Benelli Leoncino 250: Top 5 Highlights

Benelli has launched its new quarter-litre scrambler, the Leonino 250, in India. The motorcycle is the smaller version of the Leoncino 500 which was recently launched in the country. We had reported about its imminent launch this week and now that the bike is here, let’s take a look at the top five highlights of the motorcycle.

Styling similar to the Leoncino 500

In terms of design, the Leoncino 250 is nearly identical to its 500cc sibling. On contrary to the aggressive-looking street nakeds and fully-faired 250cc bikes, it features a retro styling inspired by Benelli’s Scramblers of the 50s and 60s. Exemplifying this is the lion cub emblem sitting proudly on the front fender, harking back to the Leoncino’s of the olden days. It features a round headlamp, single-piece flat handlebar, peanut-shaped fuel rank and a sleek tail section, all of which lend it a classic appeal. 

Most affordable Benelli in India

The Benelli TNT 300, with a price tag of Rs 3.05 lakhs, was previously the most affordable Benelli on sale in India. However, the Leoncino 250 now holds that tag with a pricing of Rs 2.50 lakhs (ex-showroom). The motorcycle comes to our shores as a CKD (Completely Knocked Down) model. While bookings have already commenced online and offline at all authorised dealerships at Rs 6,000, deliveries will start by the end of this month. 

Packs modern features

Despite sporting a retro design theme, the Leoncino 250 comes equipped with a set of modern features. The LED headlamp is accompanied by a distinctive-looking, horseshoe-shaped LED DRL. Besides that, oval shaped tail lamp and turn indicators are also LED. For displaying information, the baby Leoncino gets a rectangular, blue-backlit fully-digital instrument cluster which shows necessary data along with tell-tale lights.

Equipped with premium hardware

Benelli has bestowed the Leoncino 250 with premium components. The motorcycle is built around a tubular steel trellis frame which is suspended by 41mm upside down forks up front, instead of telescopic forks which come in most of the bikes in this segment. At the rear, the motorcycle features a preload-adjustable monoshock. Furthermore, braking hardware comprises of a 280 petal-shaped disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear while dual-channel ABS comes as standard. 

250cc motor shared with TNT 25

The Leoncino 250 is propelled by a 249cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC (dual overhead camshaft) motor with four-valves per cylinder. While the bike shares its engine with the now-discontinued TNT 25, it has been tuned differently for the Leoncino which produces 26.8bhp at 10,500rpm and 21Nm at 9,000 rpm. The engine comes mated to a six-speed gearbox.