BREAKING: Benelli Imperiale 250 Planned; Could Be India Bound

Benelli is expected to launch a flurry of new models in the next couple of years. We have come to know that at least ten new engine platforms are going to be created with three new (relatively, speaking) single-cylinder engines. The one that piqued our interest is the new 250cc air-cooled long-stroke engine which will be part of the Imperiale series of bikes.

Benelli already has a 250cc engine in its line-up but that’s a modern liquid-cooled and free revving mill with slightly sporty intentions, as seen in the Leoncino and TRK series well. For the Imperiale series, the engine would not work well. The retro roadster would demand a relaxed, stress-free motor that can be produced at a cheaper cost.

The Italian bikemaker isn’t the only one working on a 250cc roadster. The king of affordable roadster motorcycles Royal Enfield, too has been working on a similar engine platform. Likely to be called the Sherpa, Royal Enfield’s 250cc bike would then have a worthy rival in the Imperiale 250.

Speaking of the other two single-cylinder engines, well, one of them is the EU5/BS6 updated version of the Imperiale 400’s motor. Even though the bike has been launched in India, it is still to reach global markets. Lastly, Benelli was working on a 530cc engine for the Imperiale and that motor has been announced too. Sadly, it will not make it down to India as the pricing for it would be too close to the Imperiale 400, making it hard for Benelli India to justify having both motorcycles on sale. And given that the 400 is already quite expensive compared to its rivals, having a 530cc model in India doesn’t make much sense.