The rumors are true indeed. DSK Motowheels, the two-wheeler arm of the DSK Group is going to launch the Benelli marque in India on October 17th. We have just got our invites, with a cryptic message promising some big things from DSK Motowheels soon.
Benelli is one of Italy’s most revered brands, never mind the fact that most of us here in India hasn’t heard of it. That’s because the firm has had some remarkable ups and downs in its long history dating back to the 1900s. The firm started out as a shotgun manufacturer, later branching out into motorcycles. It found success on the racing scene, competing with the likes of MV Agusta, Moto Guzzi, and Ducati.
But, at the turn of the century, Benelli fell on hard times like many of its Italian counterparts, and ownership changed hands to China’s Qianjiang Group. Under new leadership, Benelli renewed its R&D division, focusing on new models will smaller capacity engines and expanding the product line-up. It now has a pretty diverse portfolio, from 50cc two-stroke scooters to the full-blown 1130cc Tornado Tre sportsbike.
We don’t really know how many of these products will make their way to our shores, although it won’t be surprising if DSK Motowheels decides to go the full monty and bring it all here to our delight.
What’s for sure is that spearheading this onslaught will be the Benelli BN302. An all-new naked motorcycle, the BN302 is powered by a 300cc liquid-cooled four-valve DOHC twin cylinder engine producing 37PS of peak power. The other likely candidate is the BN600 range, ranging from a touring bike to a naked streetfighter, that is powered by the same 16-valve DOHC 600cc inline four-cylinder engine. With a maximum power output of 82PS, the BN600 range is pretty much the perfect bike for someone looking to step up from the current crop of 250/300cc bikes we have here in India.
Our sources tell us that DSK’s existing relationship with Hyosung won’t be affected by this new tie-up, and both the partnerships will have comfortable room to thrive and grow independently in the Indian market. Stay tuned for the 17th of October.
