Nice rare Italian made Honda

[canuck750]

1981 Benelli 654 on Ebay, nothing special IMHO but a clean example of a rare motorcycle

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1981-Benelli-654/323545108064?hash=item4b54ca8e60:g:gWAAAOSw8cFb5lDL:rk:2:pf:0&vxp=mtr

[willowstreetguzziguy]

Ahhh yes... The old Honda inline-500/550/650. Nice copy.

[guzzista]

This one is a real Honda made in Italy,  best seller in Italia for some years till the Kawi Z750 took its place

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

This one is a real Honda made in Italy,  best seller in Italia for some years till the Kawi Z750 took its place

There's been one at the Virginia Guzzi Rally several times.

[cliffrod]

I had a very early Quattro 500 and was thrilled to get it.  Later the Benelli group decided it was probably the first one imported into the USA.

Original paint, 4 dellortos, 4 shoe brake, 4 pipes, Italian,....  I was pretty excited when I found it, then finally came home with it a year later.  But it wasn't any thrill to ride.  Pretty bland bike in stock form.

[Aaron D.]

I rode a 500 Quattro for a nice 50 mile test, I liked it a lot.
So the 650 is a license built Honda? I did not know that.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

So the 650 is a license built Honda? I did not know that.

No, not at all.

[canuck750]

So the 650 is a license built Honda? I did not know that.

Well no, it's an unlicensed facsimile of a Honda ... which sold for a lot more money than a comparable Honda when new.

Magazine articles dating from the launch of the Benelli 500 Quattro and Benelii 750 Sei were quick to point out how Benelli chose to base their in-line SOHC 4 strokes off the successful Honda SOHC in line 500-4 and they were also correct to point out how the Japanese had unabashedly copied successful European motorcycles at the advent of their popularity, so Benelli was just returning the favour!

[Idontwantapickle]

That's in good shape for it's age. If you hold your thumb up to block out the engine it's a V50! Probably a bit quicker though.

[Aaron D.]

No, not at all.

Ah-misunderstood a comment I guess.

[Peter from Sch'dy]

Didn't guzzi i market a small 4cylinder Benelli like bike in the late 70's?

[john fish]

Didn't guzzi i market a small 4cylinder Benelli like bike in the late 70's?

I believe that bike was badged as a Guzzi in some markets.  Italy, maybe?

Also, I read somewhere that the Benelli 4 engine was actually made in Mandello del Lario (both part of the DeTomaso empire).  Anyone know if that's true or not?

[canuck750]

Benelli made a wide range of inline four cylinder motorcycles during the DeTomaso period

This little gem - 254 was cool



Also badged as a Guzzi



The 354 was also unique



Guzzi was badged as a 350 GTS



And a 400 as well



the 500 Quattro shared its frame and many of the cycle parts with the 750 Sei



and the famous 750 Sei



Culminating in the 900 Sei

[pete roper]

For some weird reason the DeTommaso fours were marketed with different names, (He owned lots of them, names that is.) the weirdest one I know of was a 254 that popped up in Singapore that was badged as a Motobi!

Pete

[canuck750]

The original Benelli company was a family affair with six sons sharing in the operation, in 1949 Giuseppi Benelli left the fold to start Motobi. In 1962 Motobi was on hard times and was reacquired by Benelli. Benelli then marketed their bikes as both Motobi and Benelli. I have seen pictures of the 650 Tornado and the 900 Sei with Motobi badges.

[Rough Edge racing]

 Is the 654 Benelli a  decent bike or just a conversation piece?

[canuck750]

I am just guessing but I bet the Honda 650 is a better bike.
The Benelli in line fours are very rare and interesting but I don't think there is a lot of demand for them, if it were an early 500 Quatro it would probably be worth more.

[Tusayan]

The most interesting thing about the Benelli multis for me is that Moto Guzzi made the engines in Mandello, and a lot of the other parts too.  Although people tend to think of those that aren’t labeled as Benellis as being badge engineered,  I think they are all actually closer to being Guzzis than anything else.  I believe final assembly was at Benelli.