Benelli  GT Action

Benelli TNT 600 GT Review: GranTurismo

Ride and Handling

 As you’d expect, with its upright and relaxed riding posture, the 600 GT is a plush machine to be on, much more so than its streetfighter siblings we’ve tested recently. The reach to the tall handlebars is perfect for both six-footer Rohan and tiny me, and the seat is lower than other Benelli streetfighters at 800mm.  The footpegs are very slightly rearset, and impart a natural stance that ensures that you can ride on for hours on end without needing to take a break. The two-piece stepped seat is well padded and there is ample room to move around, so changing postures slightly on the saddle is possible.

Benelli 600 GT Action (2)

With the steel trestle frame, meaty 50mm upside down forks at the front and the rear swingarm mounted asymmetrically on an aluminium sub-frame, the Benelli is a stable handler too. They aren’t adjustable except for preload and rebound at the rear, but the GT has been set up softer before it left the factory premises. It is a lot more pliant, which is a boon considering our less than stellar highways.

Benelli 600 GT side (1)

The downside of this soft suspension, and the GT’s inherent girth, is the handling. Shod with 120/70-17 and 180/70-17 Pirelli Angel GT dual-purpose tyres at the front and rear respectively, the GT corners with poise, but it is not the most flickable bike on the road. You have to push the inside ‘bars quite a bit before it turns, giving the impression of a bike that is most at home on the straight and the narrow. Once it is leaned in though, it will hold a line, aided by the 1430mm wheelbase and, despite the 27 litre fuel tank, the centralized centre of gravity.

Benelli 600 GT front discs

Maybe we are nitpicking here really, because no tourer has been made to carve corners like a streetbike, and no streetbike will offer the cushy ride of an adventure bike. That said, the Benelli TNT 600 GT is a stable handler even with a pillion and luggage, and unless you have a proclivity for rushing into tight corners on full throttle, it should more than suffice. What’s more important is the ride quality over long distances, and here the GT excels. The panniers do not get in the way of either comfort or hard cornering, and remain unobtrusively tucked at the side. You can safely forget the girth they add until you’re maneuvering in heavy traffic.

Braking duties on the GT are handled by 320mm twin floating discs and radial calipers with braided steel cables upfront, while the rear is taken care of by a double piston caliper biting down on a single 260mm disc. The brakes are good – not as grabby as some sportsbikes but providing good and gradual deceleration throughout.

Benelli 600 GT (2)

>>> Next Page for our Verdict on the TNT 600 GT >>>

8 thoughts on “Benelli TNT 600 GT Review: GranTurismo”

  1. Do you think this bike will go to Khardung La ? I am thinking to buy this bike to exploring rough terrains like Leh.

  2. How would the Benneli-650GT compare with the Kawasaki Versys 650 and the Suzuki Vstrom 650 which may be available in this year?

  3. Do the panniers come with the bike or sold separately and what is the capacity. Any idea about an ABS version.

  4. 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.

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