Benelli Leoncino 250: All You Need To Know

Benelli’s baby Leoncino has made its way to our shores, but does it pack enough to make you stand up and take notice? 

As if one Leoncino wasn’t enough, Benelli has now added one more to its India portfolio. No, it’s not the recently spotted Leoncino 800. Instead, it’s the baby lion of the family - the Leoncino 250. So, if you’re planning to get a baby Italian scrambler, here’s everything you need to know. 

It looks ace!

Italians, as you know, have superior expertise when it comes to designing a motorcycle. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a big 1000cc monster or something as small as the Leoncino 250. The entry-level Benelli motorcycle follows the same neo-retro design philosophy as its bigger cousin, the Leoncino 500. Where the 500cc models get a more mature paint scheme with dark red and grey, the Leoncino 250 comes with vibrant paint options: white, anthracite, red and brown. 

It packs a powerful motor

Powering the baby Leoncino is a single-cylinder 249cc motor paired with a 6-speed gearbox. This powerplant belts out 25.8PS and 21.2Nm. These figures might seem a bit too low, but they aren’t! The 250cc scrambler puts out more power than the Yamaha FZ25 and the Honda CBR250R. Moreover, we are pretty sure that the Leoncino will have a more throaty exhaust note compared to the other 250cc motorcycles out there.

It gets sophisticated cycle parts

The upcoming entry-level Benelli comes equipped with a single 280mm disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear, with dual-channel ABS offered as a standard fitment. Suspension duties are handled by a chunky 41mm upside-down fork and a rear monoshock. The Leoncino 250 has a ground clearance of 170mm, which should be enough to save your bike’s underbelly. 

It is the most affordable scrambler in India! 

We have sport nakeds, fully faired bikes and cruisers in the sub-300cc category. What we were missing was a proper scrambler, even if it was meant to stick to tarmac only, to shake things up. Yes, we have the FB Mondial HPS 300, but thanks to its exorbitant price tag of Rs 3.37 lakh (ex-showroom), it didn’t strike a chord with the masses. Whereas the Leoncino 250 is expected to be priced at around Rs 2.2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh, making it a lot cheaper than the HPS 300! However, it is still fairly expensive for a 250cc motorcycle as nearly all of its rivals are significantly more affordable. Bookings for the bike have already commenced and those interested can book their Leoncino 250 for a token amount of Rs 6,000.