[anilupadhya]

An idea wrt the cost of some components

http://m.aliexpress.com/search.htm?keywords=benelli+600

[anilupadhya]

With respect to the panniers, I am sure most of you have seen this video.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gJf-tFCCetQ

Those boxes are a problem on any bike. Not just those boxes, any box requires your attention while squeezing through gaps.

The general opinion in the biking fraternity is to go for textile saddle bags-flexible light & cheap.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

Naveen - Chill bro - why so much anger in the posts? To be honest, I did not see doc belittling any one here - he clearly stated

What is wrong in stating what he personally prefer?

Both (the heavyweights and the lightweights) have their own target audience and have their own followers. Why fight it out for that?

--Anoop

Everyone has their own preference but generalizing by saying heavy weight motorcycles are no good in handling just on the basis of weight cannot be digested.

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Not to mention a measly front suspension travel of 120mm. Rear is also in the same territory! This would make a darn good tarmac muncher and at max can take on some slight broken Indian roads. I wouldn't really call it an adventure tourer/dual purpose**.

**Strictly personal view.

Good point about the front and rear suspension travel. But I think it can do the job when one hits a rough patch of road while touring. Even my Tbird500with five inches of front suspension travel traverses through the rough road patches we come across while riding in the country side. The rear suspension is stiff but I stand up on the footpegs to save my back.

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Mate,
Hope you have checked out the Ground Clearance? After seeing it, felt it to be slightly not up to the mark

As man of steel has stated the short travel of both the suspensions and low ground clearance would be made with seat height in mind. Most of the adventure tourers have a seat height which makes it difficult for people with shorter or average height to sit and rest their feet on the ground. But yes the ground clearance is indeed low.

Note from Support - Posts merged. Please use the "Multi-Quote" option to reply to multiple posts instead of submitting back to back posts.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Hey Navin! Sure, I ll try

How this motorcycle fits the "dual purpose" nomenclature is beyond me. Here's a quick read on dual purpose bikes - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-sport_motorcycle

Dude if you read the entire Wikipedia page you will see dual purpose motorycles are divided into three categories. According to what I have described the Benelli TNT 600 GT comes in the third category and I quote this line from Wikipedia, "Heavyweight dual-sports weigh over 350 lb (160 kg). They are designed primarily for riders who want to travel long distances on pavement with occasional forays onto dirt roads."

As does the 600i

Umm, not really a differentiating feature but Ok

Exactly the same tune as the 600i

There are people who pick up the Ninja 650 or ER6N. A semi faired motorcycle can resist wind blasts at high speeds. To each his own. Also the TNT's engine makes a marginally better torque than the 600i.

Please elaborate. It does have a bigger tank but cannot think of anything else thats very relevant

Factory fitted OEM saddle boxes, projector headlamps, semi faired body for tackling wind resistence, etc.

I can actually, and with a lot of confidence. Why? The manufacturer says that is is a Road only tyre, thats why.

See? - http://www.pirelli.com/tyre/gb/en/mo.../angel_st.html

They make the effort to mark a tyre as offraod worthy if it really does

See? - http://www.pirelli.com/tyre/gb/en/mo...eet/mt_60.html

True but I am not saying we are going to do harcore offroading with these tyres. It will just do the job when one hits a rough section of backside country roads. The new MRF Zapper tyres on the Tbird are softer and have a rounder profile than the outgoing Nylogrip tyres but it still does the job when we hit a rough section while touring. Although it is not meant for those roads but can do the job. One can always retrofit the knobbies but that will be an overkill.

Not sure how its relevant here but anyhow, its durability is as many predicted and expected. It does around 10k for most with a 20% +/- variance. This is what most people guessed it would do. Its not a high milegae tyre by any stretch of the imagination. Whats your point?

My cousin rides a KTM Duke 390 and he rides hard. Covered about 17K kms in 1 year, those Metzelers still have tread left in them maybe for about 2.5-3K. He has also done some mild offroading with us during monsoons. We infact rode for 50 odd kms of washed out roads(backside country roads) and the tyres didn't complain.

At least in the Indian context, no 600cc motorcycle is a "beginners bike"

Depends on the rider, we have 375cc Duke punching out 43 odd horses. I have seen people upgrading from 150cc 14 odd horses to the Duke 390. Besides from what I have read on some reputed forums and international review websites the TNT 600 GT doesn't surprise its rider by that surge of power. It is more mellowed and controlled and tuned for a better bottom and mid end.

Not sure what your definition of adventure touring is, but this bike is not the most ideal for it. Adventure touring would almost always involve some level of rough roading and this bike, save for a presumably comfy seat does not have anything different from its "Street oriented" sibling. For it not to be a faux / pretentious / nakli tourer, it should have at least had:

- Better ground clearance
- Longer suspension
- Beefier suspension, to take the additional load of heavy luggage and the rough roads it would be subjected to
- More neutral riding position would be preferred. Rear set pegs like its sibling dont add much towards the dual sport "stand on the pegs" riding. Think GS, VStrom, KLR 650 ......... you get the idea

Simply adding plastic bits to make a bike "look" the part does not float my boat. If your idea of touring is riding perfectly tarred roads then to be honest, any bike with "adequate" power would suffice. You dont need a specialist for that and the cheaper 600i would do just fine as well

There is no fixed definition from what I have seen or come across so far. There are just preferences and dual purpose categories to choose from. It is all about your preferences mate. Yes the ground clearance is low, suspensions have a short travel but I think this will help people with average or low height rider to feel just at home. The front and rear suspension are indeed beefier at 50mm front fork and 123mm rear monoshock. I know about the motorcycles you have mentioned but the fact is none of these are offered here as of now (except BMW GS which costs a bomb).

Cool. To each his own mate but at the risk of repeating myself, its not a DS. I love a true blue DS bike too but this one does nothing for me. Thats all!

You are looking at the lightweight dual-sports category. There are other two categories of dual sports adventure tourers besides yours. So Yes true to each his own.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by anilupadhya

Those boxes are a problem on any bike. Not just those boxes, any box requires your attention while squeezing through gaps.

More so in our conditions where personal space is an alien concept, both on and off the road.

Its not so much the rider adjusting to a bike width 3+ times that of a single bike I am worried about. That will eventually happen. Sometimes painfully.

Its the others on the road hurtling past that scares the living daylights out of me. I've seen saddlebag flapping straps get snagged in rope hooks of lorries passing by too close. And those jut out nowhere close to how these do.

That said, poser "adventure riders" keeping their "tins" on all year, even for a ride to the nearest grocery store is a pretty popular joke on Adv Rider. So yes, I see a huge number of GTSs being sold over the GT.

[RiderZone]

From the discussions that have been going on in groups that I'm part of, most people love the way the Benellis are priced, but are too scared of putting their money into an Italian brand, that too managed by DSK, especially when there are so few positive reviews of their bikes online. Hopefully this will be a new chapter for Benelli!

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by ebonho

And most importantly, on the road, it will leave its near competitor, the Kawasaki gasping (230 kmph vs 210 kmph). I guess we need not bring the Harley into this particular comparo.

On-paper figures are one thing, actual performance would be something else. While the Benelli seems to have a 15% advantage on the bhp front compared to the Kwak (on paper), the Kwak delivers close to 20% more peak torque at lower rpms (again, on paper). Therefore it suggests that the real world comparo may yield different results.

Not debating the theoretical top-speed difference. However, anyone who wants to ride at over 200 kmph on two patches of rubber - especially on our roads/highways - should be investing in a superior machine and not a cheaper one.

Life is more precious than a 20kmph brag advantage.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

On-paper figures are one thing, actual performance would be something else. While the Benelli seems to have a 15% advantage on the bhp front compared to the Kwak (on paper), the Kwak delivers close to 20% more peak torque at lower rpms (again, on paper). Therefore it suggests that the real world comparo may yield different results.

Agree. Many of us are waiting to see the on-the-road difference between these two, for the price/availability reasons I mentioned in my previous post.

Not debating the theoretical top-speed difference. However, anyone who wants to ride at over 200 kmph on two patches of rubber - especially on our roads/highways - should be investing in a superior machine and not a cheaper one.

Life is more precious than a 20kmph brag advantage.

Agree on the bragging bit. Top speeds are all always about the number. No one spends more than a few seconds at that number in real life. But what a certain top speed does indicate, is the potential of the bike at getting there. Which then is very much in the realm of real world riding.

Is there anything specific in the Benelli that makes you fearful of doing the speeds it is capable of? It has the chassis and the suspension advantage over the Kwacker. It has the brakes. And it has significantly better rubber. Btw, 143 mph is the top speed it has been timed at by international testers. Its not theoretical. Unless you are referring to the fact that in the real world, on the road, it (a difference of 20 kmph)would count for little?

I ask this because I know Ninja 650 riders who when presented with the right set of circumstances, have been able to exploit what their machines are capable of. Not all, but definitely some of them.

So why not the Benelli?

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by ebonho

So why not the Benelli?

Doc,
Should not be a major challenge to top 200's and hold speeds at that on the Benelli 600GT. The bike is heavy and will be stable however am not quite on the 600i as I did not check it out with intent.

The GTS will take more time to reach its full speed considering its additional weight and those huge ungainly but practical panniers.

The fork @43mm is one of the biggest I have seen in a 600CC category. My FZ1 had 43mm forks upfront.

Kayaba Suspensions are known for their quality and design, remember the legendary RD350 where it kicked up quite a storm

PS: That's a wonderful signature line you have got there

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Doc,
Should not be a major challenge to top 200's and hold speeds at that on the Benelli 600GT. The bike is heavy and will be stable however am not quite on the 600i as I did not check it out with intent.

The GTS will take more time to reach its full speed considering its additional weight and those huge ungainly but practical panniers.

The fork @43mm is one of the biggest I have seen in a 600CC category. My FZ1 had 43mm forks upfront.

Kayaba Suspensions are known for their quality and design, remember the legendary RD350 where it kicked up quite a storm

PS: That's a wonderful signature line you have got there

Mahesh, I agree that the naked, shorn of the additional (camoflaging?) plastic, does look to be built to a budget. But at 208 kilos, its not a light bike by any stretch in its own right. If anything its in fact 4 kilos heavier than the faired Ninja 650. The GT of course is a humungous 223 kilos.

The fork is actually 50 mm from what I've read, and it looks the business. Its of course tuned for the pavement by the look of things. Kayaba are definitely top drawer, though I don't recall reading anywhere whether the front is adjustable?

Yeah the signature needd a tweak. Rossi expressed his displeasure in a personal note about me calling him chacha, and invited me to the road .....

[killjoy]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Mahesh, I agree that the naked, shorn of the additional (camoflaging?) plastic, does look to be built to a budget. But at 208 kilos, its not a light bike by any stretch in its own right. If anything its in fact 4 kilos heavier than the faired Ninja 650.

As far as I am aware the Ninja weighs 211 kgs which makes it heavier.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by killjoy

As far as I am aware the Ninja weighs 211 kgs which makes it heavier.

My bad. I was referring to the weight of the naked ER6N. Thank you for pointing it out.

[shan_ned]

Originally Posted by ebonho

But at 208 kilos, its not a light bike by any stretch in its own right. If anything its in fact 4 kilos heavier than the faired Ninja 650. The GT of course is a humungous 223 kilos.

Originally Posted by killjoy

As far as I am aware the Ninja weighs 211 kgs which makes it heavier.

I know for sure the specified weight for Ninja (211 kg/ER6N -208 kg) is with full tank fuel. For 600i ????

Originally Posted by shan_ned

Guys, correct me if i am seeing something wrong here. While looking at the video reviews of 600i, the indicated redline in the tachometer was at 11000 rpm. Is that correct when the peak power arrives post 11000 rpm ? If i am correct on what i have seen, what does it indicate ? Shouldn't one ride around peak power delivery range ?

Looking for some thoughts on the above

[apachelongbow]

I am not sure why this discussion has veered to light weight or rather heavy weight of the GT 600 compared to the competition? If any weight always aids in stabilizing the bike in heavy cross winds, traffic and at high speeds, and at 210kmph the GT 600 does really high speeds (as per reviews).
Why on earth would anyone want a long distance cruiser/tourer to off road as well? Do we expect the Harley soft tails or the Indian chief or the Triumph cruisers to offroad?
Regarding weight I am not concerned as the GT 600 has about 360bhp /tonne, so power to weight ratio is excellent which is reflected in the assumed 0-100 kmph of around 4 seconds.
Lastly there is no comparison between the refinement of a inline four compared to V twins parallel twins or L twins. Inline fours sound and feel very car like, since there are no agricultural vibrations (character as per some), the fatigue factor decreases exponentially allowing the rider to cruise longer distances.
Regarding the width of the carrier boxes, they are immaterial during highway runs, and in the city drives these cases are detachable, so no argument in that. About the non cool looking leg guards or some switch gear not looking premium enough, remember you are paying only 6.5 lacs on road for a great mechanical package and probably India's only genuine long distance and practical tourer. Until now we have been kidding ourselves by strapping luggage across our bikes everywhere we can with duct tape and bungy cords and pretend to tour, by taking butt breaks every 50kms. I do hope with the GT 600 I will be able to ride continuously for 4-5 hours at a stretch doing 120kmph two up, with my weeks of luggage in the side boxes, and comfortably do 800 - 1000 kms in a day....

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

Until now we have been kidding ourselves by strapping luggage across our bikes everywhere we can with duct tape and bungy cords and pretend to tour, by taking butt breaks every 50kms.

Was that the Pulsar or the Thunderbird? Or both?

No arguments with your post. It has all the makings of a really good long distance pavement tourer.

4 seconds to 100? Can you share the link of where this was timed please?