[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by classic86

I'm sorry for being a novice but what is ATGATT?

Sure mate we are all learning, ATGATT = All The Gear All The Time. In short, Safety First.

Enjoy your Benelli TNT 300i and ride safe.

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by classic86

The dealer let me test ride another 300 with a different exhaust (ix75 I suppose) and it sounded more like a triumph. Actually, that sounded better under 7000 rpm and the stock seems to sound better after 7000 rpm. But yeah, the bike had me with the sound.

I rode the 300 with the IXIL exhaust. Its loud no doubt, but I preferred the stock one, it sounds very very nice. The 600i was opposite, the stock was a bit muted, the IXIL one was WoW, sounds brilliant. Seriously making me alter my finances to pick one up

[Ricci]

I had a rather short test ride on the TNT300 and 600GT each.

First the 300.
It didn't feel significantly heavier, but it's no featherweight. Power delivery is nice along with a very welcome exhaust note, the best twin cylinder sound I've heard yet. The brakes felt wooden though, with initial bite feeling weak. With more pressure, the bike decelerates quick enough for usual traffic speed, but I couldn't tell how much more level pressure before it locks up.

Aside from the switchgear and dashboard, it doesn't feel cheap/low-rent. The starter button is small though, and you have to visually locate it, it doesn't just fall in place for your thumb. The handlebars felt very cruiser-ish, they seem higher than even my P220.
Since it's my first ride , it felt disconcerting and didn't really up my confidence, but then the traffic was too heavy and ride distance too short.


Next up, I rode the 600GT. Another cruiser-ish handlebar ! Was I riding a Harley ?
Startup had a bit of vibration, and initial idle a bit high, presumably because the bike was cold. For the published kerb weight of 243, it didn't feel overly weighty, and I had to do a U turn right not even 100 meters after exiting the gate.

Initial torque is good enough, to not require gunning the throttle to pull on so as not to make the cars I just did a U turn in front of, to brake - but then these aren't European roads/traffic. That's when I found what I think is a significant oversight that's easily fixed. When you bring your leg up after a slow turn, the footpeg gets in the way, and it easily folds so as not to obstruct your leg, but when you place your feet where you expect the footpeg to be, it's not there. It's still folded up, instead of returning to usable (extended) position by spring action. It's an easy fix though for the factory.

Seat height felt higher than my 675. I can just tip-toe. Exhaust note is very muted, which for a touring biased ride is good. Due to traffic, couldn't get much play in mid-to-high revs though. Brakes felt wooden, like the 300, lacking feel and initial bite. It definitely seems better built than the 600i, which has flimsy/loose fitted rear plastic cowls.

I can't say the 600GT looks good. In fact, I'd say the bulbous front looks ugly. The Hayabusa is way better looking. But I can live with that, since I wouldn't be seeing the face of the GT if I was riding

The luggage pannier boxes are accessories , available for 40k. The 600GT without the panniers ( set of 3 , Givi ) is 6.41 lac OTR, Pune, the 600GTS with the panniers, is 6.81 lac OTR, Pune. The panniers require a metal frame to be installed each side of the rear cowl , and a third frame for the top-box, and the pannier then latch on to that. The metal frame needs to be fitted once, after than the panniers can be fitted/removed with just the key , which has a mechanism to lock on to the metal frame. The 600GT comes without the metal frame.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by Ricci

I had a rather short test ride on the TNT300 and 600GT each.

Thanks for sharing your feedback on the TNT 600 GT model. Your short test ride does reveal some of the characteristics of the 600 GT which I am looking forward to. I will opt to wait and watch while going through some more reviews(preferably ownership reviews) of this particular model.

Regards,
navin_v8

[rahul4321]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

A bit confused mate. Did you mean high revving is not second nature to you?

All the best

Yes- sorry! That is what I meant. Hmm, the er6n. I never actually gave it serious thought till now but now you've started putting ideas into my head.

[apachelongbow]

I had a test ride in Hyderabad last week, on the 300, the 600i and the GT600. The test path was similar, with me alone on the bike following a store rider on a lead bike, around some trafficked and empty roads in the Jubilee hills are, with a couple of small inclines and declines to match.
First the 300.
It had an after market exhaust, which sounded divine. As per the store, there is no warranty void with the aftermarket exhaust and they would install it for you. The bike is pretty much like a commuter bike below 7000-8000rpm, almost like driving a naked Pulsar 200 or the kind. It is after 7000rpm that the bike wakes up and between 7000-9000rpm there is a healthy grunt and a shove. The bike is light enough and flick-able through traffic, and the engine is very smooth with no hint of vibrations through the handle bars, or footpegs, with very minor vibration through the tank at higher rpms. The gearing felt a little short IMO, and I was constantly searching for a upshift at about 4000-5000rpm (may be I am spending too much time on a bullet). However this is a perfect bike for the city and the occasional highway sprint, it has enough grunt and the build quality is excellent, not baring reports which claim otherwise, infact the duke looks downright cheap and flimsy (only build wise) when compared to this bike.

The 600i.
What a glorious bike!! In the 600 cc inline category, it feels like a good purchase to make. The size is perfect (for taller people like me), and it is a whole size bigger than the 300. The seat, footpeg angle is correct and the handle bars are not too sporty, leading to a nice sport commuter seating position which is great on longer rides. The power delivery is linear and there is no sudden bursts of maniac power, unsettling a rider. Again the bike wakes up or rather gathers her skirts post 7k rpm and shoots forward with urgency. The company claims 0-100 in about 4-5 secs, which seems believable if one is inclined to pin the throttle to the stop. Below 4k the bike is excellent in terms of being a city commuter, and one can actually use her in the city. Build quality is again excellent and there are zero vibrations across the rev range with the gear shifts being positive and smooth. The red color is excellent and helps identify her as a sporty bike. Again this bike came with an after market exhaust which added few bhp and a glorious soundtrack, however I feel the stock exhaust is perfect in terms of daily usability and one can get a headache if he/she rides long distances with the aftermarket kit.

600GT
I had actually come to evaluate this bike for my upgrade plans. It has the same qualities in terms of ride and build and NVH as the 600i so it is no different, and the motor and the gearing is the same, so there is not much difference in terms of the bike's feel compared to the 600i. This is in-spite of the company claiming that the 600gt is revised for touring compared to the 600i. However the handle bar is a little less sporty and you sit a little higher and straighter than on the 600i, which IMO is better for touring. The weight distribution is fantastic and the 240kg kerb weight is never felt, however on filling the 26liter fuel tank, the steering geometry might be a tad affected.
The bike seems like a great touring companion if one inclines to tour the highways and the A and B roads around the country. Offroading capabilities, it may not have, since it is street oriented to begin with.
The butter smooth engine and gear box, lack of vibration, long legs and high top end make this a better cruiser than the Harleys IMO, but one will miss out on the Harley community and the HOG rides and activities if one chooses a Benelli.

[neoonwheels]

Finally today got to test ride the TNT 300i. First, the bike looks bigger in flesh than the pics posted. The seating is just about ok for a short riders like me. Its just about as low as a commuter bike in 100-150CC category. The low end RPM has no drama but it easily keeps on going with the lovely exhaust note. Post 7000 rpm it really turns into a mean machine. I could manage to top it at 90 which is less but found this speed sane so did not race it further.

All I was looking at is the low end riding since If I get this, I would mostly use it in City and some highway/twisty rides. I am not game for a racing like characteristics and would use it as daily commuter with good power and comfort. The riding posture is good and I feel one can easily ride it for 2-3 hours with ease.

The only concern I have is the weight of this bike. Its not felt when you are moving but at crawling speeds, you sure feel the weight. The pedal position also needs getting used to.

The brakes are quite good and I did not use the front brake much since the rear one did the duty beautifully. Also since it was a short (3-4 KM) ride, I did not face any heating discomfort. This machine sure grabs attention and when I was at a signal waiting for my turn, couple of cops turned up and asked me about the bike. The exhaust note is so beautiful and you wonder if its a mere 300CC bike.

Will test ride Kawasaki Z250 as well and then will think which one should I go ahead with. My only concern with 300i is the weight at crawling speed since I would be using it in City.

[classic86]

Originally Posted by neoonwheels

All I was looking at is the low end riding since If I get this, I would mostly use it in City and some highway/twisty rides. I am not game for a racing like characteristics and would use it as daily commuter with good power and comfort. The riding posture is good and I feel one can easily ride it for 2-3 hours with ease.

The only concern I have is the weight of this bike. Its not felt when you are moving but at crawling speeds, you sure feel the weight. The pedal position also needs getting used to.

The brakes are quite good and I did not use the front brake much since the rear one did the duty beautifully. Also since it was a short (3-4 KM) ride, I did not face any heating discomfort. This machine sure grabs attention and when I was at a signal waiting for my turn, couple of cops turned up and asked me about the bike. The exhaust note is so beautiful and you wonder if its a mere 300CC bike.

Will test ride Kawasaki Z250 as well and then will think which one should I go ahead with. My only concern with 300i is the weight at crawling speed since I would be using it in City.

Just wanted to give you a heads up that you can't get a test ride of Z250. Weird Kawasaki policy. Also, with respect to TNT 300, you won't notice the weight much while riding or standing still in traffic. However, if you riding in the stop and go traffic frequently, the bike could get loud with the radiator turning on frequently. Furthermore, low end is decent for the city but the gear ratios are short. Hence, you might find yourself changing gears frequently.

[unk9ja]

The DSK, Bangalore has sold a ton of bikes, 100 to date, the first dealership in India and to commemorate, they have organised a ride to the Kolar Adigas on Sunday. Seems the Chairman of the DSK Benelli would be present on the occasion who is keen to interact with the riders.

All the bikes available will be on display and maybe some lucky ones may also get to do a TD.

[createrkid]

So I rode pillion on the tnt 300 and boy, was it awesome! My friend was test riding it and I wanted to check out the suspension. Felt quite plush and took bad roads easily, so, a pillion's butt is going to thank this bike a lot. Though, the seat height is a bit higher than you'd like. The acceleration isn't as blitzkrieg'ing as the Duke but it certainly managed to attract a whole lot of eyes even with the stock exhaust and damn, the exhaust. Who'd believe this is a twin cylinder? I'd pick this one up with IXIL over the Duke any day. Looked bigger in person and kudos to the staff at DSK richmond, they let us test ride it even though we were told we needed to get an appointment one week in advance. These guys knew what they were talking about but I didn't quite catch up with one thing, I was enquiring about the dry clutch on the TNT 1130 but the SA kept telling me that it has been replaced and the 1130 doesn't come with it anymore, citing the Indian road conditions. Can anyone confirm this?

Oh, and the 300 looks beautiful in Verde Green.

[AMG_ang]

Saw it posted in xbhp!


http://bikeportal.in/articles/14-cou...600i-1549.html

14 countries and 6 months on a DSK Benelli TNT 600i

http://www.zigwheels.com/news-featur...nt-600i/22535/

Indonesia to Italy on a Benelli TNT 600i.

Hopefully at-least now we can trust the reliability and the build quality of the machine!

[mail4ajo]

Originally Posted by AMG_ang

Saw it posted in xbhp!


http://bikeportal.in/articles/14-cou...600i-1549.html

14 countries and 6 months on a DSK Benelli TNT 600i

http://www.zigwheels.com/news-featur...nt-600i/22535/

Indonesia to Italy on a Benelli TNT 600i.

Hopefully at-least now we can trust the reliability and the build quality of the machine!

Great news, DSK should cash on this especially since I heard several people suspecting the build quality as the general talk that its Chinese.

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by AMG_ang

14 countries and 6 months on a DSK Benelli TNT 600i
Indonesia to Italy on a Benelli TNT 600i.
Hopefully at-least now we can trust the reliability and the build quality of the machine!

Indeed, that should help build confidence in the brand ( perhaps Indians are more wary of Chinese "quality" than other south-east Asians ) but looks like DSK isn't wise to this. While a trip like this will at least be 15000km of riding across diverse roads - much of it poor like many of ours, for end users true picture of reliability would be at least 20 individual bikes tracked over 50000km minimum.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by Ricci

Indeed, that should help build confidence in the brand ( perhaps Indians are more wary of Chinese "quality" than other south-east Asians ) but looks like DSK isn't wise to this. While a trip like this will at least be 15000km of riding across diverse roads - much of it poor like many of ours, for end users true picture of reliability would be at least 20 individual bikes tracked over 50000km minimum.

Honestly this may not be needed. Moreover 50000 kms on Indian terrain can be done by any royal enfield also, so it really doesn't reflect quality or robustness in anyway.
Quality will be proven more by higher warranty periods, full warranty for all parts and some sweet service deals.
Since their bikes seem to be selling well, IMO they don't need to worry about perceived Chinese parts etc.

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

50000 kms on Indian terrain can be done by any royal enfield also, so it really doesn't reflect quality or robustness in anyway.
Quality will be proven more by higher warranty periods, full warranty for all parts

Why 50k, Enfields have 3 times as much. Long engine/chassis life and high reliability are different things. The Tata Indica that many private users find unreliable is also used by taxi fleets for 300,000km - and some of marques held as less reliable by reputation, give longer warranties than the Japanese.

Reliabilty isn't how many kilometers done, but how many failures/breakdowns a vehicle has per mile ( or say per 1 lac km).