Benelli

With knobby tires, spoked wheels, and higher suspension travels, this segment is ready to take on tough terrains across the world. The retro-modern design language is literally in fashion now, and most of the Scramblers in the 2020 line-up flaunt them. It is an intelligent fusion of an old-school cover over modern technology that is born to live both the city and the wildlife.

Here is a list of our six favorite Scramblers who does all of that for just under $ 10,000. Aiding it will be a torquey motor with high mounted exhaust pipes and knobby tires to take it on terrains otherwise not possible.

Reinforced for off-road duty, Scramblers of today hark back at South-West California and Mexico’s Baja scenes in the ’60s and ’70s. They were fitted with engines displacing upwards of 500cc and stripped off anything nonsensical to run on roads or no roads. Featured on these were off-road tires, wheels, and spokes and were given modified suspension systems and engine skid plates, a trademark indispensable in shielding the bike from rocks, stones, and the unforgiving desert terrain.

Here is our list of new Scrambleresque motorcycles coming in 2020 that promise to churn out rugged, stripped down, vintage fun resurrected from its heyday during the 1960s and earlier. Aiding it will be a torquey motor with high mounted exhaust pipes and knobby tires to take it on terrains otherwise not possible.

The beginning of this century saw the world views changing gradually towards climate change and the need to preserve the environment. This, along with stringent policies, has forced the manufacturers to develop motorcycles that can run cleaner fuel and extract the maximum economy from it, sometimes even at the cost of performance.

Bad news for people who seek the element of thrill, but a pretty good one for someone living in urban jungles where folks prefer commuting on a motorcycle rather thank a car for its practicality and frugal fuel-efficiency. Then there are us few who love the idea of putting serious miles on two-wheels and living the adventure.

We here have compiled a list to give you the best available tools for such situations and save some money on gas while at it.

Constructed mainly to please the young and new riders looking for some fun and entertainment, Pocket / Monkey bikes piece of machinery. It is quite literally the most accessible motorcycles to ride with advanced suspension, a strong steel frame, alloy wheels with disc brakes, grippy, all-weather tires and racy, naked-bike styling that will have you grinning all day long.

This is our list of the top seven pocket bikes on sale in 2018 designed in a class and style of a mini motorcycle. Originally designed to help introduce children as young as 8 to the world of motocross, these mini motorcycles have gained their fair share of adult fans too. Pocket bikes provide high-octane, adrenaline-fueled fun in a smaller, safer package.

Reinforced for off-road duty, Scramblers of today hark back at the South-West California and the Mexico’s Baja scenes in the ’60s and ’70s. They were fitted with engines displacing upwards of 500cc and stripped off anything that is nonsensical to run on roads or no roads. Featured on these were off-road tires, wheels, and spokes and were given modified suspension systems and engine skid plates; a trademark indispensable in shielding the bike from rocks, stones, and the unforgiving desert terrain.

Here is our list of Scrambleresque motorcycles of 2018 that promise to churn out rugged, stripped down, vintage fun resurrected from its heyday during the 1960’s and earlier. Aiding it will be a torquey motor with high mounted exhaust pipes and knobby tires to take it on terrains otherwise not possible.

In a country that is price conscious, it was a gamble played by motorcycle manufacturers when they decided to bring in their higher segment motorbikes into India. But luckily, people started investing in premium motorcycles that were lauded in the performance and engineering arena. More and more players started entering the Indian subcontinent to showcase their entry level performance machines. And the gamble paid off.

Now, Benelli, another Italian manufacturer (albeit owned by a Chinese firm) is setting up an assembly unit in the subcontinent. In a partnership deal with Adishwar Auto Ride India-Mahavir Group, Benelli will be selling their machines only to the Indian market.

Ever since Benelli started showcasing us products designed by CentroStile Benelli, their reputation seems to have gotten back to its original charm albeit owned by a Chinese firm. The same design house has once again wowed us by showcasing the Leoncino (pronounced Leon-cheeno), meaning the Lion Cub street and the Leoncino Trail, the scrambler-esque edition.

These motorcycles were first showcased at the 2015 EICMA as a concept, and the very next year, the production model came out for the European and a few Asian markets, and it had maintained the rugged and beautiful lines. We are here for the "all-terrain" version of the two-cylinder Casa di Pesaro.

Ever since Benelli started showcasing us products designed by CentroStile Benelli, slowly their reputation seems to have gotten back to its original charm albeit owned by a Chinese firm. The same design house has once again wowed us by showcasing the Leoncino (pronounced Leon-cheeno), meaning the Lion Cub.

This street motorcycle was first showcased at the 2015 EICMA as a concept and people had then put a lot of money on these bikes because of the potential shown. Then the very next year, the production model came out for the European and a few Asian markets, and it had maintained the rugged and beautiful lines.

Benelli must have lost its old world charm of making machines pecked with impeccable high cap mills and is finding it difficult to proclaim its identity amidst the modern and competitive world, even more after a Chinese firm acquired it. But now, it seems like a thing of the past, more of a ‘myth’ one could say. Benelli has started showcasing us products designed by CentroStile Benelli, and slowly their reputation seems to have gotten back to its original charm albeit with entry-level machines.

The Italian marquee Benelli, which after raking in some interesting numbers with its range of naked streetfighters, has now come up with its first fully faired motorcycle in the entry-level segment, the 302R. With what is supposed to just be a ’fairing slapped on’ issue with the naked TNT 300, the 302R promises more than that.

Benelli was finding it difficult to locate its identity amidst the modern and competitive world, even more after a Chinese firm, Qianjiang acquired it. But now, it seems like a thing of the past. Benelli is trying to revive its fortunes by showcasing products designed by CentroStile Benelli and slowly helping their reputation get back to their original charm.

The firm has got itself a new importer – Benelli USA, a part of the SSR Motorsports in Greensboro, North Carolina. And the first Benelli coming to the USA from them is the TNT 135 monkey bike that made its appearance on our streets a few years ago, which was later discontinued. Now, it is coming back to snatch the throne from the Groms’ and the Z125s’.

SSR Motorsports brings Benelli’s Zafferano 250EFI to the U.S. market as an alternative to the big-name, high-dollar marques. A metro-commuter visage greets the eye with sweepy, modern looks and a healthy dose of sporty sass. A 20-pony plant pushes the Zafferano, so the sporty looks are not just for show. All-around disc brakes and a CVT gearbox round out the modernized features.

Continue reading for my look at the Benelli Zafferano 250EFI.

Benelli takes a calculated risk based on the popularity of the small-displacement neo-monkeybikes in the U.S. market with the release of the TNT135. A compact 47.8-inch wheelbase sets the tone with a minimal subframe and dinky tires with a 13-horsepower plant that drives the fun with plenty of grunt to pull off all your fancy tricks and whatnot. This pit bike really toes the genre line quite nicely with all the appropriate flavors and attitude, and could possibly pose a very real threat to the established rides coming from Honda and Kawasaki. Can it compete against members of the Big Four? Let’s dig in and see.

Continue reading for my look at the Benelli TNT135.

The 300cc category has had a condescending effect on the world’s motorcycle industry, and they got in the fresh breed of entry-level performance motorcycles to blaze the much needed thrilling experience to enthusiasts and purists. As was the TNT 300 and the Tornado 302, there is a new 302 Tourer that has begun treads on one automotive’s iconic names, Benelli.

Currently entering the Chinese space, the 302 tourer will be called as the Benelli BJ300GS and will come with upmarket equipment like the segment’s only dual disc brakes up front, USD suspension and a decent engine. Being a tourer, it will also come with both side and top panniers, windshield and more.

SSR Motorsports continues its full-court press for a slice of the U.S. market by importing Benelli’s Caffenero 150 scooter to attract the entry-level crowd and maybe some urban-commuter traffic with its youthful looks and modern styling. A water-cooled plant churns out almost 13 horsepower with the expected twist-and-go operation courtesy of the CVT transmission so it’s easy to manage and control, even with no prior riding experience. Two-up seating and ’tween-feet storage lend the Caffenero a certain amount of inherent utility as well, so let’s jump in and see what else Benelli has going on with this ride.

Continue reading for my review of the Benelli Caffenero 150.

Benelli put together the TNT300 “Tornado” with both the entry-level market and the frugal commuter segment in mind. This sporty little ride brings an unintimidating powerplant to the table tucked away in a naked sportbike assembly that fits in with current styling standards and carries more than a little Italian DNA. Sophisticated enough to pass muster with the emissions folks, this ride nevertheless presents a relatively simple alternative to some of the available options on the market today. Competition is stiff in the bottom-tier streetbikes from some very well established names, and while Benelli enjoys some 100-year-plus roots itself, the name now belongs to the Qjian Jiang Group (QJ) based in China. Today I’m going to take a look and see how well the transition is working out for this storied Italian company.

Continue reading for my review of the Benelli TNT300.

Benelli’s TNT600 – their biggest sportbike available in the U.S. market – hits the streets for 2018. Powered with a 600 cc engine and upgraded brakes from the previous gen, the TNT 600 is touted as the hottest-selling middleweight naked sportbike in India, though it encounters stiff competition and less-than-enthusiastic response here in North America. Though its roots are Italian, Benelli now comes to us from China. So is it an Italian bike? Or a Chinese bike?

Continue reading for my review of the Benelli TNT 600.

Benelli was finding it difficult to locate its identity amidst the modern and competitive world, even more after it was acquired by a Chinese firm. But now, it seems like a thing of the past, more of a ‘myth’ one could say.

Benelli is trying to revive its fortunes by showcasing products designed by CentroStile Benelli and slowly helping their reputation get back to their original charm. But that is the problem.

They are not trying to build their own reputation, instead, they seem to take on cues from another Italian maker, Ducati.