The Fantic XE 300 Is Coming to America

[advrider]

Italy-based Fantic is once again making a fresh play for US sales, bringing in a couple of its enduro bikes for 2025.

We had our suspicions back when the Fantic XE 300 was revealed at EICMA in 2023. The description in the press release matches what we learned about the bike at that time: two-stroke, electric start, fuel injection, oil injection, ten modes of traction control, and two different maps. The engine is based on a Yamaha YZ design, as Fantic has a strong partnership with them, and their engine builder, Moto Minnarelli, was once owned by Yamaha. You can read all about the details of the XE 300 in our previous article.

The other bike coming here is also an existing design, the XEF 250 TL. Unlike the Fantic XE 300, this has a 250cc four-stroke liquid-cooled engine with electronic fuel injection. Its displacement, bore, and stroke perfectly match the Yamaha YZ250F, but the Fantic version has a six-speed transmission while the Yamaha only has five. It’s set up to be more of a trail-riding machine, which is clear from its name as the XEF 250 Trail overseas.

One important thing we do not yet know is whether these motorcycles will be street-legal in the US. The XE 300 is legal to ride on European roads, and the XEF 250 TL also has lights, but it also depends on emission requirements. Both bikes are Euro5 compliant, and the proliferation of Chinese bikes has made the registration of non-mainstream brands more common, so while we can’t confirm street legality at this time, it’s a distinct possibility.

Central Powersports Distribution will handle the logistics of importing the bikes and getting them to Fantic dealers. They already handle many brands, including Torrot electric bikes and X-Grip tires and tubes. Fantic USA is also looking for dealers to sell its motorcycles stateside. The dealer locator on their website doesn’t work yet, but it should soon.

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