Benelli adventure bike looming

Urban Moto Imports, the Australian importer and distributor for Benelli, has announced its new TRK 502 adventure bike will go on sale across Australia before the end of this year, priced at $8790 ride away.

The LAMS-compliant model enjoyed its Australian debut at the recent Sydney Motorcycle Show, and is powered by 500cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, eight-valve parallel-twin engine said to produce 48hp (35Kw) at 8500rpm and 46Nm at 6000rpm. The power is fed to the ground via to a six-speed gearbox and chain final drive.

The engine has been slotted into a tubular steel trellis frame and rides on an inverted fork and rear monoshock, the latter adjustable for preload. Some 145mm of suspension travel is available front and rear, while the seat height is relatively modest (for an adventure bike) at 800mm.

The model is equipped with twin 320mm discs up front with four-piston calipers and a single 260mm disc at the rear gripped by a single-piston caliper, with ABS as standard.

Cast-alloy 17-inch rims are shod with road-biased rubber front and rear.

The Benelli TRK 502 is available in white, red or black and comes with a two-year factory warranty and two years of complimentary roadside assistance.

These days Benelli is a Chinese-owned operation but its products are still made in Italy to Benelli's meticulous quality standards. The TRK 502 is just one of an influx of several new mid-size models destined to bolster the range, and follows hot on the heels of the firm's new compact bike, the TnT 125.

Bikesales will be attending the national media launch of the Benelli TRK 502 in mid-January, so check back then for a full rundown on what promises to be a very handy little mid-size all-rounder.