As promised, here are our impressions and up-close photos of the new Benelli TnT R160, which was launched at EICMA this year. As we noted earlier, the 2010 Benelli TnT R160 gets more power and more carbon fiber bodywork. And as expected, the bike from afar is stunning.
We make no secret about how much we lust over the TnT’s lines, and the R160 accentuates those not-so-secret desires even more so. However, up-close the bike has some peculiar, to put it kindly, or shoddy, to put it bluntly, finishes to its carbon pieces. Photos and more after the jump.
We find it odd that Benelli would place a bike like this on its stand, for all to see and scrutinize. Maybe this one was rushed out of the factory for the show, or perhaps its a genuine example of what a buyer can expect to recieve at their local dealership. Regardless of what the case may be, what we got to see and touch were a mix of perfect carbon panels mixed in with some not perfect ones.
The first thing that caught our eye was the almost plastic look on the exhaust can’s carbon fiber exhaust sleeve. It is hard to describe, but the can almost looks like fake carbon, but clearly is the real deal. The effect is hard to see in our photos, but upon closer inspection, there is a “twisting” in the resin, like someone didn’t get the wrinkles out of their vacuum bag before sucking the air out.
The next oddity was the carbon clutch cover. Instead of having imperfections in the clear coat or resin, the piece seemed almost devoid of either. Obviously there is resin with the carbon, otherwise the carbon fibers would never hold their rigidity. But, the cover has a distinct cloudy look to it like very little resin was used, and no clear coat was applied. While this is actually a functionally superior piece, the look cheapens the overall feel of the motorcycle.
Despite all this would we still want a bike like this in our garage? Absolutely, provided the price was right, and we could budget in replacement parts for the ones mentioned above.
Photos: © 2009 Asphalt & Rubber
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