Benelli surprised the visitors at the 2015 EICMA and motoring aficionados from across the globe with its all new middle-weight tourer, the TRK 502. Joining the Benelli Trek 1130 Amazonas in Benelli’s touring/adventure motorcycles line-up, this new tourer, and its adventure avatar, is aimed to cater to a wider audience base who seek a more accessible bike.
Benelli gets straight down to business and the touring/off-roading character of the TRK 502 is quite evident through its typical adventure motorcycle design. A dual headlight performs the illumination task while a tall windshield is aimed to enhance comfort by eliminating wind blasts at higher speeds. The knuckle guards on the handlebar add to the rugged look of the motorcycle. This new middle-weight tourer will boast 230 mm of ground clearance too, though we would really like to see an underbody protector that saves the engine from mud and pebbles.
A massive 20 litres fuel tank dips towards the rider seat which might not turn out too healthy for the family jewels in case of hard braking. But we would hold back our thoughts on the comfort till we take the motorcycle out for a ride. That being said, the step-up split seat appears large enough to accommodate rider and a pillion in reasonable comfort. The overall design looks rugged and appealing. For the wanderers who tread the the broken, uncharted territories more than the smooth tarmac, Benelli will offer an off-road spec version which, instead of the alloys gets spoked wheels.
Cocooned inside Benelli’s steel trellis frame is a 499.6cc twin-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that is equipped with a electronic injection, dual overhead camshaft and 4 valves per cylinder. The peak power is rated at 48 PS at 8,500rpm while the maximum torque of 45 Nm kicks-in at 4,500rpm. A engine comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox with hydraulic clutch.
Braking duties would be performed by dual front discs with 320 mm diameter and two-piston floating caliper while the rear will get a 260mm single disc with a twin piston calliper. The stock motorcycle will receive a pair of Pirelli Angel rated at 120/70-17 upfront and 160/60-17 at the rear which will be wrapped around 17-inch alloy wheels. The off-road spec TRK 502, on the other hand, will get spoke wheels with a 19-inch unit at the front and 17-inch unit at the rear, both wrapped in knobby tyres from Metzeler. Uneven surfaces on the road would be tackeld by a long travel adjustable upside down fork upfront and a monoshock suspension at the rear with 150mm travel.
Although unconfirmed, the new Benelli TRK 502 is expected to ride into the Indian market in the second half of 2016 and we expect to hear more details at the 2016 Auto Expo in Delhi. So stay tuned for more updates. Don’t forget to share your views with us through the comments section or via our social networking channels.