Have you seen Into the Wild, or read the book it is based on? You know, the story about Christopher McCandless, the promising student and athletic son of affluent parents who gave it up all for a life of travel and living with nature in its very basic form. It is a powerful story and one that resonates with us, the Generation Y, the millennials. The same group who also had posters of Easy Riders on their dorm walls and is still prone to quoting Fight Club quotes when with friends.
Unfortunately, not every one of us has the luxury, nay, the fortitude, to chuck it all aside and live the oddly satisfying life of a vagabond. It takes a special kind of mindset to say goodbye to a grounded life and go ahead and answer the call of the open road.
There’s a certain ilk that comes closest to it though. Bikers. Or, more specifically, tourers. The people who take a leave of absence from their 9-to-5 lives just to dust off their steeds, tank it up to the brim, and ride off into the unknown for as long as time allows them. You will find these people at some special places, sipping overly sweetened chai at a dhaba beside four-lane highways, laboriously making their way up to Khardung La, or parked beside a village road, admiring the sunset with their rides by their sides. They are recognizable by their clothing and their motorcycles too – the lucky ones ride specialized bikes made for touring while the rest make do with whatever they commute to their office also. Both groups love their bikes the same though, a fact attested simply by the mileage they put on the latter every month, every year.
And, since you’re reading this, it’s safe to say, you belong to at least one, or probably both of those two groups. We also have with us here a specialized bike made for touring. Meet the Benelli TNT 600 GT.
Photography: Rohan Patil
Design and Features
Touring bikes, by their very specific design requirements, aren’t the most sporty or fastest looking motorcycles on the planet. Eschewing fancy styling cues, they’re meant to protect the riders from windblasts at high speeds, hence a tall windscreen and at least a half fairing of some sort is de rigeur. They’re ridden for longer durations that any other category of motorcycles so they need to be more comfortable. Hence a tall and wide handlebar in place of clip-ons, well-padded seats in place of a sliver of foam beneath your bum, and a relaxed riding position that more resembles a commuter bike than a thoroughbred track monster. Also, since they are meant to be stable, with the ability to lug around luggage and tools and spares, they are big. Really, really, big.
The Benelli TNT 600 GT is a big motorcycle. It also has all of those attributes that would make it an excellent touring machine. And it looks pretty decent too as far as tourers go, although it is nowhere as sit-up-and-take-notice as the sibling it shares most of its mechanicals with, the Benelli TNT 600 i streetbike.
Upfront, the large projector headlights with clearly demarcated high and low beam lamps dominate the look. The plexi windshield is adjustable for two positions, mounted on black plastic air scoops that channel air to the large radiator behind it. They meld nicely with the white half fairing, which also houses the long and uniquely shaped clear-lens indicators. Thick 50mm upside down forks painted golden, twin front discs, and 120mm dual purpose front tyres round up the front look.
Instrumentation on the GT is dominated by a large analogue tachometer, flanked by an LCD readout at the right and tell tale lights at the left. The LCD is comprehensive, with an engine management display, clock, and a speedo that displays in both miles as well as kilometers. Switchgear is also comprehensive, with a hazard light function at both ends of the bars’, although their quality leaves a little to be desired. Unlike the TNT 600 i and the TNT streetfighters, the stylish switchblade-style key goes in front of the handlebars, making it more accessible.
Two hard panniers painted in body color adorn either side of the pillion seat. They’re lockable, and can be complemented by another pannier directly behind the pillion’s backrest. Nestled between the two side panniers are the taillight and the stylish clear-lens indicators.
The problem with small manufacturers like Benelli is that in some cases they can’t exercise a tight control over the quality of components as bigger marques do. Which is probably why parts of the GT feels extremely high-end, like the white and black body panels, while other parts seems like they have been sourced from factories with less stringent manufacturing norms. These include the switchgear, exhaust, the luggage mounting points and the panniers themselves.
>>>Next Page for Performance and Efficiency of the TNT 600 GT>>>
No, it wont go to Khardung La and come back. You will have to ride it.
Do you think this bike will go to Khardung La ? I am thinking to buy this bike to exploring rough terrains like Leh.
How would the Benneli-650GT compare with the Kawasaki Versys 650 and the Suzuki Vstrom 650 which may be available in this year?
Do the panniers come with the bike or sold separately and what is the capacity. Any idea about an ABS version.
The bike will appeal not only to the ones with touring mindset, but also couples who ride together. There is a dearth of machines that have good pillion comfort, maybe Bonneville , but many of us who can afford the bike are pushing 40 years of age.