- Italian/Chinese collaboration makes for an affordable and stylish motorcycle.
- 17-inch wheels and Pirelli Angel GT tyre mean it’s meant for the road, not adventure.
- 698cc parallel twin is fun.
Benelli’s 698cc parallel twin finds its home in the crossover TRK. We avoided the dirt and headed for the twisties to put it through its paces.
Words: Paul Pics: Two Creative Photography
The TRK makes quite has quite an imposing profile as I lift the door to the BRM shed and spy the fresh Benelli sitting in the corner. And looking at the excellent Pirelli Angel GT tyres which adorn the 17-inch wheels on this road-biased adventure machine, the fact the rubber is barely scuffed confirmed the fact this test bike had just over 100km on the clock. Oh, well. I decided that would just have to do as I slipped the ornate key into the ignition and fired the twin into life.
Now, Benelli isn’t the Italian manufacturer of extravagant low-volume exotica that it was originally known for, with Chinese giant Qianjiang Motorcycle picking up the brand after it finally went into receivership in 2005. Using the format which seems to have been successfully implemented across various brands from yesteryear, the design team stayed firmly based in Pesaro, Italy, while manufacturing and all the money comes from China.
Crossing Over
In recent times, we’ve known Benelli for the funky retro Leoncino and Trail models, which come in either 500cc or 800cc variants. The chassis is fun, the motors willing, and they’ve sold like hotcakes. We’ve had a couple of the 800cc models on long-term loan over the winter, and they’ve been nothing but reliable. But now there’s an entirely new powerplant, with the 698cc parallel-twin set to drive the TRK 702 and the highly anticipated adventure 702X.
But this isn’t the adventure model, although there’s going to be a lot shared across the two platforms, as Benelli has done successfully with the Leoncino and Trail models. At the heart of the TRK702 is their new parallel-twin producing 70hp @ 8,000rpm and 70Nm @ 6,000rpm. The twin is liquid-cooled and features four valves per cylinder and double overhead cams, while the new frame is a trellis steel number.
The team at Benelli seems to like big forks on their models, with the TRK getting hefty 50mm non-adjustable USD items with 135mm of travel, while the rear mono-shock gets 45mm of travel and preload adjustment only. The wheels, as mentioned, are road-sized 17-inch items wearing a 120-section tyre at the front and a 160-section at the rear, and the choice of Pirelli rubber demonstrates that this machine is intended for use on the road, despite the adventure styling. The beauty of the TRK is that while you get the commanding sit-up riding position of an adventure-styled machine, you shouldn’t be on tiptoes thanks to the low 790mm seat height, which sees you positioned almost within the bike. In fact, it’s a little odd as the handlebars look like they’re positioned more for a rider who’s going to spend a considerable amount of time standing up, although there’s the added bonus of extra wind protection due to you being sat so low.
Between the high handlebars is a 5-inch TFT dash, which is pleasant to look at, with a speedo, digital rev counter and large gear indicator, pretty much all that’s going on. And that’s okay, with the TRK feeling almost like I was having a digital detox, such was the lack of buttons and options I had available to me. Sometimes, it’s nice just to get on a bike and ride, and that’s exactly what I planned to do with the TRK.
Road Manners, Adventure Convenience
Graced with a beautiful spring day to head out on the TRK, it didn’t concern me that I wasn’t able to play with an electronically adjustable screen, switch on various things to heat my extremities or fiddle with power modes. What I did soon discover was that I wished Benelli had fitted the TRK with some form of throttle map adjustment, with the standard connection a little on the abrupt side. The parallel twin is a seriously willing powerplant, which surprised me with the way it produces the 70hp claimed output. Roll on the throttle at 100km/h, and the digital speedo soon registers 130km/h and beyond, making overtakes a breeze. While hanging onto sixth gear, the motor eventually runs out of puff around 180km/h. So it’s no slouch.
But it was while cruising around town that the fueling got a little problematic, with a 5,000rpm hunt making me always shift into a gear higher to get out of the annoying zone. Drop the revs, and everything smooths out, but it’s just a little messy in the middle, which would be great to clear up.
With those wide adventure-style handlebars and sit-up riding position, carving through the traffic on the Benelli is a breeze, especially with the huge rear brake lever making feet-up low-speed riding something a trials rider would be proud of. And the sheer presence of the serious fairing and the large LED headlight certainly got other road users noticing the motorcycle heading their way.
Leaving the town boundaries, the TRK is surprisingly spritely for a bike with ‘only’ 70hp. With a dry weight of 215 kilos and a 20-litre fuel tank topped to the brim, the TRK could quite easily have felt unwieldy. But again, that low seat height comes into play, and the Benelli instead felt incredibly agile when flicking through the turns. The fact the TRK wears the smaller 17-inch wheels means flicking from one lean angle to another doesn’t require a huge, tall, 21-inch wheel to be lifted from one side to the next, while the firm suspension really gave me the confidence to push the TRK in corners. Thankfully, a low saddle hasn’t also equalled a lack of ground clearance, and only once did a boot graze the tarmac when I was being really silly while doing passes for the camera.
The firm suspension certainly helps with cornering, although it was a little sharp when cruising down backroads and hitting lumps and bumps that an adventure bike would normally be expected to soak up. But then I had to tell myself this isn’t an adventure bike, it’s a crossover. And the firm suspension means the Benelli doesn’t get all out of shape despite the longer travel of the forks.
With Benelli-branded four-piston calipers at the front gripping 320mm discs, there’s plenty of power to get the TRK on its nose and scrubbing speed, and it was great to see that not only the front brake lever but also the clutch lever was span adjustable. In fact, I could see the Benelli being a popular adventure-style bike for female riders who like the image but have been put off by tall saddles. Despite the large silhouette of the TRK, it’s actually an extremely easy machine to ride and manoeuvre.
Conclusion
The new 698cc powerplant from Benelli is a goodie. It’s not a torquey V-twin impersonator that we’ve seen from other brands, instead liking some revs to get its groove on. That characteristic means the new TRK is a heap of fun to ride, with the great vision from the riding position combined with the firm suspension and 17-inch wheels making it a blast in the twisties. There’s not much to play with when it comes to tech – you can Bluetooth your phone and get mapping, which is cool – and the styling could well be a bit polarizing, but it’s an affordable bike which gives off the adventure vibe without the drawback of tall saddles, 21-inch wheels and dirt-biased tyres.
There’s hard luggage available, the handguards are good at deflecting the wind, and there’s a decent power outlet on the left side of the dash. The only fly is that slightly jerky fueling in the midrange, which will only really affect you if you plan on commuting around town, where the motor tends to be lower in the rev range. Other than that, the Benelli is another example of a crossover motorcycle which combines the best bits of road and adventure and gels them into an easy-riding, comfortable and reasonably sporty motorcycle.
Specifications
Benelli TRK 702
Price: $13,490 + ORC
Type
698cc, inline 2 cylinders, 4-stroke, liquid cooled , 4 valves for cylinder DOHC
Bore x stroke
83 x 64,5 mm
Compression ratio
11,6:1
Max Power
69hp @ 8000rpm
Max. Torque
70Nm @ 6000rpm
Final drive
Chain drive
Gearbox
6 speeds
CHASSIS
Frame
Trestle in steel tubes
Front suspension
50mm upside-down forks, 135mm stroke
Rear suspension
Rear swing arm with central shock absorber spring preload adjustable, stroke 45 mm
Front brake
Twin semi floating disk ø320 mm with 4 pistons caliper & ABS
Rear brake
Single disc ø260 mm with single piston calliper and ABS
Front tyre
120/70-ZR17
Rear tyre
160/60 – ZR17
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS
Length
2200mm
Height
1390mm
Wheelbase
1505mm
Seat height
790 mm
Usable tank volume
20lt
Dry weight
215 kg
Warranty
2 year, unlimited km
Contact
www.benellimotorcycles.co.nz
