Italian bike maker Benelli revived its operations in India late last year with its new partner Adishwar Auto Ride India, and the manufacturer finally introduced its first new offering - the TRK 502 - as part of its second innings in the country. However, the Benelli TRK 502 is just one of the many products for the year and the company has confirmed the launch of five new products in 2019. Post the TRK, Benelli will be bringing in the Leoncino 500 to India next, which will hit the market by April or May this year. Expanding its presence in the 500 cc segment, the Italian brand's next launches will likely be the Imperiale 400 and the 502 C motorcycles.
Also Read: Benelli TRK 502 & TRK 502 X Launched In India
Speaking to carandbike, Benelli India - Managing Director, Vikas Jhabakh said, "The 500 cc segment is what we will be focusing in on very strong. A couple of years back we were in the 300 cc segment in India. We were among the first players to enter that segment and now it is a well-established space with many players offering products there. The 500 cc space is a vacant space in the market and I feel there is going to be a demand for that. So after these two particular CCs, we are looking to bring at least three other 500 bikes to the Indian market in 2019 itself."
The Benelli Leoncino will be offered in both Road and Trail versions when it arrives this year)
The Benelli Leoncino is a scrambler styled offering and was first unveiled in 2015 at the EICMA Motorcycle Show. The Leoncino is available in two variants - Standard and Trail - with the latter being the off-road spec model. The bike will come with alloy wheels on the standard model, while the Trail version will get spoked wheels and a larger 19-inch front wheel with dual purpose tyres. Power on the Leoncino will come from the same 500 cc parallel-twin motor as the TRK 502 and is likely to produce the same power output at 47 bhp and 46 Nm of peak torque. Compared to the TRK, the Leoncino will be significantly lighter and should be more responsive as well.
Also Read: Benelli Leoncino: What We Know So Far
The Benelli Imperiale 400 will take on the offerings from Royal Enfield and Jawa
Joining the Leoncino could be the Benelli Imperiale 400, a Royal Enfield and Jawa rival that will arrive in the second half of the year The motorcycle was originally expected to be launched last year but was delayed amidst Benelli's issues with its Indian partner,. The bike is a retro-styled offering and comes with an school charm including the tear drop fuel tank, spoked wheels, and split seats. Power comes from a 373 cc single-cylinder engine tuned for about 19 bhp and 28 Nm of peak torque. The bike comes with disc brakes at either end with ABS as standard.
Also Read: Benelli Imperiale 400 Revealed At EICMA 2017
The Benelli 502 C is a naked cruiser and uses the same 500 cc parallel-twin engine as the TRK
The third offering from Benelli could be the 502 C sports cruiser. The Benelli 502C has a heavy resemblance to the pioneer of this segment - Ducati XDiavel - albeit the former is trimmed on both power and looks. The bike shares its underpinnings with the Leoncino and uses the same parallel-twin 500 cc motor tuned for 47 bhp and 46 Nm of peak torque. The bike uses a Trellis frame and is suspended by USD forks up front and a monoshock unit at the rear. Expect to see dual disc brakes up front and a single disc at the rear taking care of braking duties, while ABS will be offered as standard.
The Benelli 752S could be considered for India in the middleweight street-fighter segment
Both the Leoncino and the 502C are likely to be priced between Rs. 4-5 lakh, while the Imperiale is likely to be priced around Rs. 2-3 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom). In addition, Benelli could re-enter the middleweight capacity segment with the 752S street-fighter that will take on the Ducati Monster 797, Triumph Street Triple S, Yamaha MT-09 and the likes in this space. The company is also working on updating its existing offerings in the country, so expect to see changes to the 302R, TNT 300 and the TNT 600i as well later in the year.
