[Nithesh_M]

Originally Posted by sadsack

I think this is not correct. Benelli does not use Yamaha engines. The factory was always involved in making its own engines. At one time Argentine Millionaire De Tomaso had bought both Benelli and Moto Guzzi together and created better engines with more infusion of capital. That is when the Sei was born (as pointed out by Sutripta). Later on both the brands were merged until the last part of the previous century and production once again began at Pesaro. Benelli bikes are built even today at Pesaro (the Chinese are just owners).

The bikes built in Pesaro are the 899cc and 1130cc models.
The 600s are nothing but rebadged Keeway RK6s already on sale for 3.9 lakh rupees in South Africa and other small markets. Those 600s will roll out of China's Keeway plant and all 600s uses a 2004 R6 engine as base in an Aprilia Shiver 750 frame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okiHp1eIgr8

What Qianjiang group is doing right now is rebadging Keeway bikes including the three 600 inline 4s and the upcoming BN 302 which is a rebadged Keeway RKX 300 to infiltrate worldwide market that would otherwise stay away from Chinese manufacturers.
Its a clever business strategy and looking at the popularity of Benelli's entry makes me think they have succeeded in doing what they had set out to do.

I can see DSK-Benelli pricing the 600s as the most affordable inline-4 in the country.

[parrys]

Originally Posted by JoseVijay

Can you please post your reviews here? I am shocked to hear that these bikes are not equipped with ABS. Aren't these supposed to be super/sports bikes?

I am still working on the reviews, will share impressions by the weekend.

Originally Posted by rm_arjuna

Any ballpark figure on pricing front for 600gt? Your first hand out info would help.

The 600GT is going to be more expensive than the Ninja 650R, considerably.

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by parrys

I am still working on the reviews, will share impressions by the weekend.

Eagerly waiting for that review, the weekend has flown by.


Although a little late to launch for me, since I've already got my big bike, touring on two wheels is going bigger in India and good, affordable tourers are something of too small a market hence ignored. Pricing will always be critical , but how well DSK can support the Benellis and how reliable/durable they are too will be critical.

The 600GT with its 23 (or is it 27) litre tank it an exception among the big bikes. A genuine 400km from tankful to reserve/low fuel warning will be a blessing for many tourers.

And once my back/joints tire of the sport-bike crouch and I still have the money and desire for a big bike left in me, it will be this class of bike I'd look at.

[parrys]

Originally Posted by Ricci

Eagerly waiting for that review, the weekend has flown by.

It's a little tough to bring down everything from the 3 bikes I tested here.
Which bike in particular do you want me to elaborate on? I'll give you a brief overview.

[Abhi_Automobile]

Originally Posted by parrys

It's a little tough to bring down everything from the 3 bikes I tested here.
Which bike in particular do you want me to elaborate on? I'll give you a brief overview.

Not sure that question was directed at others but nevertheless. Can you share your experience with 600i?

[parrys]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

Not sure that question was directed at others but nevertheless. Can you share your experience with 600i?

• Very, very refined engine. Smooth at idle as well as on high RPMs.
• Very well controlled NVH. 0 vibrations felt.
• Gearing is super tall, can't imagine redlining it within the city
• Exhaust note is exceptional, from a stock setup. No need for aftermarket, unless you want a good looking pipe.
• Ergonomics are decent
• Tips the scale over 200kg, but the bike is well balanced. Cornering is no problem and the bike sticks to the road well thanks to the Pirelli tyres
• India-specific Benelli built front USD fork are much softer, and hence more suitable for the Indian road conditions compared to the dumped Marzocchi setup
• Front brakes dump the Brembo setup for Benelli built units, but they lack bite.
• Clutch is hard, and clutch lever does not get adjustment
• Instruent cluster and surrounding plastic looks average, doesn't do justice to the expected price tag

If you want to know anything in specific, i'll answer it. Just highlighted a couple of important points above.

[hsub]

Originally Posted by parrys

I am still working on the reviews, will share impressions by the weekend.



The 600GT is going to be more expensive than the Ninja 650R, considerably.

How was the GT to ride? Can you share a quick review. I am really looking at this bike with interest for my next upgrade

[parrys]

Originally Posted by hsub

How was the GT to ride? Can you share a quick review. I am really looking at this bike with interest for my next upgrade

• The Benelli BN 600GT / TNT 600GT is powered by a 600cc, in-line 4-cylinder, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, 16 valve, DOHC petrol motor producing 82 BHP of power @ 11,000 RPM and 55 Nm of torque @ 8,000 RPM. Peak power is produced exactly where the redline begins. Engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox coupled with a wet clutch. The engine although a similar layout compared to the BN 600i / TNT 600i, power and torque figures differ a bit. The 600i produces 82 BHP of power @ 11,500 RPM and 52 Nm of torque @ 10,500 RPM, which means peak power on the 600GT is produced 500 RPM lower and the peak torque is higher than 3 Nm and is available at 2,500 RPM lower.
• Looks quirky, won't suit everyones taste for sure
• Gives you a proper big-bike feel
• 800mm saddle height will suit shorter riders too
• Riding posture is moderately upright, rear set footpegs allow a little sporty feel
• Comfortable motorcycle for two, pillion seat is reasonably cushiony
• Instrument cluster and surrounding plastics is a downer
• 27 litre fuel tank will ensure riding range above 500 km
• Easy to ride once on the move, well balanced
• Complaint suspension, will keep both occupants happy on city as well as country road
• Brakes are average
• Clutch feels a bit hard, no clutch lever adjustment either
• Engine feels smooth, much better than the old school Kawasaki Ninja (Refinement comparison)
• One can ride as low as 40-50 kmph in top gear, no engine knocking at all
• Gear ratios are suitable for city riding
• Gearshift quality is good, no false gear shifts even once
• Heavy weight felt while making U-turns
• Saddle bags have to be accounted for while cutting through traffic
• No ABS, panic braking with so much weight and the saddle bags could surprise you

[Sutripta]

@ Parry
Could you give some details (and your personal opinion on the manufacturing quality) of the frame, and swingarm.

I am pleasantly surprised at your observation of the gearbox. (If it is maintained in a production run, I'd say this Chinese manufacturer has come of age. I also know there will be a lot of sniggers at this statement!)

Regards
Sutripta

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by parrys

• Looks quirky, won't suit everyones taste for sure
• 800mm saddle height will suit shorter riders too
• Comfortable motorcycle for two, pillion seat is reasonably cushiony
• Instrument cluster and surrounding plastics is a downer
• 27 litre fuel tank will ensure riding range above 500 km
• Easy to ride once on the move, well balanced
• Complaint suspension, will keep both occupants happy on city as well as country road
• Brakes are average
• Clutch feels a bit hard, no clutch lever adjustment either
• One can ride as low as 40-50 kmph in top gear, no engine knocking at all
• Gear ratios are suitable for city riding
• Gearshift quality is good, no false gear shifts even once
• No ABS, panic braking with so much weight and the saddle bags could surprise you

Thanks, it was the 600GT I was/am most interested in, although purchasing one is out of the question for a couple of years at least. By then the question of reliability and maintenance costs will also be clearer.

I did have a closer look at these at the superbike festival here. In terms of styling, they're very quirky - and look forced in some ways, like the shaping of headlamps and muffler cans. The tank detailing does look Italian, and the frame, that's about it.

Cheap looking plastic does bring down the pride of ownership, but as long as it holds up well and doesn't rattle/crack/leak, can live with. But the major drawbacks I see now is compromising on brakes and suspension. Non-adjustable suspension on big expensive bikes is a hot potato.

I'm surprised (pleasant one) that it's smoother than the Japanese. I heard them being revved too, they didn't seem as smooth as Japanese inline 4s, which IMO also sound better. Ditto about gearbox. Overall I don't see any quality issues with the paint and frame, but durability/longevity is another thing.

[parrys]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

@ Parry
Could you give some details (and your personal opinion on the manufacturing quality) of the frame, and swingarm.

I am pleasantly surprised at your observation of the gearbox. (If it is maintained in a production run, I'd say this Chinese manufacturer has come of age. I also know there will be a lot of sniggers at this statement!)

Regards
Sutripta

The swingarm on all the bikes looked fantastic. The trellis one on the TNT 899 & TNT 1130R are different all together from what most of us have been used to. On the 600i & 600GT share the same swingarm and it looks solid. It actually adds a lot of below-the-seat bulk to the 600i, even though the exhaust is absent here.

The built quality of the frame and the swingarm did not produce any questions in my mind. There was not too much of weld-spot like things visible.

Overall, the fit and finish on the 600i was better than on the 899. Every part on the 600 felt solid and well bolted. The 899 has the floating cowls which accommodate the radiator fans, but these units don't feel like they will stay in place if the bike has a fall.

By the time we went out on these bikes, other journos who had taken them for a spin had already dropped the bikes, and there were plenty of scratches. But the clear coat wasn't tearing off from the scratched location. Paint quality was also pretty decent.

As mentioned, the bikes were dropped before, the brake levers, clutch levers, footpegs all had minor scratches, but not deformed majorly.

Now how will things are bolted on during local assembly, we will have to wait and watch.

About the engine, trust me, the 600cc is SMOOTH. I went with the Ninja 650 in mind, I actually went riding till Pune on a Ninja 650, which is a good 170 km. Later when I hopped on the 600i, it was a different game completely.

[anilupadhya]

Oh please god, please, please have them price the BN600i at mouth watering price. Hope DSK looks for profit by numbers. The exhaust sound coupled with a good price should bring in the numbers. Also, I think the engine is from the older Yamaha R6.. No wonder its a SMOOTH machine as parrys mentions.
Peak torque is way up the rev band, which can get difficult in traffic. Nothing a pair of pipes and some good remaps cannot fix.
A subtle looking, sweet sounding machine sold at the right price. I hope I'm not dreaming, I hope I'm not dreaming.

[createrkid]

Oh my, this may certainly be the most affordable inline 4 any enthusiast could buy. At the same time, a question arises in my head, I know for a fact that there is a certain law that prohibits the sale of inline-4(or maybe not) 600cc ish engines in India. This is the very reason the R6 or the GSXR-600 or the Honda cbr 600rr are not sold in India, right? So how does benelli get to sell them here? Does it have something to do with DSK's handling? The fact that they'll be locally assembled also seems appropriate?

[basuroy]

Originally Posted by createrkid

I know for a fact that there is a certain law that prohibits the sale of inline-4(or maybe not) 600cc ish engines in India. This is the very reason the R6 or the GSXR-600 or the Honda cbr 600rr are not sold in India, right? So how does benelli get to sell them here? Does it have something to do with DSK's handling? The fact that they'll be locally assembled also seems appropriate?

There is no law that outright prohibits the sale of motorcycles in that range .

There is a law that dictates any motorbike below 800cc (number of cylinders don't matter ) must -
1. first undergo ARAI tests for emission etc - time consuming procedure , 3-6 months easily .
2. Assembled ( not necessary to manufacture but assembly line is a must) within india after importing the bike in form of knock down kits - kawasaki ninja (650 , 300) , triumph 675 cc range , hyousung bikes and now benelli which will have an assembly line at Pune .

Reason we don't have r6 or gixxer in India is because their parent company don't wish to set up an assembly line for limited volumes , they are content with the 100-150/250cc market .

[naveen.raju]

DSK Benelli BN600i & TNT 600GT Review

Courtesy - PowerDrift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCt7BGwSUF8