Benelli is wasting no time in coming up with all-new machines. The Italian brand, now owned by a Chinese company, seems to be on a portfolio expansion spree. China is hosting the China International Motorcycle Trade Expo (CIMA) and Benelli is making a strong appearance there. It recently unveiled the Benelli 1200GT in all its glory. As the name suggests, it is a Grand Tourer and to be honest, it looks like an outdated Honda Goldwing.
Powertrain
The most interesting feature of the new bike is its liquid-cooled 1,200cc engine, which is actually a borrowed and upsized version of Benelli’s 1,130cc inline-triple previously used in the Tornado and Tre-K motorcycles. The new engine can produce a massive 134bhp and 120Nm of torque. The biggest competitor of the 1200GT is the BMW R 1250RT, which produces 136bhp of power and 14Nm of torque.
Feature list
While the looks might be subjective, Qianjiang has added several higher-end features to make the model competitive in the segment. The bike comes with an inverted fork, a hydraulic clutch, a set of Brembo brakes, push-start ignition, heated handgrips and saddle, and even electronically adjustable mirrors. In fact, as per some reports, the bike will also feature a pair of front and back cameras, though Benelli is yet to confirm how they will be used.
The images also show some features, that will be laid on the dashboard, which unfortunately uses an analogue tachometer and speedometer and also is covered with a lot of hard, shining plastic which gives it a retro look. The entire cluster does include a small colour display but nonetheless, the quality used could have been a little better.
Taking a leaf from the BMW Motorrad design book, the 1200GT follows the BMW R1250RT’s styling cues closely and from certain angles there would be little to differentiate the two sports-tourers. While price and final market specification have yet to be revealed, the 1200GT is expected to roll off the production line in the first half of 2021.
Also read: Production-Ready Benelli TRK 502X Leaked Online
The Chinese brand has also teased a new motorcycle which is wrapped under a green silk sheet and also, a new engine. We are expecting the TRK502X to make an official debut this week at the CIMA. Although, there isn’t any official confirmation regarding this so there’s a strong possibility that the Chinese manufacturer might surprise us by unveiling a sports bike or possibly a super naked from the Chinese Italian concern.