Benelli Leoncino 250 review, road test

The smallest Leoncino in the Benelli line-up proves to be a very competent bike for the city streets.

Published on Jan 17, 2020 08:00:00 AM

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Narrow profile and wide handlebar gives you an agile riding experience.

Instrument cluster is a basic digital unit. Could do with a TFT dash.

Tail tidy gets a compact design, and is a neat aesthetic element.

The Leoncino 250 uses a steel trellis chassis, a 41 mm USD fork and a pre-load adjustable monoshock that work together to provide a rather sporty riding experience. Filtering through traffic comes naturally, given its compact proportions, and it manages to hold its own even at speed. While the performance it offers doesn’t necessarily require this, the grippy Metzeler M5s are certainly a welcome addition, and they inspire a great deal of confidence while cornering. With a kerb weight of 162kg, the 250 is also reasonably light and it feels that way too. Braking is handled by a 280mm disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear, and while it could do better in terms of feel, stopping potential is adequate and certainly one of the better ones in the segment.