xBhp rides and reviews three hot new Italians
from the Benelli stable
Text: Sundeep Gajjar (motoGrapher) and Sunil Gupta
Photos: Sundeep Gajjar (motoGrapher), Sunil Gupta and
Gourab Das
xBhp
Benelli
is one of the oldest Italian motorcycle manufacturing companies which was founded in 1911 in Pesaro,
Italy by Teresa Benelli. Teresa became a widow and decided to invest all her savings into a small garage
to secure the future of her 6 sons - Giuseppe, Giovanni, Filippo, Francesco, Domenico and Antonio “Tonino” Benelli. The
workshop repaired bicycles and motorcycles and also produced spares for cars/bikes. They also produced guns for the
Italian military during the first world war.
Benelli produced their first motorcycle engine, a single cylinder 2-stroke 75 cc machine - that
was placed in a bicycle frame but it didn’t work well. They built their first proper motorcycle in
1921 and have never looked back since. Benelli won many racing championships in Italy and
Europe, thanks to Tonino Benelli, who was a gifted rider. The company went on to produce
many motorcycles for civilian and military use, including ground breaking models like a 250cc
supercharged engine in 1940. Over its 100+ year history, Benelli has seen many ups and downs,
the most prominent being the complete destruction of its factories during World War II and
then complete shut down in 1988 due to declining sales. But each time, the company has risen
from the ashes like a phoenix and has given us really desirable machines.
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HISTORY OF
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BENELLI
Benelli TnT 600 GT
Capacity
Power
Torque
Ground Clearance
Wheel Base
Seat Height
Fuel Tank Capacity
Weight
600 cc
80.46 bhp
55 Nm
150 mm
1,430 mm
800 mm
27 L
223 kg
DSK Motowheels: Established in 2012, DSK Motowheels, a part of the DSK Group (a diversified business
group with a turnover of over Rs. 5000 crore) forayed
into India’s rapidly growing automobile sector when
they bought Hyosung from Garware and started selling the Koreans under the brand name of DSK-Hyosung. Headed by Mr. Shirish Kulkarni, who is an avid
biker himself and a great person to hang out with,
DSK Motowheels soon made it clear that they are here
to stay when they announced their plans for setting
up a new plant in Maharashtra for assembling and
manufacturing the Hyosung bikes and also their plans
to enter the mass market by bringing motorcycles in
the 125cc category.
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xBh
They added another jewel to their crown by announcing their partnership with Benelli, one of the oldest
Italian motorcycle brands and bringing them to India.
DSK Motowheels will be opening 7 exclusive Benelli
showrooms across the country to begin with. These
showrooms will be opened in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune,
Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata.
The DSK Motowheels – Benelli joint venture will be
assembling and selling the following bikes in India
from their stable – TNT 302 (inline two cylinder 300cc),
TNT 600i (600cc, inline four), TNT 600GT (600cc, inline
four), TNT 899 (898cc, inline three), and also TNT 1130R
(1130cc, inline three). With a CKD plant
in Maharashtra, the brand enjoys the
status of having the strongest and most
well entrenched superbike network in
India. DSK Motowheels is known for
its high-end biking experience, extended product line, technology and
quality. DSK Motowheels also prides
itself in providing the best customer
centric service and aftersales support in the Indian Superbike Market.
Benelli is currently owned by a Chinese group called the Qianjiang Group which
makes everything from scooters to quads, electric bikes, generators, pumps, etc.
The QJ group produces about 1.2 million two wheelers per year. However don’t
let the Chinese connection dissuade you from considering this brand. The quality is top notch. And like many luxury brands (Apple etc.), some Benellis will also
be made in China. Benelli has set foot in India with the help of DSK Motowheels
and looks set to launch 5 motorcycles from its current stable. We thank DSK Motowheels for bringing these Italian beauties here and wish them all the success.
We believe that the arrival of Benelli
motorcycles will write a new chapter
in the Indian motorcycling history as
it will give more options to the Indian
motorcycle enthusiast and give them
access to an iconic and exotic yet affordable (going by DSK Motowheels’
history and our discussions with the
company officials) brand of motorcycles. DSK will now have big biggies at
both ends of the spectrum - Hyosung
can be bought by people who want affordability while Benelli can be bought
by people who are brand conscious
and have a statement to make.
A few days ago, we got a chance to
ride 3 Benellis in Pune – the TNT 600i,
the 600GT, and the TNT 899, and here’s
what we think about them.
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Braking was well taken care of by two 320
mm twin discs up front and a 260 mm single
disc at the rear. This bigger tank and the fairing do make the Benelli TNT 600GT appear
huge from some angles; however, once you
sit on it that bulkiness disappear. From the
saddle, the GT looks well balanced. Even riders of a short stature would find themselves
at ease. Despite all its visible bulk, the best
thing about the 600GT was the way it handles. Thanks to the sorted chassis and the
suspension setup, the bike simply surrenders itself to the rider and does exactly what
he wants and goes exactly where he wants
it to go, be it in crawling city traffic or high-
Benelli TNT 600GT
Reviewed by Sunil Gupta
If memory serves you right, you’d remember a mid-sized semi-faired bike with a
couple of panniers thrown in, sharing the stage with all the other nakeds during
the DSK-Benelli joint venture announcement. I saw the same bike at EICMA at the
Benelli stall.
The bike showcased there was the Benelli TNT 600GT, which is a touring variant of
Benelli’s popular TNT 600 naked with a wider seat, semi-fairing, huge tank (27L),
and a dual projector headlamp. Powering the Benelli TNT 600GT is the same liquidcooled, DOHC inline-four machine that is fitted onto its naked sibling, the TNT 600.
Available on tap from this engine are 82 horses at 11,000 rpm and around 56 Nm
of torque at 8,000 rpm. This fuel injected engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox,
which transfers the 82 horses to the rear wheel in a rather calm and subdued manner. There is no sudden rush of adrenalin even if you twist the throttle vigorously,
but a smooth and seemingly unhurried surge of power. This makes the TNT 600GT
a suitable bike for those who are planning to upgrade to a powerful yet unintimidating machine that would take care of their city commutes as well as occasional
long hauls to the Himalayas or some other unexplored territory. A change of tyres
to something which can handle gravel and off roads would however be prudent.
Absorbing the impact from the road is the suspension system consisting of a
50mm USD fork at the front and a single side mounted monoshock at the rear.
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speed runs on the highway. Ample low end
torque let it take the bumper-to-bumper city
traffic with utmost ease. Thanks to the ultrasticky Pirelli rubber, it seemed eager to take
on the corners of Lavasa with aplomb and
even while riding in the Pune city traffic on a
Monday evening for around an hour, the bike
showed no signs of overheating and that for
me was a wonderful thing. Fit and finish wise
as well, the bike didn’t leave us disappointed.
It was a rather short ride we had on the Benelli
TNT 600GT to be able to review it in detail.
However, there was hardly anything negative
that we could find or say about it. The Benelli
TNT 600GT will be available in India in 3 colours – white, black, and the matte army green.
The panniers may or may not come as standard fitment – decision yet to be taken by the
management. And the price of the bike will be
revealed soon when the bike actually goes for
sale in approximately the second week of December. There have been a lot of speculations
about the price of it; however, we are pretty
confident that the folks at DSK Motowheels
are going to price it very aggressively.
Benelli TnT 600i
Capacity
Power
Torque
Ground Clearance
Wheel Base
Seat Height
Fuel Tank Capacity
Weight
600 cc
80.46 bhp
52 Nm
178.5 mm
1,480 mm
800 mm
15 L
208 kg
Benelli TNT 600i
Reviewed and Ridden by Sundeep Gajjar
The Benelli 600i was a sweet surprise. I will start
off with a verdict first: This is one of the best 600s
I have ever ridden.
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xB
Looks: Edgy and futuristic. Except the front
headlight which is pretty ordinary (but by no
means bad) compared to the rest of the bike,
the whole package is attractive. I rode the red
one and it was the red we are used to seeing on
Ducatis and Ferraris, in other words – Italian red.
Nothing is better than red on an Italian machine
somehow, eh? Well this is more proof. The frame
is comprised of a front steel trestle and rear aluminium. I would have preferred the trestle to be
red as well ala the 899, perhaps it would it give
the bike a sportier look? The instrument cluster
is minimalistic, but by no means ugly. The panel
lines are angular and the stickering minimal.
The best part of the bike for me was the rear with
its dual edgy and triangular underseat exhausts.
It should look better with tail tidy and mini aftermarket indicators. I find no reason (other than
perhaps gaining more power) that one should
replace the stock exhausts with aftermarket
ones. They look and perfectly match the lines of
the bike. The side scoops give the bike a meaty
streetfighter look. I would still prefer a projector
lamp up front ala the 600GT should Benelli think
of making it a perfect looker.
Overall the bike looks attractive, though not obviously Italian (like the 899). The fit and finish is
top notch and you would have to try pretty hard
to fight the fact that it is made in China (with all
due respect as many luxury products and electronics are indeed made in PRC).
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Benelli Tornado Naked Tre 899
Capacity
899 cc
Power
118 bhp
Torque
88 Nm
Ground Clearance
135 mm
Wheel Base
1,443 mm
Seat Height
830 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity
16 L
Weight
205 kg
Performance and Engine:
There are hardly any 600s in the Indian market today. And I suspect
that the BN600i will be amongst the more exciting ones. Once you
thumb the starter the bike gives you instant aural pleasure. It is already loud and sweet in its stock form. The seating posture is comfortable enough for long rides and it feels torquey right off the mark
though the real fun starts at around 4500 rpm. It is an inline four (unlike the 899 which is an inline three) and it revs pretty high for a street
naked – 82 Bhp at 11500 rpm and 52Nm at 10500 rpm.
The bike feels pretty light and peppy. Despite being an inline four
600 the initial pull is good enough for slow traffic. Overtaking is also
relatively easy with a linear powerband that also makes it suitable for
touring. A fly screen and saddlebags should turn it into a good long
distance machine. Maybe spacers would help take off more loads
from the wrists for that odd Iron Butt ride you may plan. It will also
serve to be a great transitory bike before jumping onto a litre class
from a quarter litre. The power is not brutal and the overall nature
of the bike is forgiving. In fact I sometimes thought I was a riding a
Japanese, yes it was that smooth (despite it being a media test bike!).
I was particularly at home in the corners with the bike – light and
flickable. Though definitely ABS would make it more newbie friendly,
the brakes do a good job.
It has also got the best ground clearance (178.5mm), the best being
that of the Hyosung GT650N at 185mm in this CC segment, so you
can think of taking it to Ladakh with appropriate tyre, underbelly
plate and handlebar riser mods. I think this will be one of the hottest
selling bikes in India, if they price it right and have the appropriate
service backup and spare part inventory.
xBhp
reviews.xBhp.com
Benelli TNT 899
Ridden and reviewed by Sundeep Gajjar
Legend has it that the first TNT 1130 super naked models were almost
untameable, wheelie addicts with a certain raw character that you
will rarely find in the super refined engines of today. This was in 2004,
when the first naked TNT came out. Things have changed since. The
current TNT 899 Naked which I rode is touted to be a far more refined
and docile monster (pardon the pun which might refer to a certain
model of another Italian marque). The engine of this bike was derived
from the original 1130 superbike engine that Benelli had developed.
The 899 used to come in two flavours, the T and the S, the latter being
introduced in 2008. The two versions differ in suspension, with the S
having a fully adjustable front fork. Now it has been consolidated, but
surprisingly leaving the ability to adjust the front fork behind. There
is still some confusion as to which models are still available globally,
but in all probability it will be only 899 TNT, the T version. It is touted
to be one of the best renditions of the naked motorcycle theme, and
I agree. Being an Italian it had to look radical. The first look will leave
you intrigued. There is a lot going on to keep your eyes busy. From
the unique side mounted radiators to the suave petal discs and the
unique front static headlight arrangement that is complemented by
the underseat exhaust flanked by interesting two piece taillights and
a red swingarm and frame which stands out.
Firing it Up
The 899 is an inline three setup. The sound is literally music to your
ears, it is not as refined as an inline four, but it is not as raw as a Vtwin either. It is loud enough to warrant for some sort of modification while being homologated for sale in India. I hope that doesn’t
affect too much performance.
I took it off road and over potholes too. The suspension, I felt, was
a little too hard but then I was riding it on all kinds of road a little
too hard! Make no mistake, even though it is ‘just’ 118 odd bhp, remember it’s from a 900cc mill and it is Italian. The overall package
is very attractive, though I would have loved to have ABS and traction control on it to make it a complete package. What is interesting
though is that Kawasaki offers ABS as standard on the Z800 in India.
But the 899 is a lot lighter than the Z800. What is more interesting is
the Ducati Streetfighter is the only modern Ducati that doesn’t have
ABS! Makes me wonder what might be the reason? However, I am
used to riding a Yamaha FZ1000, which is 150 Bhp without these aids,
however they do make life easier and safer on the roads. The Brembo
brakes however do ensure enough bite via 2 x 320 mm discs up front
and one 240 mm disc at the rear.
And off you go
The bike feels solid once you sit on it. I was a little disconcerted
when I realized that the front headlight is static, taking a bit away
from the naked theme, but after a while I didn’t really realize it. The
To sum it up the 899 will be a great option for a mid range power
gear shifts are precise and the first gives you a reassuring thud. Renaked. Everything now depends on the pricing, if it is priced around
lease the clutch and the 118 Bhp / 88 Nm of torque do their bit to
7.5 ex, it should be a winner! xBhp
coax you into twisting that throttle until the bike gets into a frenzy,
which it does at around 8000 rpm. Soon enough you want to behave like a hooligan. The upright stance coupled with slightly aggressive rearset pegs encourages you to flick the bike in corners like
I did en route to Lavasa. In no time I was thrashing it like a superbike,
the sound goading me on. The Lavasa surrounds propelled me into
day dreaming that I was riding somewhere in Italy, which I have
come to love so much in the last few years of riding there.
The front 3/4th view looks the best and very meaty for the 899. The
most unique visual feature of the 899 has to be the side mounted
radiators. But the Benellis have been known to put their radiators
in strange places. The Benelli Tornado Tre 1130 had its radiator under the seat (!) and two radiator fans right below the tail, giving it a
faux exhaust look which looked really cool! The instrument console
is pretty basic but again functional. The build quality and workmanship of the 899 (which is made in Italy and not in China) is excellent.
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