Latest design patents filed by China's Qianjiang Group reveal a new mid-size adventure bike with a 650 cc v-twin engine. With Qianjiang's Chinese brand QJMotor and Benelli sharing chassis and engine technology, the new 650 cc adventure bike could be the next big thing from the Chinese manufacturer, and could well be introduced under both Benelli and QJMotor names. The new machine is expected to be powered by a new 650 cc v-twin engine that is completely new, and unlike any other engine platform shared by the two brands.
Also Read: QJMotor 700 cc Adventure Bikes Could Make Way For New Benelli ADVs
The engine seems to be a 650 cc v-twin unit, which is likely to make around 70 bhp.
Benelli and QJMotor currently share the same 500 cc and 750 cc parallel-twin engines, and also have a 600 cc four-cylinder engine in the making. But the bike shown in the design filings appear to have a 650 cc v-twin, with output in the range of around 70 bhp, and making this bike compete with the likes of the Suzuki V-Strom 650 and the Yamaha Tenere 700. But unlike those two bikes, the Benelli design seems to be for more road-going adventures than come with true off-road capability. After all, the Benelli TRK 502 has been quite successful, and even it isn't a hard-core off-road capable model.
Also Read: Benelli 502C Launched In India At Rs. 4.98 Lakh
The new 650 cc v-twin adventure bike has quite a nice-looking design, but it will be a road-oriented adventure bike, rather than an out-and-out off-road capable adventure bike.
The design is quite nice to look at, and a clear departure from the typical "beak" that most adventure bikes seem to follow, including the TRK 502. The nose has a single headlight with what appears to be additional running lights flanking it. The tubular steel trellis frame seems something which is used by current Benelli models, although this one may be all-new, and the bike appears to run on road-going tubeless tyres mounted on wire-spoke wheels, with what seems to be a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear combination.
Also Read: Benelli 500 cc Sportbike From Chinese Sister Brand QJMotor Spotted
So far though, there's no real confirmation of a production timeline, but going by what is being showcased, a new mid-size adventure bike certainly seems to be coming. And it will be positioned against the likes of the Kawasaki Versys 650, and the upcoming Triumph Tiger 660 Sport than the more off-road capable Tenere 700 and the V-Strom 650.
(Source: Bennetts)
