Benelli has launched two adventure touring motorcycles in India - the Benelli TRK 502 and TRK 502X priced at Rs 5 lakh and Rs 5.4 lakh, ex-showroom respectively. These bikes are attractively priced since they are much cheaper than the Triumph Tiger 800 or Ducati Multistrada 950.
The Benelli TRK 502 and TRK 502X are mid-capacity motorcycles. The bikes are powered by 500cc, two-cylinder, liquid-cooled engines that develop 47.5PS of power at 8.500 rpm and 46 Nm of peak torque at 6,000 rpm. It gets a six-speed transmission.
The bikes are aimed at buyers who want an adventure tourer that is more powerful than Royal Enfield’s Himalayan or BMW’s GS310, but yet not as expensive as the Triumph and Ducati offerings. It only has the Kawasaki Versys 650 as an immediate competitor, but the Versys is more expensive at Rs 6.5 lakh ex-showroom.
Benelli has had a bit of a rough ride in the Indian market. The company’s earlier partner in India, DSK, ran into a spot of financial trouble. The company has now tied up with Adish Auto Ride India, part of the Hyderabad-based Mahavir Group, for the sales and distribution of its bikes. The bikes are imported and assembled in Hyderabad from Italy and South East Asia.
A quick look at the design of the bike – it has proper adventure tourer styling, shod with 50mm upside down forks and a trellis frame that makes it rugged for cross-country use. The rear gets a mono-shock. The TRK 502 has 17-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli tyres, while the TRK 502X gets spoked wheels with 19-inch front and 17-inch rear tyres.
It gets twin 320 mm disc brakes at the front and a single-piston 260 mm disc at the rear. It features switchable ABS at the rear – a useful feature when riding off-road, and something found on more expensive bikes. They come with 20-litre fuel tanks, which should make them good adventure tourers.
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