Quick Spin: Benelli Leoncino 125

Andy Bell tell us us why this nippy 125, with an all-terrain outlook, deserves to be on your radar.

What is it?

Few modern 125cc motorbikes can boast being descended from such a rich pedigree, but Benelli added the Leoncino 125 to its existing range of motorbikes in 2022, which already includes two other 125cc machines. The name can be traced back to the early 50s when Benelli first used the name Leoncino for a former 125cc which proved to be a massive success for the Italian firm.

Although today Benelli may be owned by a Chinese company, Qianjiang Motorcycle, the design of this motorbike is very much Italian and includes a respectful nod to the model that started it all, carrying over its contemporary character to produce a bike for those new to riding but wanting something a bit special.

Talking the torque

The beating heart of the Leoncino 125 is a single-cylinder four-stroke liquid-cooled 125cc engine. This engine was introduced in 2022 and has a power output of 12.8bhp (9.4 kW) at 9500 rpm and 10 Nm of torque at 8500 rpm, and is mounted inside a black steel trellis frame which integrates perfectly with the bike’s design.

The suspension looks quite tasty for a lower priced bike with 53mm upside-down forks up front and a glossy black monoshock at the rear. Wavy brake discs at both ends hint towards a sporty look for this naked machine.

Keeping things up to date while still having one hand on the past, the lights are LED all-round with the sophisticated round headlight receiving quite a distinctive shape and the indicators having clear lenses for a discrete presence when not in use.

Cracking on…

I must start with the retro inspired looks, not because I have an arm twisted behind my back, but this is an area that allows the Leoncino to stand apart from its 125 competitors. The words “Designed in Italy” are displayed quite prominently on the sides of the fuel tank with the name Leoncino visible from just about any angle you look at the bike, appearing quite proudly on the seat unit, the headlight and the wheel decals.

The model I had to try out was in Matt White but as you can see from the photos, the majority of the bike is black with a splash of white on the front mudguard and the sides of the tank. The little yellow flashes of decals on the wheels and bodywork really pop out to add more interest. Just to note here, the other colour options include Matt Grey, Forest Green and Lava Red.

Although there is more to be said about the design features I must move on to other aspects of the bike as after all, it is to be ridden, and I set about this with a mindset as if I was looking at a potential first bike for someone. I am unfortunately going to start with a flaw as the first thing I noticed was that the side stand is a bit too long meaning that when down, the bike sits very upright. This may not be a massive problem, but I know from bikes I have had in the past, this is something annoying to live with and parking up takes a little more consideration.

Moving onwards though, the engine had quite a bit of go for a 125. First gear was a bit short, having me knock it up into second gear quite soon after setting off but with a six-speed gear box there is enough of them to go at. Towards the top end of the bike’s potential speed, there was still enough pull to allow overtakes with confidence when needed, which is where some smaller capacity bikes can have the rider sitting behind traffic at 50mph in fear of running out of steam when pulling alongside slower moving cars. The grunty engine noise combined with the exhaust note gives off quite a satisfying bark through the whole rev range and not just when accelerating hard.

When it comes to comfort, I was trying hard not to focus on the wooden feel from the seat or the vibrations that came through it, but I couldn’t be in denial for too long as it is something that is always present and there was no escaping the fact. I did also feel that my feet were a little too high and rearwards on the pegs for my liking, for a bike that isn’t built for the racetrack but when I came to some twisty sections of road, the pegs did provide more than adequate amounts of clearance from the road.

Although the display is not anything flashy to shout about, the LCD screen shows all the important information in a clear layout. At this point I did look back on my days with my first 125cc motorbike and when I remove the rose-tinted glasses, I remember like many other riders, that we didn’t have the luxury back then of a digital fuel guage or gear readout that appears almost as a standard function nowadays.

The single disc brake on the front wheel had more than enough force to pull both bike and myself to a stop when needed which is in no small part due to the lightweight nature of the bike, (maybe not the same can be said of myself) but also due to the fact that the single caliper benefits from a three-piston set up to squeeze the 280mm wavy disc.

With the brakes performing so well, this did highlight a slight problem with the front suspension which didn’t feel to have quite enough support to prevent the forks from compressing too much when anchoring up with conviction. To be fair, the suspension overall was doing a great job to say they are naturally built with a limited budget to keep the bikes costs low and under general riding they offered more confidence than I expected from such a set up and this issue was apparent only when braking hard.

Worth a punt?

It’s clear just by seeing the bike in either photos or in the flesh that the Leoncino can stand out from its peers in styling alone. Should a new rider be looking for a bike to complement their personality which has many aspects to discuss with fellow bikers regarding its retro looks, or whether they are looking for something with confidence inspiring abilities, then the Leoncino delivers on both accounts. The engine performance, handling and brakes are great for a 125cc bike, and that is without considering the low cost of such a machine. The lack of comfort from the seat and the long side stand would be an issue to live with but then I wouldn’t own this for them factors if I was starting my biking life from scratch, I would be buying this for the statement it makes and the performance it offers.