Italian manufacturer Fantic may not be a familiar name to all, however after being founded in the late 1960s they went on to produce a range of sports 50cc mopeds as well as off roaders that were highly regarded. A period of bankruptcy followed and then in 2014 the firm re emerged and started making a whole new range of models. Built in Italy and using locally sourced products were possible, Fantic are rapidly establishing themselves as a company that has a bright future. The Caballero Scrambler 500 was their first big bike and although it has since been followed up by the Yamaha CP2 engined Caballero 700, the single cylinder 500 has bags of charm, a lower price tag and great looks. If you are after a lightweight retro scrambler the Caballero Scrambler 500 is worth considering as it combines Italian heritage and flair with a Ricardo designed engine, hopefully making it both stylish and reliable. The Fantic’s 449cc single cylinder engine is built in Italy by Minarelli, who Fantic bought from Yamaha in 2020. Not the most complex of engines as it only runs a single overhead cam, it is nonetheless liquid cooled and has a four valve head. Originally designed by engine gurus Ricardo, early Caballero models used Chinese company Zongshen built engines but assembly has since moved to Italy. A spirited single it makes a decent 40bhp with 31,7 pound feet of torque and has a really useable spread of power with pleasingly little vibrations enough to add character but not enough to annoy. You can merrily zip around town on one and out on the open road it will hold 70mph, not that this is much fun. A big part of Fantic ethos is using Italian brands were possible and it is great to see the stylish twin stacked Arrow exhaust which adds a dash of class to the bike. When buying used the Fantic is still very new so there shouldn’t be too many reliability issues however you do need to be aware that its service intervals are every 3000 miles with a valve clearance check at each one. Costing between £250 and £300 a go it’s not a massive drama but worth keeping on top of as the little single does get a hard life. Owners recommend covering exposed parts in anti rust spray to keep it looking good and a few have experienced silly teething issues such as an out of line throttle position sensor or slight oil weep but overall, nothing major.
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