Benelli have finally launched the much-awaited adventure tourer they had promised: the new Benelli TRK 502. In addition, the once-Italian-now-Chinese-owned motorcycle company have launched two variants of the bike – the standard TRK 502 and the more adventure-focused TRK 502X.
The new Benelli TRK 502 series boasts comfortable ergonomics, good protection against the elements and a plush suspension, all which are essential on those long adventures we all want, or maybe need. The design sure does looks the part, quite good-looking I might add, of course considering that adventure motorcycles take your fancy.
The TRK 502 duo have a trellis frame made of steel tubes and plates. Front forks are 50-mm USD (upside down) units on both variants, which are non-adjustable. The rear monoshock, on the other hand, comes with adjustments for rebound and preload, once again for both variants. The TRK 502 gets 17-inch alloy wheels with 120/70 and 160/60 Pirelli tyres front and rear, respectively. The more off-road centric TRK 502X receives spoked wheels measuring 19-inches up front and 17-inches at the rear. Rubber on the TRK 502X is a Metzeler 110/80 front and a 150/70 rear. Other differences can be found in dimensions of the two models, the obvious one being the seat height and ground clearance: 800 mm to 840mm and 190 mm to 220 mm, respectively. The wheelbase, however, remains the same for both.
Powering these bikes is a 500-cc, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, DOHC twin-cylinder engine that makes 47.5 PS at 8,500 rpm and a peak torque figure of 46 Nm at 6,000 rpm. Transmission duties are carried out by a six-speed gearbox. Both bikes also share the same brakes, which are twin 320-mm floating discs with two-piston calipers up-front and a single 260-mm disc with a single piston caliper at the rear, both with switchable ABS. Keeping the engine going is done with petrol, and you can carry a maximum of 20 litres for both models.
But, there seems to be a scare within all these numbers, one being the weight. The UK version has an unladen weight of 213 kg. How that would affect the performance considering the power output we shall let you know after testing. Another scare is the price: Rs 5 lakh for the TRK 502 and Rs 5.4 lakh for the TRK 502X, both ex-showroom – which, similar to their weight, seems a bit hefty. Furthermore, these are introductory prices; let’s hope they do not rise too much after, if at all. Colour options for the range are Red, White, and Graphite Grey.
Story: Zal Cursetji
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