Benelli launches five bikes across segments
It has been six months since DSK Benelli announced their partnership and promised to bring five new sporty motorcycles to the country. The promise was fulfilled today with the launch of five new superbikes starting with a 300cc parallel-twin to a 1130cc range-topping litre-class naked.
These bikes will be brought in India via the CKD route and will be assembled at their plant in Wai, near Pune. Shirish Kulkarni, chairman of DSK group, divulged plans to start locally manufacturing these bikes in India in the foreseeable future. This move would cut down on import taxes, while localisation of parts would bring down prices exponentially.
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Shirish Kulkarni, Chariman, DSK Motowheels with Benelli Director, Gearge Wang[/caption]
The TNT 300 is a naked with a 300cc parallel-twin motor with a power output of 38.3bhp at 11,500rpm and 26.5Nm of torque at 10,000rpm. On offer is a trellis frame with a rise mounted rear monoshock, underbelly exhaust and a dual petal disc setup in front. The TNT 300 will retail at Rs 2,83,000 (ex-showroom Delhi).
The TNT 600i is a middleweight naked with a four-cylinder 600cc engine. Power is rated at 85.1bhp at 11,500rpm and torque is 54.6Nm at 10,500rmp. The minimalistic design features a steel-trellis cum alloy subframe with two underseat exhausts. It carries signature design cues from the original TNT. The TNT 600i is competitively priced at Rs 5,15,000 (ex-showroom Delhi).
The TNT 600 GT is a sports tourer based on the TNT 600i. For sustained high-speed touring, you get a semi fairing with a wind deflector. The tank size has been increased to accommodate 27 litres of fuel. The seats are shaped to be ergonomically comfortable over long distances. The TNT 600 GT, unlike the 600i, gets an underbelly exhaust allowing you space to fit panniers and bag packs on the seat. The TNT 600 GT is priced at Rs 5,62,000 (ex-showroom Delhi)
When it comes to Italian bikes, the TNT 899 is as exotic as it gets. The supersport naked gets a 898cc in-line three cylinder heart. Power output is 120bhp at 9500rpm while torque is at 88Nm at 8000rpm. The Italian beauty gets a bespoke kit in the form of Marzocchi inverted front forks and Sachs rear monoshock. Braking is via Brembo Callipers gripping massive petal brakes. The TNT 899 can be yours for Rs 9,48,000 (ex-showroom Delhi)
The TNT 1130R will be the flagship DSK-Benelli here in India. Powering this brute is an absolute beast of an engine. Displacing 1131cc from a triple, it produces 157bhpbhp at 10,200rpm and 120Nm of torque at 8400rpm, making explosive performance an absolute guarantee. This bespoke creation is priced at Rs 11,81,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), a steal considering the capacity and the Italian lineage.
While, the bikes do not offer ABS as an option, Shirish Kulkarni commented that they are working on fitment of ABS on the entire range. We can expect ABS on the 300cc and 600cc models in the next couple of months, while ABS will be available on the 899 and 1130 by the end of the year. Initially ABS will be available as an option to deplete stocks and until the Government regulations making ABS mandatory on all bikes kick in.
