Fantic Caballero 500 Supermoto: What Sets the Road-Going Caballero Apart

• 45 hp from the Minarelli MM460 single-cylinder, A2-compliant
• Fully adjustable FRS suspension with 200 mm of travel front and rear
• 150 kg without fuel, 860 mm seat height

At EICMA 2026 in Milan, Fantic expanded the Caballero family with a road-focused variant. The Caballero 500 Supermoto shares its frame, engine and brakes with its sister models. What is new are the road tyres, a high front mudguard and, above all, the suspension from the in-house Fantic Racing Suspension line, FRS for short. According to Fantic, the Supermoto is designed for the city and for twisty mountain roads. For the Italian manufacturer, it is one of several new models for the 2027 model year with which it aims to regain its footing after a difficult period.

How does the Caballero 500 Supermoto differ from the other Caballero models?

The Supermoto differs from its siblings mainly in its wheels, tyres and suspension. The technology underneath largely comes from the familiar Caballero 500.

Like the other 500s, the Supermoto is built around a steel single-spine frame. At the rear, an aluminium swingarm with variable cross-section and progressive linkage does the work. The spoked wheels with aluminium rims measure 19 inches at the front and 17 inches at the rear, so Fantic adopts the wheel sizes of the Scrambler. A 19-inch front wheel is rather unusual for a supermoto. Fitted are Metzeler Tourance Next 2 tyres, meaning road rubber instead of knobblies.

The Caballero 500 Rally, by contrast, rolls on a 21-inch front wheel with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres. Engine, frame, brakes, electronics and dimensions are the same on the Rally and the Supermoto. Visually, the Supermoto stands out with its high-mounted front mudguard and Factory White livery. The white, red and blue recall the factory bikes of Fantic Factory Racing from the 2026 world championship season. The slim side panels and the round LED headlight with Fantic light signature remain typical Caballero.

What suspension does the Fantic Caballero 500 Supermoto have?

The Supermoto gets fully adjustable suspension from the new FRS line, which Fantic designed and developed entirely in-house. There are 200 mm of travel at both the front and the rear.

Up front is the TRAIL43 upside-down fork with 43 mm stanchions. Compression and rebound damping can each be adjusted in 22 clicks, plus spring preload. At the rear sits the TRAIL14 shock. It offers 24 clicks of compression damping, three turns of high-speed compression and 16 clicks of rebound damping. Preload is adjustable as well. High-speed compression controls how the shock reacts to fast, hard impacts such as edges or potholes.

For a supermoto, 200 mm of travel is a lot. Fantic wants it to soak up bumps well while still cornering precisely and stably. The TRAIL version is intended for the Caballero range. In addition, there are the TR units with 260 mm of travel for the enduro and motard models and the TRACK units with 130 mm for the new Imola 500 sports bike.

How powerful is the engine of the Caballero 500 Supermoto?

In the Supermoto, the MM460 single-cylinder from Motori Minarelli produces 45 hp (around 33 kW) at 8,000 rpm. Peak torque is 42.5 Nm (approx. 31 lb-ft) at 7,000 rpm.

The liquid-cooled four-stroke displaces 463 cc and has double overhead camshafts and four valves. Bore and stroke are 96 and 64 mm, and it meets the Euro 5+ emissions standard. New is a lighter piston that Fantic carries over from the Stealth 500 naked bike. It is meant to make the engine rev more freely while still pulling strongly at the bottom and in the midrange.

Fuelling and throttle response are handled electronically via a 46 mm throttle body and ride-by-wire, so the twistgrip is no longer connected to the throttle valve by a cable. Power goes through a six-speed gearbox. The multi-plate oil-bath clutch has an anti-hopping function designed to prevent the rear wheel from chattering during hard downshifts. Exhaust gases flow through a twin exhaust system from Arrow. With 45 hp, the Supermoto stays below the limit for the A2 licence.

Electronics: IMU, cornering ABS and two riding modes

When it comes to electronics, the Supermoto gets the same package as the other Caballero 500 models. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) detects lean angle and feeds this information to the cornering ABS and traction control. The ABS can be switched off. For a single-cylinder in this class, this level of equipment is remarkably comprehensive.

Two riding modes are available: Street and All Terrain. Each mode comes with its own engine mapping. Information is provided by an LCD display with bonded glass, which is said to be easier to read in sunlight. Headlight, tail light and all indicators use LED technology.

Dimensions, weight and seat height of the Caballero 500 Supermoto

According to Fantic, the Caballero 500 Supermoto weighs 150 kg (approx. 331 lbs) without fuel. The tank holds 12 litres. The seat height is 860 mm, matching the other Caballero 500 models. Shorter riders should try it out before buying.

The wheelbase is 1,455 mm and the overall length 2,194 mm. Braking is handled by a floating 320 mm disc at the front and a 230 mm disc at the rear. This brake system is the same on all 500 Caballeros. For comparison: Fantic quotes the Stealth 500, which uses the same engine, at 147 kg dry.

How much does the Fantic Caballero 500 Supermoto cost and when will it arrive?

In Italy, the Caballero 500 Supermoto costs 7,290 euros (approx. 8,180 US dollars) including VAT. It is due to arrive at Fantic dealers from April 2027.

Fantic has not yet announced prices for other markets such as Germany. The Supermoto is offered exclusively in Factory White.

What other new Caballero models is Fantic showing at EICMA 2026?

Alongside the Supermoto, Fantic is introducing the Caballero 500 Rally Legend, an A2 version of the Caballero 700 and new colours. The FRS suspension is also set to be used on other models in the family.

The Rally Legend is designed for off-road riding. It gets the 21-inch front wheel with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres, its own off-road setup of the FRS suspension, a bash plate and a headlight grille. The Red Rally Legend livery recalls earlier Caballero off-road models. The same colour is also available for the Caballero Rally 125. Prices in Italy remain at 7,590 euros (approx. 8,520 US dollars) for the 500 and 5,990 euros (approx. 6,720 US dollars) for the 125. Both Legend versions are already available.

The FRS suspension is also set to be fitted to the Caballero 500 Scrambler and Deluxe as well as the 700 versions Scrambler, Deluxe and Travel. The Caballero 700 with its 689 cc twin-cylinder engine will in future also be available in an A2 version, restricted to 35 kW (48 hp). New to the colour range are Sunset White for the Caballero 125, 500 and 700, and Midnight Violet, which is reserved for the 500 Scrambler.

For Fantic, EICMA 2026 marks a fresh start. The debt restructuring agreements of Fantic Motor and Motori Minarelli have been approved by the court. As a next step, the company has announced Fantic S.p.A., into which both firms are to be merged. In addition to the Caballero family, Fantic also showed the production version of the Imola sports bike in Milan. The Imola 500 also uses the MM460, likewise weighs 150 kg without fuel and is due to go on sale in Italy in May 2027 for 6,990 euros (approx. 7,850 US dollars). This puts the Fantic models among the numerous new bikes presented at EICMA 2026 for the 2027 model year.

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