There are manufacturers out there who continue with unchanged designs, same specs and features of their vehicles for years. In the past one year, Benelli has proven to the world that it is certainly not in the same league. Its home country witnessed a slew of updated Benellis last year and lucky for us, most of them are India-bound this year. This time around, Benelli sent the 302R to the surgeon and it has come out looking sharper than ever before!
More details
Before the BS6 era began, the Benelli 302R used to exist in our market as well. It was renowned for its big-bike looks and being a Benelli, for its addictive acoustics as well!
Updated design
When it comes to looks, its previous iteration was certainly a looker. A chick magnet, if you please. Its latest iteration though, has turned into an absolute player with its chiselled bodywork and sharp lines. One good look at the front fascia and you would know that Benelli’s in-house designers are scoring the good stuff. The bike now comes equipped with vertically stacked projection lamps that is flanked by LED turn indicators. Even the side panels appear sharper than before. Similarly, the rear end too has been altered with an LED taillight and air vents under the pillion seat. Pretty cool, right?
Specs and features
Things aren’t as exciting when it comes to its mechanical front though. To make the motorcycle more iceberg-friendly, Benelli had to revise the engine. The BS6/Euro5 compliant 302cc parallel-twin motor now puts down 35PS and 27Nm — 3.5PS less power and 0.5Nm more torque than the BS4 version. The engine is coupled to a 6-speed transmission. Before you shake your head with disappointment, we just want to throw another number in the mix. Benelli engineers have made the new bike lighter by 22kg and it now weighs 182kg (kerb). Weight saving, bro!
Another major change comes in the form of a new TFT display with an odometer, speedometer, gear position indicator, fuel level, and engine temperature. The previous iteration boasted of an analogue-digital instrument console but we have to admit, that the new cockpit view certainly looks more appealing than before. The bike now gets 41mm front forks with preload adjustability and at the rear, there’s a mono-shock with the same adjustability feature. Braking hardware comprises dual front discs with 4-piston callipers and a single disc at the rear. Dual-channel ABS comes standard.
Expect the updated Benelli 302R to announce its arrival in our country sometime this year and when it does, it might make Kawasaki Ninja 300’s life a little more difficult.