Fantic Caballero Rally 500 - Off Road first impressions

[@youtuberichard456]

hi, thank you for your videos. i really like and appreciate your content :) I live in cyprus which i think is in part a bit like portugal. There is plenty of gravel and hard offroad as well as great twisty mountain roads. I bought this bike (got it april 2022) as my first real bike and you know how it is with your first love. So i will leave all the loovie doovie stuff out here and try to kee it short :) Things i changed/need to change: Iam 197cm and i cant stand up, will need risers; the standing posiion is awkward, will see how i cant adjust when i got the risers; first gear is too long for slow (beginner)offroad; i will change the flywheel for a smoother low ref performance; there is vibration in the handlebars you need weights or handguards to improve. I tryed some rought (way beyond my skill level) offroad and the maschine was very capable. I was able to get over and down everything due to light weight, nimbleness and good supension without the need to stand up. I slipped and feel on an easyier section uphill and damaged to footbreak (around 15-20Km/h). I had protective gear (SHOES!!!) so nothing happendto me. The problem is the long first gear which mean you need to ref it a bit all the time in slow sections and then there is the risk off loosing tracktion and slip and fell :) As a result i stoped offroading and got back to the great twistys in the Paphos forrest. Man, you only can love this roads! I change the tyres to Karro Street (like pirelli STR, there is nothing else to get in cyprus at the moment) and safe the anawkee wild when i go back offroad with more experience. As a resut, i absolutly can recommend this bike. It is so much fun and a very good compromise off power, weight, offroad/onroad and price. Keep up the good work - i really enjoy your view on matters best regards Richard

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

Hey Richard! Awesome comment! I will pin it in the top since its so useful! That tip about the flywheel is really good...actually, the owner of this bike told me he was considering buying it too. How many km do you have on your Caballero now?

[@paulwelch4373]

A frantic fantic. Bring on the review !

[@noelbrown6771]

That was a delicious appetizer! What an awesome roar on that bike, No? You've made me hungry for more :)

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

Oh yeah...the engine is really sweet! powerful enough, and not too loud, but still interesting. It has a "man's" voice :D

[@noelbrown6771]

@@OFFroadOFFcourse Well put! A baritone 🤙

[@BP-id4cq]

Looks like a cool bike that can do it all. I’ve never seen in it here in California. Can’t wait for the full review. Cool elephant turns by the way!

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

haha, not exactly an elephant turn, looks more like a guy with the stuck throttle cable xD But thanks! Yeah, I really enjoyed the bike... A lot of people who are struggling with their CB500X / Africa twins / T7s / etc etc would be much better off with something like this :)

[@glinleyt]

Always good value little reviews. Interesting little bike. Never heard of it!

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

I dont know if its going to last as long as a japanese bike, or if the repair tparts will be easy to find, but straight out of the box this is a very cool bike!

[@hazcat640]

DG, I love your "firt" impressions. 😜

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

How did i manage to correct it and still be wrong? XD And you noticed it twice!

[@hazcat640]

@@OFFroadOFFcourse Gotcha! 😎 😁 When ya gonna make some stickers with your face logo? I really want one!

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

​@@hazcat640 I've been so lazy getting that done man :( but I have you on my list, you will get the stickers as soon as I have them :D

[@gbner9991]

It's great how low the seat is in comparison to the ground clearance. And the engine is so much fun.

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

Yeah they really hit the nail there... its tall enough (ground clearance) for any situation you might encounter without being too tall... what impresses me the most is how efficient the suspensions feel... they never bottom out (at least not in a way that makes your teeth :P)

[@zerotonine807]

This Country! Id love to ride like this!

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

Lets go! I am a tour guide and have Suzukis DR350SE to rent :D

[@campbellrousselle9752]

Fantic re.... I mean Fantastic review. What a cool little bike - can't get them here in NZ. If a small company can build something this cool, WHY can't one of the big Japanese manufacturers??? We've been screaming out for something like this!

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

Thats the question isnt it? Good suspensions, 160kg wet, good power, good everything... Why fantic can do it but not yamaha/honda/ktm/suzuki, etc? Thanks for watching and commenting :D

[@Vegasalieri]

Grande Diogo

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

grande Diogo em grandes motos... grandes vidas! :D

[@pinkiewerewolf]

Looks like a fun bike!

[@joepphoto]

Hey man, great video, was just wondering what kind of handguards you are using.

[@musique2005]

It is a looker and does have a great sound- I liked your review. I would however still pick KTM 390 Adventure though.

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

I tried both and for some reason this one feels so much better (offroad) than the 390Adventure. I don't know if there was something wrong with the 390 I tried (she was almost brand new so not probable) but the bike didnt feel safe at all offroad. Felt stiff, reactive, unable to cope with mistakes when riding fast... in terms of specs the Fantic is not THAT different, but in the field it feels completely different :o

[@musique2005]

@@OFFroadOFFcourse interesting observation. What I found compelling with the 390 adv was the all-around joy of riding- it is likely the strongest engine in its class (and surprising blast on tarmac), the stock equipment (abs, tcs) and nimble nature which helps a lot off road. And makes it easy to get to the green lanes by paved roads at highway speeds. What I found far from great off road is tilted footpegs (aftermarket options available to fix that) and relatively compact frame meaning that taller riders might find it more difficult to ride standing for an extended period- also given that larger enduro boots (45 size and above) make it harder to control shafts with lowered footpegs. However at this price point and my riding style I found it for now as best compromise it is class. I am yet to ride Caballero to see how it compares but it definitely looks like a worthy contender. And I loved the sound of it in the video.

[@pedrodepavia]

Waiting for next week. Since you are on a scrambler vibe why not an offroad-offcourse test to the Bluroc hero 250? (there's no option to turn off the abs).

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

I am not sure we have those in Portugal...do we? You know, I am asking borrowed motorcycles from friends for these tests, so I really dont choose... they just appear in my garage :P But yeah, I am very interested in these "Adventure bike alternatives" now... I think the heavy adv bike is a concept that is too widespread considering the small % of people who can really ride them in a worthy manner :o

[@steveh545]

Interesting, another KZbinr (Sr Villalobos) mentioned the positioning of the pipes and the awkward riding position it caused. It was a deal breaker for him. So, I was waiting to see if you mentioned it. (And you did …)

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

Hey, thanks for commenting Steve! Its impossible not to notice it... I wonder how they let something like that go into production..its such an obvious, needless mistake :o But overall, great little bike :o

[@ezsteel78]

@@OFFroadOFFcourse Probably because it is a scrambler. I mean, it is 2022 and scramblers are all about looks these days. I doubt they thought anyone would be buying this for functionality. :D

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

@@ezsteel78 generally i would agree with you, but the caballero really performs, and i dont think it is by chance...they really tried to make it performance and with awesome specs :o its not a toy, this one

[@nockianlifter661]

Just punt forward a bit on the pegs and the problem goes away.

[@IgorShamanblue]

Excelente vídeo, exatamente motocicleta. Pena que não é comercializada no Brasil, eu com certeza compraria ela como minha primeira moto, para poder rodar na cidade e fazer bastante off-road. Saudações do Brasil!

[@The_Arby]

When we going to see the New Fantic Caballero Rally 125 🙂

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

Next 125cc I am going to test will (probably!) be the Husqvarna Svartpilen 125... if someone lends me a Caballero 125 I will certainly try to it too :P

[@Hugo_Alex]

Interesting bike. Does it allow to trow on rackless saddlebags? Never seen this bike in person

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

Carrying stuff on this bike is a problem... there are not many aftermarket options, so I think one needs to be creative. If you search on google you can find some Caballeros pretty filled with luggage, but there seems to be a lot of DIY involved :P

[@David-v8k9e]

How tall are you?

[@mxbadboy263]

Unfortunately not sold in the USA.

[@jorjo92swftroml]

Nice video, waiting for the full review! I bought this bike a couple weeks ago and it shines offroad. Can I ask, what is your tire pressure and suspension settings for when u go on trails a bit more technical? The suggested PSi from Fantic is way too high for offroad imo

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

I was using Michelin Anakee Wilds with 1.5Bar. I am not sure what is the suspension setting exactly, but i increased the rebound dampening on the front and decreased the compression dampening on both front and rear. The spring pre-load is stock at the moment.

[@jorjo92swftroml]

@@OFFroadOFFcourse nice. For now I just decreased compression on the front as it was really stiff. Thank you for your response!

[@lucianconstantin5819]

👍

[@Svendus]

All Right this comment might disturb the fine feelings off many but driving crazy like this here 🇸🇪 with all the wild animals i would have drove into several deer 🦌 and wild pigs 🐖 and why many ride this hasty way i do not know ❓you cannot see anything off the landscape around and suddenly you 💥 smash into a big moose 🏥 That is sadly why it is forbidden 🚫 to go off-road in the Swedish Forrest 🤢

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

Hey, thanks for commenting. Well, I will try to answer your questions :D First off, I've been riding offroad for 15-20 years, and in this video I am not going "insanely fast almost killing myself"...I am well within my confort zone :) Also, animals are not a problem here in Portugal (unfortunately).. I guess our forests are not nearly as populated as yours? We dont even have deer or moose...perhaps I will see a boar once a year... I envy your concern :P As for appreciating the views...there is a time and a place for everything ... When I am somehwere new, or when I am in a "smooth mood", I ride slower... but when I am training, or testing bikes, or when I feel like I can have more fun being focused on the riding instead of the views, then I go faster. My last point: this is not a tourism/travel video... this is about testing this bike! Going fast is how you test the limits and the capabilities... because any bike can go slow ;)

[@markstark9260]

very nice bike but sadly it has a chines engine...

[@krazed0451]

Plenty of reliable Chinese engines about... Whether this one is remains to be seen ;-)

[@pabloricardodetarragon2649]

BMW uses Loncin engines on the 800 sold at BM prices, Kawasaki, KTM use engines made in China. Zongchen makes engines for Piaggo.

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

I also have doubts... but I also have some optimism (for the same reasons @krazed0451 and @Pablo Ricardo de Tarragon explained :D)

[@pabloricardodetarragon2649]

@@OFFroadOFFcourse I've found some return by 2 german guys over 17000 km including around 2000 km off road. I keep all that when you'll upload the full test. Buts it's very interesting, very serious, very germanic. I'll give all the links. Happily for most of us it's subtitled in many languages including English. Be patient, but I do not want to ruin your complete test giving all the information. I can say that reliability is not a 1990 Honda 750 VFR, able to make 200000 km with just maintenance, but it's not bad at all. For sure it's not a lemon, or a Chinese cheaply made bike

[@markstark9260]

@@krazed0451 yap, hope for the best..

[@pabloricardodetarragon2649]

It's a pretty interesting bike. MX Test made a test pushing, it pretty hard on a cross circuit, look at 13:22 kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4W0kpyDerh8eMk the jump of a double table. An exercise not very common with a trail. They said it's a true trail bike. The quality of the fork was praised. Good brakes and a non obtrusive ABS. Very round and soft engine. About the engine I have found this adventuremotorcyclinghandbook.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/zong450-1.jpg The power and torque curves show a pretty round engine at 5500 RPM the engine has already around 30+ HP, and 35 N.M of torque, that's pretty interesting.