What happened to Benllie? Are they still marketed in the US?

[bad Chad]

They had some cool looking bikes, but seem to have dropped off the radar before they even had a chance?

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Benelli? Selling an electric bicycle here now, Ferraci is apparently the distributor.

http://www.benellibikesusa.com/

[youcanrunnaked]

Chinese owned, but still headquartered in Pesaro and still making motorcycles, at least for the European market.

http://www.benelli.com/

[Turin]

We had a dealer here in Phoenix. Gorgeous bikes, and that three banger rocked. It's hard enough re-introducing a brand, but then the worldwide economy took a crap. I hope they come back someday.

[oldbike54]

 Didn't some guy ride a modern Benelli across the Sahara ?

  Dusty

[youcanrunnaked]

Didn't some guy ride a modern Benelli across the Sahara ?

  Dusty

Yes!



https://books.google.com/books?id=E86bEyC7DzoC&pg=RA6-PA80&lpg=RA6-PA80&dq=benelli+sahara&source=bl&ots=fJl_xWKViD&sig=uXzAGzyxl_pe4hJ7vHmCdOfF9hA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_yLrVJXBFsTFggTp-IKQDA&ved=0CEkQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=benelli%20sahara&f=false

http://sideburnmag.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2007-12-31T16:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2008-12-20T14:40:00Z&max-results=50&start=24&by-date=false

[blackcat]

I liked the looks of this bike in the traditional green:

[redrider]

I worked at the dealership here in SC. The photo is mine from a trip to Edisto Island. Wicked fun. That motor is awesome with handling beyond reproach. Set up needs some fiddling. Thirsty without it and quirky fueling. The distributor was in Texas and I don't think they ever had the desire to make things work. Dealers saw the economic handwriting and stayed away. And yet, they sell like gangbusters everywhere else. Glad to have one.

[blackcat]

Nice bike, I assume it is a stripped down version of the one I posted?

[youcanrunnaked]

^^^  Not exactly.  Redrider's TnT Cafe Racer is the updated version of the Benelli triple.  The one you posted is the Tornado Tre 900 (later, 1130cc) super sport, introduced in 2002 and featuring radiators mounted under the seat, with extraction fans in the tail section.  The Cafe racer, introduced in 2004, started with the 1130cc version of the Benelli triple engine, with dual side-mounted radiators (like a Honda VFR or RC51).  In addition to the relocated radiators, the Cafe Racer's swingarm is different.

[redrider]

The Tornado swing arm is different but the frame is the same. The dealer had a TreK, Tornado 1130 and CR. I rode all. The TreK was the most sensible and the wife loved the seat but she rides a couple of times a year. The Tornado sat high but was well balanced. The CR was lighter and actually rides very well. Notice how the clip-ons are above the seat plane. Dyno revealed over 90lb.ft and 139 HP with redline of 9250. HPE exhaust.

[youcanrunnaked]

^^^  I was not sure about the frames being the same.  Fixed it. 

The modern Benelli motorcycles are nice bikes and they get good reviews.  I always thought they were under-appreciated in the US.  Their website shows a number of newer, smaller displacement bikes, so they are apparently still very much alive.

The Miami Ducati dealer was at one time a Benellli dealer, as I remember seeing a Tornado Tre 1130 in their showroom.  I doubt they sold many, as I have never seen one around town.

[Lannis]

I worked at the dealership here in SC. The photo is mine from a trip to Edisto Island. Wicked fun. That motor is awesome with handling beyond reproach. Set up needs some fiddling. Thirsty without it and quirky fueling. The distributor was in Texas and I don't think they ever had the desire to make things work. Dealers saw the economic handwriting and stayed away. And yet, they sell like gangbusters everywhere else. Glad to have one.

If the machines of the "Matrix" world built a motorcycle with which to beguile the humans, that would be the one they'd build.

I think I like it a little better with the fairing in the green.   But I like triples, I do; the only bike I've ever owned that wasn't a single or twin was a triple ....

Lannis

[blackcat]

Right, the Tornado Tre. Nice bike.

Cool propellers.


Not many for sale but did find one in Portland:
http://www.turn2motorcycles.com/Vehicle/84478/2005-BENELLI-Tornado-TRE.html

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

The modern Benelli motorcycles are nice bikes and they get good reviews.  I always thought they were under-appreciated in the US.  Their website shows a number of newer, smaller displacement bikes, so they are apparently still very much alive.

I'd be willing to bet the small displacement bikes are of Chinese origin, with little of anything Italian about them except the name.

[redrider]

Hmm, don't know of the build location for the smaller ones. I'll ask the lads on the Benelli Forum. There is some video on 'tube of mine and loads of others. The 600 seems nice but I want to ride the 750 Due.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Hmm, don't know of the build location for the smaller ones. I'll ask the lads on the Benelli Forum. There is some video on 'tube of mine and loads of others. The 600 seems nice but I want to ride the 750 Due.

Doesn't show the 750 Due on the website, may be discontinued?

[56Pan]

Right, the Tornado Tre. Nice bike.

Cool propellers.


Not many for sale but did find one in Portland:
http://www.turn2motorcycles.com/Vehicle/84478/2005-BENELLI-Tornado-TRE.html

What is that?  Rear mounted oil cooler and cooling fans?

[youcanrunnaked]

I'd be willing to bet the small displacement bikes are of Chinese origin, with little of anything Italian about them except the name.

I will take that bet:



Beautifully engineered and Italian designed, the BN 600R comes with premium componentry including Marzocchi ø 50 mm front forks, Sachs adjustable rear suspension, Brembo calipers, fully braided steel brake lines and Metzler Sportec M5 tyres, making it a very enviable package in its class.

http://www.benelli.com/eng/Catalog/Motorcycles/Motorbikes-2015/BN-600-R/Default-cd-909.aspx

The next smaller model, the BN 302, uses a parallel twin engine that is basically the Italian-designed inline 4-cylinder engine from the BN 600R/ GT, cut in half.  So, that bike is Italian, too.

The BN 251 is their entry-level bike, with a single-cylinder Benelli-branded engine and Benelli suspension.  As a budget bike, it might have some Far East components or may even be assembled in Asia, but with similar bikes from the likes of Honda, Kawasaki, and KTM originating from places like Thailand and India, does it matter?

http://www.cycleworld.com/2014/11/07/benelli-motorcycles-first-look-review-photos-at-eicma-2014-motorcycle-show/

The TnT 899 is a smaller-displacement variation on the Benelli Tre 1130, and is most definitely Italian, as are the remaining Tre 1130 models: TnT R, Tre 1130 K, and Tre 1130 K Amazonas.

So, the financing is Chinese, but the motorcycles are Italian.  (The Benelli scooters may be a different story.)

[youcanrunnaked]

What is that?  Rear mounted oil cooler and cooling fans?

Those are the fans.  The radiators are further inboard, under the seat.  There is ductwork to direct airflow over the radiators, while the twin electric fans help extract the warmed air from behind them.



The idea is to better distribute weight and improve handling, by moving the engine as far forward in the chassis as possible, while centralizing total mass.

Harley-Davidson experimented with a similar set-up in the early 1980's, although their reasons for doing so were more aesthetic than performance-orientated.  Supposedly, Willie Davidson hated the look of a visible radiator on a motorcycle, but management wanted to explore water-cooling for emissions and competitive reasons.  The result was the Nova prototype:



http://big-diesel.blogspot.com/2007/09/nova-harley-davidson-which-was-never.html

[blackcat]

 ;D Seriously, that is fuggly.

[oldbike54]

 ;D Seriously, that is fuggly.

  Yeah , and they painted it orange to make sure everyone noticed that   :o :D

   Dusty

[youcanrunnaked]

It was the '80's.  < shrug >  Style-wise, the Nova is probably no better or worse than a lot of designs that came out of that era.











Personally, I would rather Harley had pursued the Nova project than that apparent dead-end, the V-Rod.

[Park Ridge Phil]

 I always thought the Sei was one of the coolest bikes made back in the day.

[crc]

theres a few new benellis for sale in nz, it doesn't seem like they sell well though. I think people are proberbly scared of back up support. I always liked the 650 tornados of the early 70s, they were quite fast and nimble

[Dimples]

Here's a Guzzi badged Benellli for sale:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Moto-Guzzi-GTS-400-Moto-Guzzi-GTS-400-/121579078481?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1c4ead8351&item=121579078481&pt=US_motorcycles

[56Pan]

Those are the fans.  The radiators are further inboard, under the seat.  There is ductwork to direct airflow over the radiators, while the twin electric fans help extract the warmed air from behind them.



The idea is to better distribute weight and improve handling, by moving the engine as far forward in the chassis as possible, while centralizing total mass.

Harley-Davidson experimented with a similar set-up in the early 1980's, although their reasons for doing so were more aesthetic than performance-orientated.  Supposedly, Willie Davidson hated the look of a visible radiator on a motorcycle, but management wanted to explore water-cooling for emissions and competitive reasons.  The result was the Nova prototype:



http://big-diesel.blogspot.com/2007/09/nova-harley-davidson-which-was-never.html

Clears that up.  Thanks.

[youcanrunnaked]

Clears that up.  Thanks.

Great.  One thing I am not sure I was clear on:  Those are water radiators in the Benelli Tornado, not oil coolers; the bike is water-cooled.