Ah, Europe. A land brimming with boutique motorcycle makers, eager to offer a taste of the two-wheeled dream to the masses. Many of these plucky brands keep their headquarters local but send the real work to China. (Who is to judge?! A new bike is a new bike!)
Enter Leonart, a Spanish firm with a penchant for retro-styled, newbie-friendly cafe racers, cruisers, and scramblers that look like they rolled straight out of a custom shop.
The Leonart Lobo 450 Does Retro Motorcycling Right
Their latest offering, the Lobo 450, is a head-turner. Name aside—’Lobo’ means wolf, though what that has to do with it is anyone’s guess—it screams more classic British bike more so than the actual British bikes in its weight class.
Forget the Triumph Speed or Scrambler—this thing has a vibe closer to a Bonneville or even a Thruxton. Chunky inverted forks, tubeless spoked wheels, and a level boneline all give it a muscular stance that just might fool you into thinking it’s British-born.
Peek just under the surface, though, and you’ll find a different story. A liquid-cooled, 446cc parallel-twin engine hums along, hidden behind faux cooling fins and an equally faux carburetor. It’s got enough grunt—37 horses and 30 pound-feet of torque—to get a beginner riding confidently, especially with its six-speed gearbox handling highway duty.
In my opinion, it’s a shame that it has the fakery on it. This bike could look almost as good without it, but I digress. Here’s the rub: like many Chinese-made beauties, it’s untested. Sure, it looks the part, but will it hold up against established icons? Only time, and the open road, will tell if the Leonart Lobo 450 can truly howl. I’m betting it does a better job than many will expect.
Check it out at Leonart’s website.
