Benelli Motorcycles' big-bore range now consists of three models with the announcement that the brand's popular LAMS Leoncino 500 is getting a big brother.
Expected to arrive in New Zealand dealers in the first half of 2022, the new Leoncino 800 is based around the firm's 754cc parallel twin that is also housed in the 752S and recently announced TRK 800. That means power to the tune of 76.2 HP (56 kW) at 8500 rpm and a max torque of 67 Nm at 6500 rpm.
The chassis is of a steel trellis design and is connected to the wheels via a Marzocchi 50mm fork with adjustable rebound, compression and preload. The rear suspension is a monoshock with rebound and spring preload adjustment. Benelli lists the weight of the Leoncino 800 in running order as 222kg, that's 15kg heavier than the LAMS Leoncino.
Stopping the 17-inch wheels in their tracks is a Brembo braking system. Up the front are dual 320 mm diameter semi-floating discs and four-piston radial-mounted calipers, while out the rear is a 260 mm diameter disc on the back with a double-piston calliper.
Styling-wise, the 800 follows the 500 with a very similar aesthetic with sharper edges and a revised LED headlight that is more of an oval than the circular unit of the 500. One design cue that remains (as it should) is the addition of the little lion mascot on the front mudguard.
While the LAMS Leoncino falls a bit flat with its now dated-looking dash, the 800 brings to the fore a full TFT display to keep the rider informed.
Benelli hasn't given details on what other tech will be available with the Leoncino 800 other than ABS braking, but we'd hope that with a TFT display that we'll see some more upmarket features announced before the bikes arrive next year.
There's also no word on whether we will also see an X model with a more scrambler vibe, but as we didn't see the 500X until a year after the launch of the LAMS Leoncino it is too early to say whether the 800 will follow suit.