Benelli Leoncino 800 Review

Used Buyer Review

The Leoncino 800 is one of those bikes that looks better than its reputation suggests, and honestly rides better than the internet would have you believe. That parallel twin pulls cleanly from low revs, the scrambler-ish styling genuinely turns heads, and the ergonomics hit a sweet spot between upright comfort and sporty engagement. For the money used, it's hard to argue with the package visually. Here's where you need to be sharp though — early examples had some electrical gremlins and the dealer network in North America is genuinely thin. If something goes wrong, you're potentially shipping parts internationally or getting creative with a friendly indie mechanic. Check the service history obsessively. These bikes weren't serviced at the recommended intervals by every owner, and the throttle-by-wire system has caused headaches when neglected. Buy one with solid documentation, under 10,000 miles, and you'll get a genuinely characterful middleweight for Kawasaki Z650 money. Just go in with eyes open about the support situation.