2017 Benelli TnT 125 launch review

When Bikesales Editor Mark 'Mav' Fattore asked if I'd like to attend a Benelli track launch, I immediately smelled a rat. Why would he pass up an opportunity to smoke a set of sticky tyres himself, perhaps on a new example of sports-focussed, triple-cylinder Latin exotica?

The, on opening the official invitation, his motives became clear. It wasn't some new litre-class rocket; it was Benelli's new pocket-sized TnT 125. And it wasn't the Phillip Island MotoGP circuit – it was a go-kart track in Melbourne's northern suburbs…

Don't get me wrong – flogging Benelli's sweetly styled little beastie around a tight and twisty track sounded like a lot of fun, but the reality here was Fattore was battling his inner demons, as the memory of breaking his shoulder on the Honda Grom 125 launch, also held at a go-kart track, was still fresh in his mind.

In any case, the prospect of seeing a 188cm-tall, 110kg me sitting astride a bike you could just about pick up and put in your car boot was obviously providing him with quite a degree of amusement, so off I went to the launch with an open mind and a determined outlook – determined to show Mav it was in fact possible to ride one of this new breed of bike without calling upon an orthopaedic surgeon and WorkCover…

Good things, small packages
Honda got the ball rolling with this genre with its Grom 125 last year, the lead followed soon after by Kawasaki with its Z125 Pro. These bikes are neither monkey bikes nor mini bikes – they're bigger than that but still appreciably smaller than a full-size motorcycle.

As such, they're light, nimble and agile, and while engine outputs from the single-cylinder engines are, ahem, modest, the fuel economy is frugal and the purchase price and on-going running costs are low.

They also fall under the umbrella of the Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme (LAMS) and, for many pondering their first ride, their diminutive and eminently manageable nature could be very attractive – especially for those on the shorter side.

And so we come to the Benelli TnT 125. Powered by a 125cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine, it's the only one of the compact-bike trio to feature a four-valve head and a five-speed gearbox. Benelli also claims it's the most powerful of the three, the TnT 125 pumping out a mighty 8.2kW (11hp) versus 7.2kW for the Honda and 7.1kW for the Kawasaki, although that advantage is negated by the Italian's heavier weight – 128kg (wet) versus 104kg for the Honda and 102kg for the Kawasaki.

The Italian also boasts a chunky 41mm upside-down fork (31mm for the Honda and 30mm for the Kawasaki), while for fuelling it matches the Kawasaki with electronic fuel injection (the Honda makes do with a carburettor).

Best of all, the Benelli undercuts both rivals on price – at $3250 (plus on-roads), the Benelli is $849 cheaper than the Kawasaki and a whole $101 cheaper than the Honda. Hey, on current prices that $101 saving will buy you nearly 11 tanks of petrol!

Incidentally, the European market gets the TnT 135, with a whole extra 10cc, while we get the 125 – that's why you'll see the '135' decal in the promo video. And, in a final point of difference, the Benelli is the only bike of the three to come with 24 months of free roadside assistance in addition to its 24-month, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

International cast
Like all modern Benellis, the TnT 125 is manufactured in China but the company's headquarters, design and R&D is carried out at its traditional base in Pesaro, Italy. Earlier this year the company was purchased by China's Geely Group – a massive automotive concern that also owns Volvo passenger cars, among many other marques.

The switch has seen Benelli step away from its higher-capacity motorcycles to focus on bikes of 500cc or under – click here to read about the broad spread of new Benelli models headed our way…

With all the details covered off it was out to the waiting fleet of TnT 125s sitting in pit lane – which was exactly where my first surprise lay in wait. The finish of these bikes is really very good – in fact if someone had told me it had been built in Italy, not China, I wouldn't have batted an eyelid.

There are LED indicators front and rear and an LED taillight, along with the four projector-style headlights. The twin exhaust pipe setup looks particularly sweet, and the trellis frame is a stylish match for the smartly sculpted bodywork, what little of it there is.

It's one smart-looking unit, and I'm certain it's destined to pique the interest of any buyer looking into this niche.

Two-wheeled Tardis?
Surprise number two came when I threw a leg over it – or rather stepped over it, as the case more accurately was. Yes, it's a small bike, but with a 780mm seat height I could still sit my significant frame on the thing with relative ease – it certainly wasn't uncomfortable, although of course it's no touring machine, either.

Thumb the starter and the bike fires into life with a quiet and unassuming burble, and then after rolling out onto the track surprise number three soon came my way – it actually handles! After a couple of laps to get acquainted with the lightning-fast tip-in and zero steering effort required, I was chasing other riders and laughing out loud in my lid. This thing's a blast, and as we tipped into corners three abreast I had to remind myself that we weren't exactly sampling the bike in its native habitat.

That was fine though, because after we'd tired of the on-track antics, Chas Hern from Aussie Benelli distributor Urban Moto Imports took me on a 30-minute road loop, giving me a good chance to see whether this pint-sized machine could actually mix it in the cut and thrust of Melbourne traffic.

Benelli says the TnT 125 tops out around 110km/h but in practice – and with my 110kg on board – that figure would have been a stretch without a lengthy downhill gradient. It does, however, manage to get along at 80km/h without a worry, and can climb to 90km/h or more without too much hassle. I did see three figures flash up briefly on the digi speedo on a motorway section, but again this was with the benefit of a slight downhill slope.

More impressive was the rock-solid stability of the TnT at this speed. With 12-inch wheels front and rear and reasonable suspension (a non-adjustable front fork and a preload-adjustable rear monoshock), it feels planted on the road and copes reasonably well with bumps and dips.

There's provision for a pillion but only the brave (or blissfully ignorant) need apply…

Of course you don't have the acceleration of bigger bikes to get you out of trouble if need be, but like any small-capacity machine you rapidly learn to judge gaps in traffic and assess hazards to suit. In that sense riding a TnT 125 is just like riding a 125cc scooter.

Proper bike
But this isn't a scooter, it's a 'proper' bike – it might be compact but it still comes with a clutch and manual five-speed gearbox, and the Cordial-brand tyres (nope, I hadn't heard of them either) appear to be able to handle a fair degree of lean. Certainly they were sufficient to get the side stand dragging around the track's left-handers.

The instrumentation comprises a large analogue tacho with a digital speedo, fuel gauge, clock and two trip meters.

The preload on the rear shock can be adjusted with a C-spanner and the collars are easy to reach, while the footpegs aren't spring loaded (our test bike had also had its hero blobs removed, to further increase ground clearance).

On track or road you really have to work the gearbox and engine hard to keep the Benelli on the boil – with 11hp on tap that's no surprise – and decent progress is only found between 7000rpm and the bike's 10,000rpm indicated redline.

But the handling is good and the brakes do a decent job too. There's no high-tech niceties here like ABS or traction control – must-haves for many learner riders, it has to be said – but the brakes do pull the thing up well enough. It's a combined brake system, actually, with a two-piston caliper gripping a single disc up front and a single-piston caliper gripping the single disc at the back. Applying the rear brake also actuates one piston in the front caliper.

Summing up
This launch, and this bike, are a heap of fun. It's also priced to sell and it comes with a range of smart factory accessories, like machined footpeg hangers, handlebar ends, levers, triple clamps and more, while it has the backing of an established player like Urban Moto Imports behind it.

Would I buy one? No – but then I wouldn't buy a Grom or a Z125 Pro either, as I'm simply not in this machine's target market. But I have to say I enjoyed every bit of my time aboard the TnT 125 – and, Mr Fattore, I emerged from the experience completely unscathed, too…

SPECS: 2017 BENELLI TnT 125
ENGINE
Type: Air-cooled, four-stroke four-valve single
Capacity: 125cc
Bore x stroke: 54mm x 54.5mm
Compression ratio: 9.8:1
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 11hp (8.2kW) at 9000rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 10Nm at 7000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Steel trellis
Front suspension: 41mm upside-down fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Monoshock, adjustable for preload
Front brakes: Single 220mm disc with radial-mounted twin-piston caliper
Rear brake: 190mm disc with single-piston caliper
Tyres: Cordial, front 120/70-12, rear 130/70-12

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed kerb weight: 128.2kg
Seat height: 780mm
Ground clearance: 160mm
Wheelbase: 1215mm
Fuel capacity: 7.2 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $3250 plus on-roads
Colours: Red, white or black
Test bike supplied by: Urban Moto Imports, benelli.com.au
Warranty: 24 months/unlimited kilometres with 24 months of roadside assistance