Benelli may have suffered from lacklustre sales in
the Indian market, but the Chinese-owned Italian brand is planning to come back
with a bang.
Benelli's Indian line-up will bid adieu to the
existing products and welcome new motorcycles that will compete in the entry-
and mid-level displacement segments. One of the models that Benelli will soon
introduce in the Indian market is the modern classic, the Imperiale.
The Imperiale range will include two variants with
different displacement and will compete against the Royal Enfield Classic
motorcycles. Like Royal Enfield, Benelli will offer exclusive apparel to
enhance the ownership experience.
The Imperiale 400 will use the 373.5 cc,
single-cylinder, air-cooled, SOHC engine with fuel injection that generates
19.7 PS of maximum power at 5,500 rpm and 28 Nm of peak torque at 3,500 rpm.
The engine is mated to a 5-speed transmission. The 530 cc engine too, would
most likely be a single-cylinder, air-cooled, SOHC unit with fuel injection.
There's no word on its power or torque.
Being a modern classic, the Benelli Imperiale has a
teardrop fuel tank, round headlight, wide handlebar, split seat and classic
fenders. Chrome bits on the motorcycle include wheels, engine, mudguards and
the rear-view mirrors.
The motorcycle features 41 mm conventional
telescopic front forks and twin-spring shock absorbers at the rear. A 300 mm
front disc with two-piston callipers and a 240 mm disc brake at the back with a
single-piston calliper performs the anchoring tasks, while the safety net of
dual-channel ABS comes as standard.
Report from August 2018 suggests that the new
Benelli Imperiale 400 will arrive in the Indian market in 2019.
