Part of Throttle Times’ live coverage of EICMA 2026.

Italian specialist Fantic Motor has officially unleashed the production version of the Stealth 500 at EICMA 2026 in Milan, establishing an uncompromising new benchmark for lightweight agility in the European A2 street class. Stripped of all superfluous bodywork to achieve a dry weight of just 147 kg, the minimalist naked streetfighter bridges the gap between raw supermoto hooliganism and modern naked road manners.

Arriving alongside its faired café racer stablemate, the Fantic Imola 500, and squaring off against British-Indian roadsters like the Norton 450 Urban, the Stealth 500 takes a radically purist approach to the sub-500cc segment.

The Motori Minarelli MM460: 45 HP Featherweight Single

At the core of the Stealth 500 sits the Motori Minarelli MM460 engine, an advanced 463cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder featuring a double overhead camshaft (DOHC) four-valve cylinder head. Designed and manufactured entirely in Italy following Fantic’s acquisition of Minarelli, the powerplant delivers 45 hp (33 kW) at 8,000 rpm and 42.5 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm, hovering exactly at the statutory European A2 power-to-weight threshold.

“When an engine is paired with a featherweight 147 kg chassis, you do not need multi-cylinder complexity. The forged racing piston reduces reciprocating mass, allowing instantaneous rev response that punches above its displacement.”

Fuel delivery is managed via a full ride-by-wire electronic throttle body, offering selectable engine maps that tailor torque delivery between wet urban commutes and aggressive canyon riding. A short, underslung exhaust collector exits beneath the crankcase, keeping hot plumbing away from the rider’s boots while maximizing mass centralization.

Hybrid Chassis Engineering: Steel Trellis Meets Billet Aluminum

The Stealth 500’s chassis utilizes a sophisticated hybrid construction: a central chromium-molybdenum steel tubular trellis mated to die-cast aluminum side plates. This layout delivers surgical torsional rigidity at maximum lean angle while allowing engineered vertical flex to absorb harsh pavement imperfections.

+------------------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
| Specification                      | Fantic Stealth 500       | KTM 390 Duke (2025)      |
+------------------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
| Engine Architecture                | 463cc Liquid DOHC Single | 399cc Liquid DOHC Single |
| Peak Power Output                  | 45 hp (33 kW) @ 8,000    | 45 hp (33 kW) @ 8,500    |
| Peak Torque Output                 | 42.5 Nm @ 7,000 rpm      | 39.0 Nm @ 7,000 rpm      |
| Dry Weight                         | 147 kg                   | 165 kg (Wet w/o fuel)    |
| Frame Construction                 | Steel Trellis / Alum Side| Steel Trellis / Alum Sub |
| Front Suspension                   | 41mm Inverted Fork       | 43mm WP Apex Open Cart   |
| Electronic Rider Aids              | Cornering ABS + TC       | Cornering ABS + TC + MTC |
| Dashboard Interface                | 5.0-inch Color TFT       | 5.0-inch Color TFT       |
| Targeted European MSRP             | €6,890                   | €6,590                   |
+------------------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+

An inverted 41mm front fork is paired with an aluminum swingarm linked directly to a preload-adjustable rear monoshock. Braking is handled by radial-mount calipers on a 320mm front rotor, governed by multi-map Cornering ABS and switchable traction control calibrated specifically for the bike’s low overall mass.

Fantic Stealth 500 naked streetfighter chassis detail

What We Know

  • Minarelli MM460 Single: 463cc DOHC 4-valve engine pushing 45 hp and 42.5 Nm, optimized for high-revving A2 performance.
  • 147 kg Dry Weight: Significantly lighter than parallel-twin rivals like the Honda CB500F (188 kg wet) and CFMoto 450NK (165 kg dry).
  • Hybrid Frame Structure: Steel trellis geometry bolted to structural aluminum pivot plates and a braced swingarm.
  • Safety Tech Suite: Lean-sensitive Cornering ABS, multi-level traction control, and full ride-by-wire mapping.
  • Modern Cockpit: 5-inch TFT display with Bluetooth smartphone navigation mirroring and full LED lighting.

What’s Still Unclear

  • Quickshifter Availability: Whether Fantic will include a bi-directional quickshifter as standard or relegate it to the factory performance catalog.
  • Fuel Tank Usable Capacity: Final certified volume is projected at 12 litres, sufficient for spirited weekend blasts but demanding frequent stops on long-distance transfers.
  • Dealership Availability Date: European dealer arrivals are scheduled for early spring 2027, with retail pricing expected around €6,890.

The Rider’s Trade-Off: Featherweight Purity vs. High-Speed Touring Comfort

The engineering choice to build a 147 kg single-cylinder naked creates a thrilling weapon on twisty B-roads, but demands realistic trade-offs from everyday commuters. While a single-cylinder engine offers narrow waist ergonomics and razor-sharp turn-in, sustained 130 km/h European motorway cruising generates noticeable secondary harmonic vibration through the handlebars and footpegs compared to a counterbalanced parallel-twin.

Furthermore, the minimalist 12-litre fuel tank and aggressive forward-canted riding posture prioritize Sunday morning attack runs over intercity commuting. Yet for urban riders and mountain pass enthusiasts who value mechanical purity and lightweight Italian handling over touring bulk, the Stealth 500 offers the rawest visceral punch in the modern A2 category.

Media citation: Editorial outlets and forums may quote excerpts with attribution and a link to Throttle Times.

Official source: https://www.fantic.com/en-eu/moto/stealth/stealth-500

Reporting via: motorcycles.news, 1000ps.com