Kawasaki Z650RS vs Benelli Leoncino: Photo Comparison

Here’s us taking a closer look at the neo-retro beauties from Kawasaki and Benelli

The Benelli Leoncino has been the most affordable mid-displacement neo-retro motorcycle for Indian enthusiasts. Kawasaki will soon enter the space with the new Z650RS, and though it may not match the Benelli’s pricing, the Kwacker does pose a serious threat. Why? Take a look at this image comparo to find out:

The Kawasaki Z650RS and the Benelli Leoncino are conceptualised based on motorcycles from the 60s and 70s. While the former is a modern avatar of the original Kawasaki Z650-B1, the latter is Benelli’s take on a modern-day scrambler. The duo could be evocative for their bygone charm, but don’t be mistaken; both are out-and-out modern machines.

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Staying true to its retro theme, the Kawasaki Z650RS features a circular headlight flanked by indicators. That said, there’s a bit of a modern touch too, for Kawasaki has equipped its bike with LEDs all around. The Benelli, too, brags of a similar setup, but the projector and the horseshoe-shaped DRL rob it of the retro charm.

In the era of Bluetooth-connected TFTs, Kawasaki has equipped the Z650RS with the old-school twin-pod analog instrument console with an LCD screen in the middle. On the other hand, Benelli seems stuck midway. The Leoncino’s LCD console doesn’t really look modern-day but isn’t retro either.

The Z650RS is the fifth motorcycle to use Kawasaki’s liquid-cooled 649cc engine. Though the bikemaker has claimed to tune the engine for better low and mid-range grunt, everything seems unchanged on paper. In fact, it continues to produce 67PS and 64Nm. The Benelli Leoncino uses a 500cc parallel-twin that belts out 47.5PS and 46Nm.

The Kawasaki Z650RS uses a 41mm telescopic fork and a preload-adjustable link-type monoshock shared with the Kawasaki Z650. For the Leoncino, Benelli has used a 50mm USD fork and a preload and rebound-adjustable monoshock.

The Z650RS has been equipped with twin 300mm front discs and a 220mm rear disc. On the other hand, the Leoncino gets two 320mm discs up front and a 260mm disc at the rear. Both bikes come with dual-channel ABS as standard. Just like with most other elements, Kawasaki has struck the right balance between modern and classic. The 16-spoke alloy wheels emulate the charm of wire-spoke rims. Meanwhile, despite being labelled a ‘scrambler’, the Leoncino comes with alloy wheels with road-focused tyres.

Kawasaki is expected to price the Z650RS at around Rs 7.50 lakh (on-road), while the Leoncino is priced at Rs 4.89 lakh (ex-showroom).