Benelli To Introduce A 300 cc Sport Tourer?
Highlights
- This 300 cc sport tourer is based on the Benelli TNT 300
- It looks to be production ready
- There is no clarity on the launch timeline at present
Even though we have seen many premium motorcycle manufacturers enter India in the last few years and bring in performance motorcycles in almost every segment, there is one segment, which still has a lot of scope in India. It is the entry-level adventure motorcycle segment. Last we checked, the only motorcycle that falls in this category is the Royal Enfield Himalayan. There are talks of KTM working on an adventure iteration of the 390 Duke and internationally, we have the likes of the Kawasaki Versys X-300 and the upcoming BMW G 310 GS. But none of these motorcycles are likely to make it to India anytime soon.
And then, Benelli comes into the picture, the company recently launched the 302R in India (Also Read: DSK Benelli 302R Launched In India) and is also looking to launch the TRK 502, a 500 cc adventure motorcycle before the year ends. But one of the websites has snapped off a few shots of what could be a 300 cc sport tourer inside Benelli's facility in India. The pictures show a Benelli TNT 300 with certain changes such as a bigger, more chiselled fuel tank, a wind-screen and a fairing, leg guard and multiple panniers. Also, the bike gets a differently designed rear end along with split seats. Completely set to gobble up long distances.
Also Read: DSK Benelli To Launch The TRK 502 Next Year
The engine remains the same, which is a 300 cc parallel twin motor that makes around 38 bhp and 26 Nm of max torque. The other cycle parts look to be the same. The inherent problem of the Benelli TNT 300 was the weight, which weighed down on the performance. With the addition of a fairing, wind-screen and other sport touring fitments, the weight will certainly go up further and it remains to be seen if Benelli would be doing something about it or not. Of course, there is no certainty that Benelli will be bringing it to India. But the market for the same is ripe and if the company can package the motorcycle well, it could do really well. Guess, we will have to wait and watch!
Source: ThrustZone
Last Updated on August 8, 2017