EICMA: 2024 Benelli Tornado 500, Tornado 500 Naked Twin, and BKX300, BKX300S

Benelli has shown its faith in the increasingly popular 500cc segment by revealing a new Tornado 500 sportsbike at the recent EICMA expo in Milan. Using a name first seen on the marque’s 900cc triple two decades ago and more recently on its 125cc TnT mini-roadster, the newest Tornado is a fully faired sportster with clip-on ’bars and a racy attitude.

Related: EICMA: 2023 Benelli range

Both the new Tornado 500 and the Tornado 500 Naked Twin unveiled last year (and updated for 2024) use the 500cc parallel-twin four-stroke engine from Benelli’s existing Leoncino 500 and TRX 502 models. In Tornado guise, the DOHC, fuel-injected mill pumps out a claimed 47.6hp (35kW) at 8500rpm, with peak torque of 46Nm at 6000rpm, and fed via a six-speed gearbox with slipper clutch.

The Tornado twins share a tubular steel trellis frame, although it is largely hidden by the sleek fairing on the 500 sportster. On the suspension side, the sporty 500 wears 41mm USD forks with rebound adjustment, while the Naked Twin gets a similarly adjustable but beefier 50mm fork. Both bikes feature a monoshock adjustable for preload and rebound damping, but the claimed wheel travel is 6mm less (125mm) on the faired Tornado.

Braking set-ups vary slightly. Both Tornados have 320mm twin discs up front, but the faired 500 boasts pukka Brembo radial four-piston monobloc calipers, while the Naked Twin makes do with Benelli-branded radial four-potters. Both versions have a sole single-piston caliper that grips a 260mm disc on the back, with ABS all round, and 17-inch alloy wheels with 120/70-17 and 160/60-17 rubber front and rear.

As you might expect from a sports-oriented model, the Tornado 500 has a shorter wheelbase for more flickability: 1420mm vs 1451mm on the Naked Twin. Interestingly, given its additional bodywork, the sportsbike is a substantial 9kg lighter than its naked brethren, tipping the scales with a claimed kerb weight of 186kg, oiled and 90 per cent fuelled. Speaking of fuel, the Tornado 500 carries 16.5L compared with the Naked Twin’s 14L tank.

Instrument-wise, both bikes sport a five-inch TFT display unit with Bluetooth connectivity. The Tornado sportsbike also has navigation capability and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

After debuting the BKX250 adventure and BKX250S naked bikes at EICMA last year, Benelli has given both models a capacity boost for 2024. Now known as the BKX300 and BKX300S respectively, these nifty learner-friendly machines are visually almost identical to their 250 predecessors.

The big change is the all-new 293cc liquid-cooled, four-valve, four-stroke, single-cylinder power plant. Fuel-injected via a 42mm throttle body, the uprated donk gets bigger inlet and exhaust valves, a redesigned combustion chamber for more efficiency and a new balance shaft for improved reliability and smoother running.

Peak outputs are decent: 29.2hp (21.5kW) at 9000rpm and 24.5Nm of torque at 7000rpm. There is also a new exhaust system and a slipper clutch for the six-speed gearbox.

With a design focus on manoeuvrability and easy riding, the two 300s should be a treat for city carving, while the adventure-styled BKX300 adds gravel panache as well. Both bikes sport a steel double-cradle frame with monoshock rear suspension. Inverted 41mm forks are fitted to both bikes, with the taller BKX300 getting a useful 180mm of travel at both ends, compared with the naked version’s 150mm.

Brakes comprise a single disc at each end gripped by a four-piston caliper up front and a single-pot grabber at the rear, both with ABS. The adventure-styled BKX300 wears 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheels with dual-purpose rubber, while the naked S model has more street-savvy 17-inch alloy wheels.

Benelli HQ said the new Tornado 500s should be available in the first half of 2024, while the BKX300 pair will hit the market later in the year. Pricing is still to be announced, and it isn’t yet confirmed if they will make it to Australian dealers.