Fantic Imola 500 and 125: New Sportbikes for 2027

With the new FRS racing suspension, a sport-oriented chassis and comprehensive electronics, the Imola 500 in particular is designed to impress on the race track too. The Imola 125 carries the basic concept over to the smaller displacement class. Both models combine racing looks with road legality.

With the Imola, Fantic expands its Street model family with two fully faired sportbikes. According to the manufacturer, the models were developed with race track use in mind, but are also intended to be suitable for spirited riding on public roads. The name Imola is a tribute to the Italian motorsport town and its race track, which lies around 50 kilometres from the Motori Minarelli factory in Calderara di Reno, where both bikes are produced. The Imola 500 and 125 share their basic construction and design language. The differences lie mainly in the engine, the suspension spec and the electronic rider aids.

The Fantic Imola 500 is powered by the MM460 single-cylinder engine, developed and produced by Motori Minarelli. The liquid-cooled four-stroke engine displaces 463 cc and features double overhead camshafts (DOHC), four valves and finger followers for valve actuation. The engine meets the Euro 5+ emissions standard and is based on the engine of the Fantic Stealth 500. For use in the Imola, however, it has been revised. A new airbox and a modified exhaust header are intended to make power delivery smoother. In addition, Fantic uses a lighter racing piston, which is meant to reduce reciprocating masses and allow the engine to rev up more eagerly. Maximum engine speed is 10,500 rpm. According to the manufacturer, output is close to the limit permitted for the A2 licence. Fuelling is handled by electronic injection with a 46 mm ride-by-wire throttle body. This is paired with a six-speed gearbox and a wet multi-plate anti-hopping clutch, which is designed to help keep the bike more stable during aggressive downshifts.

The Fantic Imola 125 relies on the well-known liquid-cooled Minarelli four-stroke engine with 125 cc displacement. The engine features electronic fuel injection and VVA (Variable Valve Actuation) variable valve timing. This technology adapts the valve timing to different rev ranges. The Imola 125 also gets an anti-hopping clutch, adopting a feature of its bigger sister that is particularly important during sporty gear changes.

When it comes to the chassis, both Imola models follow the same basic concept. Fantic combines a front steel trellis frame with side plates made of forged aluminium and a removable subframe. This hybrid construction is intended to deliver a balanced relationship between weight, stiffness and riding precision. The aluminium swingarm features additional lower bracing, which is meant to provide stability and traction especially when accelerating out of corners. Another focus is mass centralisation. The exhaust's expansion chamber sits low in the bike, while a lightweight silencer is mounted high. The fuel tank has also been positioned as close as possible to the bike's centre of gravity. Compared with the Fantic Stealth, the Imola has its own top triple clamp. The clip-ons are mounted independently of it and can be positioned to suit the rider's preferences.

A key technical innovation of the Imola 500 is the Fantic Racing Suspension System (FRS). The suspension components were developed entirely by Fantic and are intended to bring technical solutions from the racing aftermarket into series production. Up front sits a 43 mm TRACK43 upside-down fork with 130 mm of travel, adjustable for compression, rebound and spring preload. At the rear, the FRS TRACK14 shock is used. In addition to compression, rebound and spring preload, the shock length can also be adjusted, allowing the chassis geometry to be tailored to different requirements.

• TRACK43 fork: 22 clicks of compression and 22 clicks of rebound, plus adjustable spring preload.
• TRACK14 shock: 24 clicks of compression, three turns of high-speed compression, 16 clicks of rebound, plus adjustable spring preload and shock length.

Both sportbikes get a braking system from ByBre. Up front, a 320 mm disc with a radially mounted caliper is used. At the rear, there is a disc with a diameter of 230 mm. The Fantic Imola rolls on five-spoke aluminium wheels, which are designed to support quick changes of direction thanks to their low weight and reduced rotational inertia. As standard tyres, Fantic specifies Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV in the following sizes:

• Front tyre: 110/70-17
• Rear tyre: 150/60-17

The manufacturer quotes the following weights:

The electronics package is also tailored to the respective displacement class. The Fantic Imola 500 features an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which enables lean-sensitive two-channel ABS and traction control. ABS can be deactivated at the rear wheel. Four riding modes are available:

The riding modes combine the two engine maps FUN and WET with the traction control and ABS settings. The Imola 125, on the other hand, offers two riding modes, Street and Track, and has a single engine map. Cornering ABS is available as an option on the Imola 125, while the Imola 500 comes with the lean-sensitive system as standard.

Both Imola models get a 5-inch TFT display, a USB-C port, LED indicators and a full-LED headlight with twin lenses. The full fairing was styled by the Fantic design centre and developed in the wind tunnel. It is intended to combine an aerodynamically efficient shape with appropriate wind protection. The riding position is deliberately sporty. The separately mounted clip-ons shift the rider's posture forward, while the tank and seat are designed to allow freedom of movement when tipping the bike into corners. The ergonomics are thus geared towards the demands of spirited road riding and occasional race track outings.

Fantic offers two different paint schemes for both models. Factory White combines white, red and blue. The livery is inspired by the brand's traditional colours and the official motocross and enduro factory bikes of the 2026 season. Racing Black relies on black and red, picking up the colours Fantic has used in Moto2 racing in recent years.

The new Fantic sportbikes are set to be available through the manufacturer's dealer network from May 2027. The official retail prices for Italy are: