A Chinese-owned Italian brand, Benelli makes some of the most beautiful motorcycles we have ever seen (Benelli Tornado anyone?), but the company has been rather absentee since getting acquired by the Qianjiang Group. Sure, Benelli seems to walk out a new variation of the Benelli TnT or TRE-K just about every year or so, and the Benelli Due has been a work in progress since before the first Obama administration, but for the most part, Benelli has been phoning it in when it comes to its proper motorbikes.
That seems to be changing though, as at EICMA the Italian brand will debut the Benelli BN600 — an 80hp, 600cc, inline-four street-naked. Building off the same established Benelli road-bike aesthetic, the BN600 (we cant tell if that that is Mandarin for either ‘horrible motorcycle name’ or ‘Benelli Naked 600cc’) is an interesting new model from Italy’s other motorcycle manufacturer, as it adds yet another street-naked to the Benelli line, and is close in displacement to the 118hp Benelli TnT 899.
Featuring a liquid-cooled, DOHC, fuel-injected, four-valve, 600cc engine with 38mm throttle bodies, Benelli is making a move from its quirky triples to a more “Japanese” four-cylinder power plant. Not an overly high-performing motorcycle, the peaky Benelli BN600 makes 82hp @ 11,500 rpm, with peak torque being 38 lbs•ft @ 10,500 rpm. Wet sump, wet clutch, six-speed gearbox, Benelli says the BN600 will have a “really competitive price” — whatever that means.
The chassis is a steel trellis / aluminum plate design, with 50mm USD forks and 320mm radial brakes. Benelli’s info is a bit tough to understand, but wouldn’t expect too much adjustability in the stock suspension, as this has all the makings of a budget motorcycle. Rounding out the specs are the BN600′s 17″ wheels with 120/70 & 180/55 tires, front to back respectively. The fuel tanks is 3.92 gallons (16 liters), and colors will be white, black, and orange.
Perhaps a bit underwhelming, especially considering Benelli’s absense of anything substantively new in the marketplace, the BN600 is still a sharp looking machine. If the company is true to its word that the Benelli BN600 will be priced competitively, there could really be an exquisite looking budget machine to be had here…assuming you can get past Benelli’s dubious history with unreliability and non-existent dealer network. Set to be available mid-2013, we will have more details next week.
This is another story that has been broken by Asphalt & Rubber. Be sure to follow the rest of our EICMA news for the most comprehensive coverage from Milan.
Source: Benelli
Lord…what are they doing over there.
Benelli..heck even Gilera, Laverda, Aprilia have an oppurtunity to build a bike in which enthusiasts want but don’t know it yet…a 600cc V4.
Come on people!
WTF! Where is the Due 756?
The engine looks any other W/C Japanese 600 I-4…but more so like a CBR600 knock off…as someone somewhere pointed out.
WOW…is that 1 O2 sensor on each header pipe ? WTF…those things a frigging xpensive to replace when they die.
50mm USD Forks.
320mm rotors.
Radial mount calipers, probably 4 pots.
Easy to adjust side mounted shock.
Too bad about that sky high redline…and weedy torque output…a triple would have done so much better.
Overall a good looking bike and more less decent hardware…albeit a tiny bit behind in the styling department (undertail xhaust).
Lol, Benelli moves away from triples as MV Agusta embraces it with their new line of bikes… One company maybe moving backwards while the other is moving forward…
I’m with Toki on this – WTF is the Due? That was a pretty sharp looking machine and looked almost ready for production too…
I don’t mind the look of the bike, not beautiful by any standard. The bike looks like a nice practical sporty commuter, if that is what they are going for.
The Benelli Tornado Tre 900 is one of my favorite unobtainable European machines (specifically in green and silver of course).
Benelli could have been another version of modern day MV Agusta- exquisite Italian motorcycle exotica, but the momentum of the last Tornado Tre 1130 superbike just died off, which is a big shame to say the least. The Chinese owner should be more willing to come out with the Tornado superbike successor, either in 3 cyl or 4 cyl engine. The brand won’t go anywhere without the flagship products.
Priced competitively better be at around 7-7.5 k for that lump.
I mean real nakeds that say Street Triple R on the side sell for 84 – 95k here in the states and you get full suspension and a proven bike. Just sayin…
@Craig:
I don’t think we’ll see her around here.
Benelli is so lost. Once exciting bikes have been relegating to crappy production and confusing marketing.