BMW R 1150 GS Adventure versus Benelli Leoncino 500

BMW R 1150 GS Adventure

Adventure

Benelli Leoncino 500

Naked

In our series of used motorcycle tests, a classic is due today: The BMW R 1150 GS. The bike was provided to us by a visitor, it is in absolute top condition. This GS series was built between 1999 and 2003 – what can it do today... weiter

BMW R 1150 GS

Gallery

What can the 48 hp retro naked bike in Italo design do?

The Benelli Leoncino 500 is an A2 bike in retro scrambler design. There are not many of this type of motorcycles and certainly not for less than 6,000 euros. We have the bike designed in Italy and manufactured in China under the wheels... weiter

Benelli Leoncino 500 im Test

Gallery

Year of construction / RRP / Test report

Built von 2005 bis 2005

Built von 2018 bis 2025~

RRP

RRP 6.249 €

Ausführliches Test-Video von Motorradtest.de

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Competitors

Pros:

Comfort
Processing
Off-road capability

Pros:

manoeuvrable and bustling bike
easy to use
comfortable upright sitting position
You don't need an instruction manual

Cons:

High weight

Cons:

starts only when idle
Sound could be better
Bench a bit tight

Dimensions & Weight

Wheelbase: 1.501 mm
Length : 2.180 mm
Seat : 900 mm
Weight : 287 (max: 460 ) kg

Wheelbase: 1.460 mm
Length : 2.160 mm Height : 1.160 mm
Seat : 815 mm
Weight : 207 (max: 397 ) kg

Engine

Motor design: Boxer 4-stroke 2 Cylinder
Displacement: 1.130 ccm
Hub: 71 mm
Hole: 101 mm
Cooling: Öl-Luft
Drive: Kardan
Aisles: 6

Motor design: R2 cylinder, 4 valves/cylinder, 4-stroke 2 Cylinder
Displacement: 500 ccm
Hub: 67 mm
Hole: 69 mm
Cooling: flüssig
Drive: Kette
Aisles: 6

Performance

Maximum speed: 192 km/h
Performance: 85 HP at 6.750 U/Min
Torque: 98 NM bei 5.250 U/Min

Tank contents: 22 Litre
Consumption: 5 l

Performance: 48 HP at 8.500 U/Min
Torque: 46 NM bei 6.000 U/Min

Tank contents: 13 Litre
Consumption: 4 l
Reach: 302 km

Chassis

Frame type:
Tubular space frame (steel)

Front suspension:
Telelever (travel 210 mm)

Rear suspension:
Central strut (travel 220 mm)
Rear suspension:
Paralever single-arm swingarm

Tyres at the front: 110/80 B 19 TL
Rear tyres: 150/70 H 17 TL

Frame type:
Tubular space frame (steel)

Front suspension:
adjustable upside down fork Ø 50mm (travel 125 mm)

Rear suspension:
adjustable central strut (travel 128 mm)
Rear suspension:
Double tube profile swingarm

Tyres at the front: 120/70 - 17
Rear tyres: 160/60 - 17

Brakes

Front brake
Double disc brakes (∅ 305 mm) Rear brake
Single disc (∅ 276 mm)

Front brake
2 floating brake discs with 4 piston radial brake calipers and ABS (∅ 320 mm) Rear brake
Single disc (∅ 260 mm)

Cheap never, well mostly

MW driving has never been a particularly cheap pleasure. Although many specimens are around 20 years old and have collected correspondingly many kilometers, these GS are still not a bargain. It must be at least 5,000 euros, top-maintained specimens like our test bike like to scratch at the five-digit. You can understand this: The BMW R 1150 GS, if you don't catch a rocked-out model, is an almost ideal companion for the very big tour.

If you can do without cornering and agility, the GS is the ideal travel moped, where the road can be three steps below perfect.
As I said, a buddy for the good and the bad days.

Conclusion - what sticks

The Benelli Leoncino 500 pretty much met our expectations. It is manoeuvrable and is therefore a lot of fun in city traffic. The maintenance interval of 7,000 km is a bit tight, but once a year you should have your bike checked anyway.

The price for the machine is fine. As a competitor, we can only think of the Brixton Crossfire 500, which is slightly more expensive. The Honda CB 500 F has no retro bonds, must also be mentioned here as a 500cc classic (felt since the seventies) and as an extremely reliable bike, especially since it is not more expensive than the Benelli.

The test bike was provided by Legenday Cycles in Hamburg. There, the Benelli Leoncino 500 stands as a demonstrator and waits eagerly for more test riders. If you are looking for an A2 bike, style and want retro-naked scrambler design: Check it out.