Himalayan 400 and had to modify the tail section on mine to get rid of their terrible plastic fender, but had planned on making the bike a scrambler anyway. Didn’t know if a universal worked or if they made one for it
@@adamdowns3075 I got a tail tidy made specifically for the Leoncino. It's all over eBay. Took a while to receive but it works great.
Would you recommend this as an starter bike? I will still be learning to ride a motorcycle the first time?
Not unless you're very tall. It's slightly tall and slightly heavy. I'd start with something lighter, yet still a full-sized motorcycle. Like the benelli 302S or the Honda Rebel 300. The Benelli 302S is a wonderful bike, it's not teeny tiny like the 300 ninja and cbr. Makes a great noise going down the road too.
@@ChopperCharles , thank you.
@Gibbon , thanks
Leoncino owner here since March of last year. Bike is good in terms of power but some issues are there 1) Engine cuts off sometimes when downshifting coming from high RPM or going down hill 2) switches fail sometimes, may be due to moisture going in and rusting the contacts, pressing the buttons again will resolve. WD40 may prevent this in the future. 3) had an instance where the digital display cluster broke, its like when a calculator screen breaks and only portions of the numbers are showing? ganun. good thing is bumalik din, my theory is again moisture kasi i have been riding this thing in the rain of washing it 4) Rust, rust, rust. The frame is mostly steel not an alloy to save cost. and you will notice rust forming in some expose areas soon. There is an area where the rear brake line rubbed against the swingarm and exposing metal and it rusted. Had to sand the part and repaint it to prevent it from rusting further. the rear view mirrors are also rusted and paint starting from the thread are already bubbling up due to rust 5) aluminum corrosion, not sure what type of aluminum they are using but it is certainly low grade. Foot pegs both the rider and the passenger are already showing signs of corrosion same with the brake master cylinder and some aluminum parts. I am concerned about engine parts as it is too aluminum. 6) Chain, the chain rusts very quickly, I am very particular in my maintenance but still could not prevent it. Maybe i just need to replace it with a better one 6) Brake discs rust very quickly too, some of it went to the fork stanchions which i had to clean quickly so the stanchions dont rust.
All in all, if i had to go back in time I would not buy this bike. Good looking for sure and engine is very capable, sadly the parts around it are not up to par with other makers. You will be best served by buying something like the XSR 700 for not a whole lot more money.
Spamming in every leoncino videos you need to find a better garage lol
Does the 2021 model come with traction control?
Was wondering the same. Don’t see anything on the spec sheet. ABS seems to be about it when it comes to electronic safety systems. Cost cutting I’m sure.
Traction control is useless with such hp
Hi there,
i live in Italy and want to buy the "Trail" Leoncino . They say it has higher ground clearance than the one you just tested. I'm 1.71m (5.73) do you think i'll have a problem touching ?
Hello! If you mean the bike might be too high for you - it depends on how you stop. I'm 173cm, and can't put both feet flat to the ground. But I don't think it's a problem - while stop - just put your left feet on the ground, and the right one on the rear break, and you will feel stable.
What's your inseam? I have a 30" inseam and have no problems with the stock Leoncino Trail. I even put on a taller seat for more comfort on the road. (But I'm fat and just didn't fit between the tank and the hump well. If you're normal weight you'll like the seat just fine)
@@ChopperCharles thanx, i got the bike and no problem . I lowered the front.
Wait a minute, you're telling me that the Leoncino is available in the U.S.?
I've seen em listed at local dealers on cycle trader 🤷♂️. Haven't gone to look at one yet tho
@@chrischilleen5131 what are you waiting for, GO!!
Perhaps you are getting it slightly detuned in america. I bought the leoncino in bangkok and did a base line dyno run it gave us 42.5hp.
After full system exhaust, new air filter, custom ecu map we got got 49.5hp.
We did quite a bit of weight reduction as well..and went for a different chain sprocket setup.
Altitude might have something to do with it too.
After all the modification does the performance increase a lot?
@@ilhamsabirin4673 we got 20% gain in midrange for sure. At 100% throttle the power is restricted to 81% we removed that restriction as well
@@expatmotobkk33 that a lot.. so what things u like and u don't like about the bike?
@@ilhamsabirin4673 the bike is pretty solid.. best brakes in the category, nothing really to complain about..
My only gripe is that its heavier than it should be..190kg wet weight would be perfect for this bike.
Correction 48
Hi Shawnpenn,
48 horsepower is what Benelli claims that the engine produces. Unless stated otherwise, manufacturers are typically measuring peak performance of an engine at the crank, which doesn't account for 10-15% power loss through the drivetrain.
We tested the TRK502X, which uses the same engine as the Leoncino, on the dyno and it put down 38 horsepower at the rear wheel.
Peak performance numbers reported by the manufacturer are always a good reference point. However, you won't know what is really being put down to the road until you take a measurement at the rear wheel.
Take care!
- Nic
so, how good is this for tall riders, like 6+ feet?
Hey Shantanu,
Taller riders might feel a little cramped on the Leoncino because of its shorter stature and tighter rider triangle. I think it'd be workable, depending on the rider, but it's comfort is something that I strongly encourage everyone to check at the dealer.
Take care!
- Nic
@@RiderMagazine Tighter rider triangle? Maybe tighter than an SCR950, but the Leoncino has nice low footpegs and there are several taller seats available for it if you want a little more legroom. I had to put risers on my bike because my arms were too short, so as a tall person you might enjoy the stock bar position a lot more than I did.
Is 800 cc??? No 500, see it after time
Nice review.
Now that all the other monthly print magazines are gone..
How about 1/4 mile and other performance testing?
Oh and please for the love of God, don't you ever make me look in my mailbox and not have my print copy of Rider.
RIP Cycle, Motorcyclist, Cycle World, Cycle Guide, Motorcycle Cruiser, Motorcycle Consumer News and Sportbike.
Seriously, I miss the days when EVERYTHING had quarter mile times printed in the magazine.
@@ChopperCharles
Me too my friend.
How else can you compare performance??
38 hp? Benelli spec sheets says 48. Can it be that they are that optimistic about the power of this bike?
Hi Francesco,
There is always a discrepancy between the manufacturer claimed power figures and what is measured on a dyno. Unless the manufacturer states otherwise, almost all peak horsepower and torque figures are measured at the crank, which doesn't account for the roughly 10-15% of power loss through the drivetrain.
We measure the performance of our test bikes using a dynamometer or "dyno", which gives us horsepower and torque figures produced the rear-wheel. Ultimately, those numbers hold more relevance because they represent what what is being put down to the ground.
As mentioned before, you can always expect a 10-15% loss in power through the drivetrain (output shaft, chain, wheel, shaftdrive, etc.), and it's important to remember that this is not a fixed number. Different drivetrain designs will impact this in different ways.
38 horsepower is a little outside the 15% rule, but I wouldn't consider that to be an outlier, either.
That said, dyno numbers are only one part of the story and what's more important is how the horsepower is being applied. In this case, the 38 horsepower the Leoncino has on tap is more than ample for its purpose.
Take care,
- Nic
@@RiderMagazine
Hi Nic, thanks a lot for your informative response.
I was a little bit disappointed when I saw your video because in Italy, for 2000 euro less than the leoncino, you can get the Benelli 302s with 38 HP for 3990 euro. But then I suppose the 302 would have the same discrepancy with the manufacture's spec sheet.
@@francesco6075 I've ridden the TNT300 (the precursor to the 302S) and the Leoncino Trail so I can give some insight on this. The two bikes make power very differently. The 302S has little power down low, but starts screaming and pulling strongly through the upper rpm range. The Leoncino has lots of low down torque, and a wonderful midrange, which makes it a great roadster and scrambler. But it runs out of steam around 6500rpm, redlining at 8000. The TNT300 and 302S don't even start making real power until 8000rpm and it redlines at 12k. The TNT300/302S is a great bike, but it's a more frantic, sporty riding style than the Leoncino. You'll be constantly shifting to keep in the 8000-12000rpm power band, where the Leoncino has a lot more torque and doesn't require as much sawing of the shift lever. The TNT/302S doesn't have as much suspension and the seating position is not really set up for standing and riding it like a scrambler. The Leoncino is -- especially the Trail version. The two bikes are really nothing at all alike in terms of power delivery and ergonomics, even if their top speeds are actually pretty similar. The TNT300 and 302S are definitely slower though.
374.8 pounds it weighs.
He got that bit wrong but the overall review is good.
Hi Ivan,
We weighed our test bike on our shop scale and the wet weight came out to 460 pounds. The number you appear to be citing is a "dry weight," meaning that the bike is missing fuel, oil, fluid, etc.
Take care,
- Nic
@@RiderMagazine I weighed my Leoncino Trail with an almost-empty tank of gas, and got 447 pounds.
Should have initially entered the U.S. market @ $5k, to get a following. They are too close to the cost of better bikes.
This bike has a lot of problems right out of the show room that no one in these reviews mentions. Go to a Benelli forum and you will see the same complaints from numerous owners with no real fixes. This bike has a lot going for it, but get ready to problem solve for a few months.
Users of the motorcycle are writing, many of them from a long time ago, and their comments are good, I have it and that motorcycle is wonderful. You who are not a user disqualify it, who do we believe?
Svartpilen 401 is a much better buy.
Try riding the svart more than 20 miles at a time and see how you like it then. And they can't seem to sell any. Tells you a lot.
i heard that nuts will be lost after thousand of mile. be careful
Hey Mi,
We put a fair amount of mileage on our test unit and didn't experience any issues. Of course, that's one specific example and we always recommend that riders do their due diligence when it comes to routine maintenance.
Take care!
- Nic
Have done 30,000 klms on a Leonchino, mostly in the mountainous regions of Thailand. No problems, very impressed. Great value for money.
Bad bike.
Mine broke after a short time and continued to do so, had to deliver it back to dealer. Dont buy
No I associate Benelli with shotguns
أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِن مَّتَّعْنَاهُمْ سِنِينَ (٢٠٥) ثُمَّ جَاءَهُم مَّا كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ (٢٠٦) مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يُمَتَّعُونَ (٢٠٧) الشعراء
Then have you considered if We gave them enjoyment for years, And then there came to them that which they were promised?
They would not be availed by the enjoyment with which they were provided. (Quran 26 :205-207)
Wasted my 7min and 15sec