Benelli Leoncino & TRK502

11th November 2016

500cc | Street | Adventure  | Specifications

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The Benelli Leoncino and TRK502 models are headed for production. The firm has just confirmed this fact at the 2016 EICMA show in Milan, Italy. Both bikes are based around Benelli's 46hp liquid-cooled, 4-valve-per-cylinder, DOHC 6-speed parallel twin motor.

The power is rated by the factory at 48hp (around 34kW) @ 8,500rpm. The torque is rated at 33lbs-ft (45Nm) @ 4,500rpm. The compression ratio is 11.5:1. Engine dimensions are 69mm bore x 66mm stroke. The fuel system is, of course, injection. ABS is standard for European bikes (we've no information on the rest of the world). And the motorcycles are Euro4 compliant.

The Leoncino is the "street scrambler" version, or so it was introduced in 2015. Today, it's variously described as merely "street" or "trail" and will be available with road tyres or off-road pluggers. The front fork on this bike is 50mm inverted (no travel details). Rear suspension is via a single shock absorber/damper adjustable for preload and rebound (also no travel details).

Wheels are 19-inch front and 17-inch rear (110/80-ZR19 & 150/70-ZR17 respectively. But note that we've got conflicting information on this aspect of the design; some sources are citing a 17-inch front wheel on the production bikes. So check around and see who you believe).

The dry weight is reckoned to be 374lbs (170kg), and the seat height is pegged at around 31-inches (787mm). If these two dimensions are correct, that should make it a bike suitable for the vast majority of riders (and we can see the vast majority of riders liking this one).

It's a good looking machine designed in Italy (by Centrostile) and manufactured in China (Benelli's parent company is the giant Qianjiang Group). The instruments, however, are basic.
 

The TRK502, meanwhile, is the adventure bike on-road or off-road option and features a 120/70-17 tyre up front and a 160/60-17 tyre at the rear (note that the off-road model has a 19-inch front wheel). Brakes are twin piston calipers at the business end with a 320mm disc. The rear caliper is also twin piston, but with a 260mm disc. Forks are inverted.

The weight is around 462lbs (210kg). The seat height is, according to Benelli, a lowly 32-inch (815mm). The ground clearance is 9-inches (230mm) which is a very respectable figure.

We think that both these models look pretty good, and there's something about a more modest 500cc engine, especially a twin, that appeals. Prices haven't yet been announced.

Check here for more on the Benelli Leoncino

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