Some brands just will not disappear. Primarily known in the United States as a producer of observed trials motorcycles in the 1980s and ’90s, Fantic fell victim to financial problems. As marques never seem to truly go away in Europe, the Italian company is back with a line of three new scramblers—the 2020 Fantic Caballero 500, 250, and 125.
2020 Fantic Caballero 125
Running a SOHC four-valve motor, the 2020 Fantic Caballero 125 has an undersquare design—52mm bore and 58.6mm stroke—for more torque. A 30mm Keihin carburetor feeds it, and the dual exhaust is from Arrow. Wheel travel is just under six inches at both ends, with Fantic-branded suspension. The 41mm inverted fork is non-adjustable, while the linkage-assisted shock has rebound damping adjustment. The seat height is an approachable 32.3 inches, with a slightly higher seat available for taller riders. Mitas Enduro Trail tires get the nod, with 110/80 x 19 in the front and 130/80 x 17 on the rear. Dry weight is a claimed 286 pounds, but your guess for the curb weight is as good as ours with the 3.2-gallon fuel tank topped off.
2020 Fantic Caballero 250
The 2020 Fantic Caballero 250 looks to have the same chassis as the 125, though with a completely different motor. The 250 is so oversquare that its 53.6mm stroke is less than the 125’s stroke. The bore is a hefty 77mm on the fuel-injected SOHC four-valve powerplant. Power tops out at 25 horsepower at 8500 rpm, with torque peaking at 16 ft/lbs at 6500 rpm. The Caballero 250 is about 22 pounds heavier than the 125. Like the 125, the Caballero 250 has a 320mm front disc and 230mm rear disc for braking—Continental two-channel ABS is standard, and defeatable.
2020 Fantic Caballero 500
Again, we’re looking at the same chassis numbers for the 2020 Fantic Caballero 500 as the 250 and 125. The motor remains a SOHC four-valve design, with Athena Get fuel-injection—the 500 has a 40mm throttle body compared to 34mm on the 250. The bore is 94.5mm and the stroke 64mm to pencil out at 449cc. A maximum of 40 horsepower is hit at 7500 rpm, with peak torque of 32 ft/lbs coming at 6000 rpm. All three Caballeros have a six-speed transmission.
There are also three Flat Track variations on the Caballero theme, with different tires. Also, there’s a Rally 500 flavor of Fantic Caballero with more aggressive tires and styling.
Unfortunately, there’s no word on price or availability in the United States. They certainly look like fun Italian motorcycles.
Photography courtesy of EICMA 2019
