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After a rather long wait, Benelli has finally launched its middleweight Adventure-Touring models here in India. The Benelli TRK 502 and Benelli TRK502X have been launched in India today at INR 5 Lakh and INR 5.40 Lakh respectively. Bookings for the two motorcycles have been commenced online for a token amount of INR 10,000 and the company is also offering a cashback of the same amount at the time of the delivery for the first set of customers.
Benelli TRK 502
The Benelli TRK 502 is the ‘saner’ motorcycle if the two and is more touring oriented of the two. Although we believe it might be able to dispatch soft off-roading shenanigans too. Tall stance, half-fairing, tall windscreen and seemingly comfortable ergonomics give away the touring intentions of the TRK 502. The motorcycle is powered by a liquid-cooled DOHC 8 valve inline-twin engine with a displacement of 500cc. It is good for around 47 Bhp of power at 8500 rpm and 46 Nm of torque at 6000 rpm. The power is transmitted to the rear-wheel via a 6-speed gearbox.
The engine is suspended in a steel-tube trellis frame which should offer a good balance of rigidity and agility further aided by the single-piece wide handlebars. 50mm inverted telescopic forks at the front and rebound & pre-load adjustable hydraulic monoshock at the rear handle the suspension duties for the TRK 502. 320mm dual discs at the front and 260mm single disc at the rear constitute of the braking department. Switchable ABS is a standard offering on both the motorcycles.
Dimensional wise too the motorcycle seems to be purpose built. The 1505 mm wheelbase would make for a planted feel in a straight line and the 190 mm ground clearance is enough for nasty potholes and speedbreakers. 800 mm seat height shall also make for a comfortable experience even for the shorter riders. The TRK features regular 17” alloy wheels and spoked aluminum rim is an optional item. The Pirelli tyres on the TRK 502 seem to be meant for touring and light off-roading and the sizes are 120 section on the front and 160 section on the rear.
Benelli TRK502X
As the suffix suggests, the TRK502X has off-roading capability as the X factor over the regular TRK 502. The TRK502X shares its underpinnings with the TRK 502 with almost similar specs albeit with a few differences. The engine and the numbers are the same and so is the chassis, brakes and suspension department. The differentiating factors and probably the most apparent one is the tyres. The TRK502X features Metzeler tyres with specs are 110/80 – 19 on the front and 150/70 – 17” at the rear. The 19” front wheel should make for increased gyroscopic forces and therefore more stability when things get bumpy.
Another difference is the seat height and ground clearance of the TRK502X. The X variant has an 840 mm seat height which is quite high but the ground clearance of 220 mm makes the motorcycle capable of tackling the worst of roads with elan. Both the motorcycles feature 20 L fuel tank. The range cannot be commented on at the moment since the fuel consumption figures are not out but we expect more than decent figures with the tank of that size. The TRK 502 range is available in 3 colour options – Red, White and Graphite Grey.
Competition
In the middleweight Adventure-touring category we already have the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT, Kawasaki Versys 650 and the SWM SuperDual. While the numbers hand the victory to the other three, the price tips the scale in the favor of the TRK brothers. And then we have the BMW G 310 GS and the Royal Enfield Himalayan too. So, there is no lack of competition for the TRK siblings here in India. They look strong on papers but the real-world performance of the two motorcycles is yet to be seen.
Benelli TRK 502
The Benelli TRK 502 is the ‘saner’ motorcycle if the two and is more touring oriented of the two. Although we believe it might be able to dispatch soft off-roading shenanigans too. Tall stance, half-fairing, tall windscreen and seemingly comfortable ergonomics give away the touring intentions of the TRK 502. The motorcycle is powered by a liquid-cooled DOHC 8 valve inline-twin engine with a displacement of 500cc. It is good for around 47 Bhp of power at 8500 rpm and 46 Nm of torque at 6000 rpm. The power is transmitted to the rear-wheel via a 6-speed gearbox.
The engine is suspended in a steel-tube trellis frame which should offer a good balance of rigidity and agility further aided by the single-piece wide handlebars. 50mm inverted telescopic forks at the front and rebound & pre-load adjustable hydraulic monoshock at the rear handle the suspension duties for the TRK 502. 320mm dual discs at the front and 260mm single disc at the rear constitute of the braking department. Switchable ABS is a standard offering on both the motorcycles.
Dimensional wise too the motorcycle seems to be purpose built. The 1505 mm wheelbase would make for a planted feel in a straight line and the 190 mm ground clearance is enough for nasty potholes and speedbreakers. 800 mm seat height shall also make for a comfortable experience even for the shorter riders. The TRK features regular 17” alloy wheels and spoked aluminum rim is an optional item. The Pirelli tyres on the TRK 502 seem to be meant for touring and light off-roading and the sizes are 120 section on the front and 160 section on the rear.
Benelli TRK502X
As the suffix suggests, the TRK502X has off-roading capability as the X factor over the regular TRK 502. The TRK502X shares its underpinnings with the TRK 502 with almost similar specs albeit with a few differences. The engine and the numbers are the same and so is the chassis, brakes and suspension department. The differentiating factors and probably the most apparent one is the tyres. The TRK502X features Metzeler tyres with specs are 110/80 – 19 on the front and 150/70 – 17” at the rear. The 19” front wheel should make for increased gyroscopic forces and therefore more stability when things get bumpy.
Another difference is the seat height and ground clearance of the TRK502X. The X variant has an 840 mm seat height which is quite high but the ground clearance of 220 mm makes the motorcycle capable of tackling the worst of roads with elan. Both the motorcycles feature 20 L fuel tank. The range cannot be commented on at the moment since the fuel consumption figures are not out but we expect more than decent figures with the tank of that size. The TRK 502 range is available in 3 colour options – Red, White and Graphite Grey.
Competition
In the middleweight Adventure-touring category we already have the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT, Kawasaki Versys 650 and the SWM SuperDual. While the numbers hand the victory to the other three, the price tips the scale in the favor of the TRK brothers. And then we have the BMW G 310 GS and the Royal Enfield Himalayan too. So, there is no lack of competition for the TRK siblings here in India. They look strong on papers but the real-world performance of the two motorcycles is yet to be seen.
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