FIRST RIDE: FANTIC…
51 years young Italian off-road heroes Fantic make a play for the retro pound. And it’s a good one…
Caballero Scrambler 500. Not just another retro scrambler.
THESE DAYS THE light is on and shining brightly for retros. And the stream of new contenders remains in full flood – witness Royal Enfield’s great new Interceptor, Indian’s Harley worrying FTR and this here new Fantic.
As is the modern way, and ironically considering the ‘retro’ pigeon hole, many of the current crop glitter with big power figures and all the electronic rider aids. Which begs this question: if these blasts from the past are supposed to hark back to a time when motorcycling was simpler why do so many weigh so much, cost so much and pack a full spread of gizmos? Surely there is some point-missing going on here.
Refreshingly, revived ’70s off-road heroes Fantic appear to have properly grasped the retro idea with their new Caballero Scrambler 500. So much so it could just be the best of today’s retro breed. Why? Because it is light, uncluttered with silicone implants and it’s powered by a punchy 449cc, 43bhp singlecylinder motor, wrapped in a tight, beautifully-balanced chassis. Tick, tick and tick… Like RE’S Interceptor the 500’s trump card is its simplicity. It is an unadulterated feelgood bike. The styling is bang-on, it’s well screwed together, fluffed up with designer labels and costs just £6399. The Caballero Scrambler 500 is also a
retro that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and we love it for that. With its light clutch and crisp gearbox it’s a bike you can just jump on, openfaced hat in place, and just go. Think thrappy competition dirt bike with all the rough edges smoothed off for the road with spot-on gearing and a seamless spread of perfectly delivered power. And it growls seductively through its Arrow pipe when you open the taps… knock the baffles out and it will sound even tastier. Clearly it will never keep up with a Triumph Thruxton, BMW R ninet or Ducati Scrambler but it’s not supposed to. Yet, at just 150kg dry the Fantic makes the most of its modest power. There’s enough
‘Fantic have properly grasped the retro idea… So much so it could be the best of today’s breed’
For more ‘First Rides’ flick backwards one spread for SWM’S latest Superdual X trailie…
crisp acceleration to send you hurtling from villages to countryside, accompanied by the biggest grin. You can even stunt the 500 like a field bike. Ride quality is nicely on the firm side of plush, which arms the Fantic with tough, unflappable poise in corners. Sticky Pirelli dual purpose Scorpion Rally STR tyres are grippy in the wet or dry and stopping duties are ably handled by a Bybre four piston radial caliper and single 320mm disc set-up. And the good news continues because the 500 is about more than dynamics, it’s a good looker too. The paintwork is deep, there are plenty of details and a raft of lovely cycle parts: 19in spoked wheels with black anodised rims; Brembo master cylinder; Domino grips; upsidedown forks; LED lights and LCD clocks. Top and bottom yokes, footrest hangers and fork bottoms are all machined aluminium, like a Bimota. To get the 500’s price tag within range of RE’S Interceptor Fantic’s 449cc single is manufactured by Zongshen in China, and it’s a gem of a thing. Built to Fantic’s spec it’s checked and fettled when it arrives at Fantic’s factory in Treviso, before being slotted into an Italian-built steel chrome moly tubular frame.
The Caballero Scrambler comes in a variety of flavours including 125 and 250cc versions, and a flat track model (125, 250 and 500cc), which is a basically a styling exercise as it is mechanically the same as the rest. If you’re looking for a scrambler-style retro there is plenty of choice. Ducati are Fantic’s most obvious rival, and they win on power and toys, but lose on weight and price. The thing is, with the Fantic you aren’t just buying a cheap bike you’re buying a very good bike too.