Fantic Debuts Caballero 500 Supermoto at EICMA: 45 HP MM460 Heart and 150 kg Dry
150 kg dry weight + 45 hp Minarelli MM460 single with FRS racing suspension + Fantic turns its cult dual-sport icon into an asphalt-carving supermoto for the European A2 class.
Part of Throttle Times’ live coverage of EICMA 2026.
Fantic Motor has officially expanded its celebrated heritage scrambler platform into dedicated asphalt territory with the world premiere of the Fantic Caballero 500 Supermoto at EICMA 2026 in Milan. Arriving with a confirmed European retail price of €7,290, the new machine pairs a featherweight 150 kg dry chassis with Motori Minarelli’s latest Euro 5+ single-cylinder architecture to deliver an uncompromised European A2-licence weapon.
While the Caballero nameplate has spent decades carving out an enviable reputation on dusty fire roads and gravel trails, the Supermoto variant strips away off-road pretenses in favor of pure mountain pass agility.
Minarelli MM460 Thumper Delivers 45 HP and Ride-by-Wire Precision
The Fantic Caballero 500 Supermoto is powered by a 463cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder Motori Minarelli MM460 engine producing 45 hp (33 kW) at 8,000 rpm and 42.5 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm. The single-overhead-cam, four-valve motor incorporates a forged lightweight piston directly adapted from Fantic’s road-racing division, dropping reciprocating mass to allow a clean, vibration-free rush toward its 9,000 rpm ceiling.
Throttle response is governed through a full electronic Ride-by-Wire system, paired with an assist-and-slipper clutch that prevents rear-wheel chatter when banging down three gears on corner entry. Exhaust gasses exit through an iconic high-mounted twin-pipe Arrow stainless steel system, retaining the signature dual-outlet aesthetic that defined the original 1970s Caballero while complying with stringent Euro 5+ sound and emissions thresholds.
“Our objective with the Caballero 500 Supermoto was to take the mechanical purity of the MM460 single and package it into an ultra-reactive chassis that turns urban roundabouts and alpine hairpins into pure riding joy,” stated Fantic’s engineering department during the Milan unveiling.
FRS Racing Suspension and Lightweight Rolling Chassis
The Fantic Caballero 500 Supermoto debuts the Italian marque’s in-house FRS (Fantic Racing Suspension) package, featuring a 43mm upside-down front fork and linked rear monoshock each providing 200mm of wheel travel. Both ends are fully adjustable for spring preload, compression, and rebound damping, allowing riders to dial in firm pavement support without sacrificing compliance over frost-heaved tarmac.
Rather than adopting standard 17-inch supermoto hoops front and rear, Fantic has chosen a distinctive 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheel setup fitted with Metzeler Tourance Next 2 rubber. Braking duties are handled by a radial-mount four-piston ByBre caliper biting a massive 320mm floating front disc, backed by a 230mm rear rotor and an advanced multi-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) that manages lean-sensitive Cornering ABS and switchable traction control.
| Specification | Fantic Caballero 500 Supermoto | Fantic Stealth 500 Naked | KTM 390 SMC R (Ref.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine Displacement | 463cc Minarelli Single | 463cc Minarelli Single | 399cc LC4c Single |
| Power Output | 45 hp (33 kW) @ 8,000 rpm | 45 hp (33 kW) @ 8,000 rpm | 45 hp (33 kW) @ 8,500 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 42.5 Nm @ 7,000 rpm | 42.5 Nm @ 7,000 rpm | 39.0 Nm @ 7,000 rpm |
| Dry Weight | 150 kg | 147 kg | 154 kg |
| Suspension Travel | 200 mm F / 200 mm R | 150 mm F / 150 mm R | 215 mm F / 240 mm R |
| Front Wheel / Tire | 19-inch Spoked / Metzeler | 17-inch Cast / Pirelli | 17-inch Spoked / Continental |
| European Price | €7,290 | €6,490 | ~€7,499 |
The Rider’s Trade-Off: 19-Inch Front Wheel vs Traditional 17-Inch Quickness
By outfitting the Fantic Caballero 500 Supermoto with a 19-inch front spoked wheel instead of the traditional 17-inch supermoto standard, Fantic’s chassis engineers opted for high-speed tracking stability and pothole absorption at the direct expense of razor-sharp flickability. Tipping the bike into tight downhill hairpins requires a deliberate countersteer shove at the wide Renthal handlebars rather than a telepathic dip.
Furthermore, while the 150 kg dry weight makes the Caballero an absolute featherweight to hoist off the side stand, its compact 12-litre fuel cell limits highway range to approximately 240 km between refuels. The 860mm bench seat is also distinctly firm, leaving zero doubt that long-distance touring comfort was cheerfully sacrificed to let the rider slide their weight forward over the fuel filler cap.
European Pricing and Dealership Arrival
The Fantic Caballero 500 Supermoto is slated to arrive across European dealerships in April 2027 with a base price of €7,290 in Italy, Germany, and France. Sharing its proven Minarelli powertrain with its showroom sibling, the Fantic Stealth 500, the Supermoto brings Italian factory racing colors to the street without demanding the steep maintenance schedules of full-blown competition four-stroke singles.
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Official source: https://www.eicma.it/en/news/fantic-caballero-500-supermoto-debuts-at-eicma/
Reporting via: insella.it, red-live.it
